jessica hoffman

Exhibition

2012-02-15T19:40:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in this awesome show curated by Little Berlin called Flash Flood March 2nd-24th.

FLASH FL00D is a semi-secretive mass public exhibition of rapidly-distributed hidden flash drives containing downloadable exhibitions. Curatorial members of Little Berlin along with other Philadelphia galleries, collectives, artists, hackers and members of the public are invited to embed USB flash drives known as‘dead drops’ in public locations such as walls, phone booths and staircases.

For more info, check it out!

Press

2011-11-21T18:34:00.002-05:00

Check out the press Forever and After received!

Philadelphia Inquirer

Brewer Multimedia

Exhibitions

2011-09-26T13:24:00.002-04:00

Join me for:

Forever and After October 7th - November 25th

Repetition:Repetition October 8th - November 8th

Reminder

2011-08-06T08:19:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen the show, Duets, at Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts yet, make a trip down there before it closes on the 14th! I gave a brief talk last night about my two pieces - Handshake Test and Every Seven Letter Word in the English Language.

Forever and After

2011-07-11T21:52:00.004-04:00

Here are some stills from a video piece I'm working on for Forever and After.

Updates: Summer 2011

2011-06-13T21:32:00.002-04:00

Many things have happened since my last post.

Many things past, many future.

Here is the past:

I had work in a show put together by the Philadelphia Center for the Book called Curriculum at the Springside School.

Mandy Dunn Sampson and I made an awesome kite for First Flight at the Mastehead Print Studio.

Here is the future:

I have work at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts in a group member show called Duets.

I am making new, exciting work that will be installed at 110 Church Gallery. The show is called Forever and After and will be up through POST.

Some exciting things

2010-09-13T10:48:00.003-04:00

First: Justin and I had another amazing time at SPX. We had some new books and minicomics, sold a bunch, traded a bunch, bought some cool stuff, meet some awesome people. Thumbs up.

Second: I was selected for a group show - Fugitive Encounters - at CFEVA (the Center for Emerging Visual Art) as a part of POST (Philadelphia Open Studio Tours). The show was curated by Adelina Vlas, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Art Museum. There will be a reception October 7th. Check it out!

Third: I'll be installing my work for POST at Casa Papel in the next few weeks. Come on out!

Updates

2010-08-22T14:55:00.003-04:00

I've been working at the Philadelphia Center for the Book's Arts on South store/gallery space this summer. We have the space rent free until September 15th. I'm also working at the American Philosophical Society as a Conservation Bench Technician.

I have some exciting things coming up:
SPX (Small Press Expo) September 11 and 12 in Bethesda, MD
POST (Philadelphia Open Studio Tours) October 9 and 10 (I'll be at Casa Papel)

My brother and sister-in-law graciously gifted me a 3"x5" Kelsey Press, complete with lead type and metal cuts.

And I'm working on a new series, so stay tuned.

Thesis

2010-05-10T19:03:00.002-04:00

My thesis exhibition is up. You can check it out until Friday May 14. I've been so busy I forgot to post information about the reception, which already happened. But thanks to the many friends and family that were able to make it.

I received the Lenore Adelman Award for Book Arts for my exhibition, which was selected by Gerard Brown, a Philadelphia based critic, artist, and writer.

Exhibition: MFA Thesis!

2010-04-21T13:38:00.001-04:00

A Series of Actions
MFA Thesis Exhibition

Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery
The University of the Arts
333 South Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA

May 3-14, 2010
Reception May 7, 2010
5:30-8:30

Updates: Spring 2010

2010-03-11T12:43:00.003-05:00

My website is being update