Is photography art? This was one question that we were asked early on in the creation of this series. Watch Ted Forbes exploration on this topic in the youtube video below, with a quote from Forbes, "On one of the days I was interviewing Harold, the news broke of Peter Lik's photograph that sold for $6.5 million. As I'm sure most of you know, an argument of largely click bait ensued at the always classy Guardian over whether or not photography could be considered art". See more here!

Harold Feinstein. Exhibit June 18. Lecture June 29.

Unwrapping the Gift of Life: Celebrating the Work and Wisdom of Photographer, Harold Feinstein. 

Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport.

 June 29, 2016. 7:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

This lecture series is the third lecture in an ongoing exploration of the

 importance of a partnership between innovation and creativity. Funds raised from this event will go towards the creation of an innovation and creativity lab in Amesbury

- for innovators of all ages! 

 
Tickets: $10.00 each.

Presenters:

Sarah Kennel, Curator of Photography
Peabody Essex Museum

Tony Decaneas, Owner, Decaneas Archive

Elin Spring, Renowned writer of the photography blog,
What Will You Remember

Judith Thompson, Director, Harold Feinstein Photography Trust


PLUS! Raffle at event: One matted, framed limited edition archival pigment poster of Feinstein’s iconic Coney Island Teenagers

This presentation parallels an exhibit of Feinstein;s work to be held at Sweethaven Gallery in Newburyport. This exhibit is co-sponsored by Greg Nikas, of Sweethaven Gallery in Newburyport, Asia Scudder of Blue Wave Art Gallery of Amesbury.

With special thanks to Digital Silver Imaging for contributing commemorative pigment poster design, printing, matting and framing.


Biography of Harold Feinstein: 

Feinstein died at the age of 84 and had lived in Merrimac, MA since 2000. On the one year anniversary of his passing, the local arts community will commemorate Feinstein’s legacy through a number of cultural events. An exhibition of his work will open at Sweethaven Gallery on June 15 (reception on the 18th), followed by a public event at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center on June 29th. The public event will feature special guest, Sarah Kennel, photography curator at the Peabody Essex Museum. The events are being coordinated by gallery owners Greg Nikas (Sweethaven Gallery) and Asia Scudder (Blue Wave Gallery) with support from the Newburyport Clean Tech Center, a non profit associated with Chestnut Innovation Center.


When master photographer Harold Feinstein passed away in June 2015, the New York Times declared him “one of the most accomplished recorders of the American experience.” TheBoston Globesaid: “He saw more than most. Though critics began applying the phrase ‘master photographer’ to Mr. Feinstein when he was only in his 20s, he might have argued that his true mastery lay in his approach to life, as expressed through the camera in his hands.” In her renowned Photograpy Blog, Elin Spring, commented: “Feinstein had a genius for guiding us to the beauty in others in the same gifted way that Diane Arbus made us aware of their flaws or Garry Winogrand conveyed satire. To me, Feinstein’s great legacy will be his generous and touching reflection of our best selves.”


Feinstein was born in Coney Island in 1931 and began photographing in 1946 when he was 15. By the time he was 19, Edward Steichen had purchased his work for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art making him the youngest person to be so honored. Before the age of 30 he had become the youngest member of the historic Photo League, a designer for Blue Note jazz records, an original inhabitants of New York’s legendary “Jazz Loft” and a collaborator with W. Eugene Smith. He was also a renowned teacher who influenced generations of photographers.

While he is best known for his Coney Island work, which spans six decades, his breadth and exposure is far greater, encompassing classic street photography, the Korean War, nudes and portraits as well as digital color still life work published in seven books. In 2000 he received the Smithsonian Computerworld Award for his breakthrough work with scanography. In 2011, he received the Living Legend award from the Griffin Museum of Photography. His most recent book Harold Feinstein: Retrospective, (Nazareli, 2012) wona PDN photo book of the year award in 2013.


Harold Feinstein, a native of Coney Island,

borrowed a Rolleiflex camera from a neighbor when he was 15

and set forth to record the sights and the people surrounding him.

Early on, he exhibited an uncanny ability to capture

spontaneous moments — sunbathers enjoying the beach,

teenagers laughing on a plunging roller coaster —

that pulled viewers into the city’s most famous seaside

playground and the life of ordinary New Yorkers. -- By WILLIAM GRIMES JUNE 29, 2015. New York Times. TICKETS:

Bruce Brown. Collector of Contemporary Photography. Lecture on April 3. 2 pm.

  Portland native and resident Bruce Brown served as curator at the Center of Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport for twenty years beginning in 1987.  He curated more than 200 exhibitions promoting Maine visual artists before retiring as curator emeritus in December, 2006 to become an independent curator. 

In February, 2013 he became a partner of Portland's PhoPa Gallery in Portland  specializing in Maine photographs and works on paper with photographer Jon Edwards and the Maine Media Workshops + College in Rockport where he has been on the Advisory Committee since 2006.  Brown's unorthodox and self-tutored art career began in 1975 when he unexpectedly bought a painting while visiting galleries to learn about Maine artists to share with his students early in his 28 year career at Freeport High School.  

Little Calf Island, 2000, by Gifford Ewing (Sorrento)

 Relying solely upon his income as a public school teacher and curator, he has built a notable collection particularly of contemporary American prints and more recently Maine photography.  Portions of his collection were exhibited at the Portland Museum of Art in 2000, the Colby College Museum in Waterville in 2003 and at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1993 and 2004. 

Please click on this wonderful article below by Sharon Kitchens to read more on Brown's history and what he brings to this series! 

http://www.themaineblog.com/master-shots-bruce-brown/

Jeremy Barnard

Jeremy Barnard has been primarily a practitioner of black and white photography for the past forty plus years. He is self-taught, his craft having been molded and influenced by the photography and writings of some of the great masters. “My love affair with photography began when I developed my first roll of film and created my first print. I fell in love with the process, the magic.” His passionate pursuit of technical excellence has kept Jeremy involved in every step of the photographic process. He retains control even into the presentation stage by doing his own post processing, mounting, matting, and framing.

    More than twenty-five years ago the computer made its appearance in Jeremy's work environment. In the beginning he viewed it as an overly complex typewriter. As it began to insert itself into the world of photography it was easy to be skeptical about its photographic future, since the early results of digital imaging were disappointing. Things, as we now know, have changed radically in the digital world of photography. Output quality has surpassed that of film. At this point it has been over twenty years since Jeremy has shot a roll of film, and he's not looking back.

     Mr Barnard's approach to his work can best be described as an ongoing  process of self discovery. His photographs walk a fine line between abstraction and realism. “My process of observation begins with a wide view of my subject, seeing it in its environmental context. With the knowledge that my image will lack impact if I don't get close enough, I ask myself what it is about the scene that captivates me, and I move in to isolate that element.” The resultant images possess the abstract qualities of shape and form. Jeremy prefers natural to artificial light, but has over the years learned to be comfortable in the studio. In his artistic work he prefers to make images that do not contain people. However, his images frequently contain evidence that people have been there, adding an element of mystery. “I like to make pictures that ask more questions than they answer.”

    Artist/writer David Raymond wrote in Art New England  that Barnard's photographs “not only convey a sense of place, but a sense of time transcending place,...his work is poetic in unexpected ways.”

Harold Feinstein Prints Available

We are looking forward to a lecture on Harold Feinstein's photographic work.  June 2016.
More soon!   In conjunction with this lecture we will have prints available for sale from the Feinstein archives.  Please contact Blue Wave Art Gallery at bluewaveartgallery@gmail.com or greg@sweethavengallery.com.

Bruce Brown, On Collecting Photographic Works of Art - April 3, 2016

There is a mastery to collecting

 Bruce Brown began collecting photography in earnest in 2000.  Since then, Brown’s passion for the discipline and its practitioners has resulted in an extensive collection of photographs taken by those residing in Maine and those inspired by its unique, creative sense of place.

  Please join us in welcoming Bruce Brown to the 
Chestnut Innovation Center. 

 April 3, 2016
2 pm.  
Reception to follow.   Free and open to the public.  

" It should be pretty obvious that paying a lot of money for a piece does not mean that you will make money if you sell it, but you are unlikely to sell it at all if there’s little or no secondary market for that artist. ... according to some art consultants, 90% of art sold in galleries today is worth less as soon as you’ve purchased it. "    

Link to Forbes article on purchasing art

Lou Jones

We shared an incredible evening and presentation with photographer, Lou Jones. He spoke to a crowd of over 60 people about contemporary photography. He expressed his views on the art of photography by using his work as a platform to discuss not only what makes a good photograph, but also he spoke to the use of film, and the transition to using a digital platform to create an image. It was a rich and diverse presentation that created quite a lot of excitement and conversation with q & a following.   Please see postings below for newspaper article on this series.

 Our next lecture will be on April 3rd with Bruce Brown, a notable collector of photography. More soon!

Please re-visit our blog in the next week to see our video on this lecture.
I was so glad that Mayor Ken Gray (pictured in front row) was there and a big shout out to him for sharing in this new cultural lecture series and collaboration at the Chestnut Innovation Center http://chestnutic.com/. And special thanks to No. 8 Restaurant for providing us efficient service and an over the top meal!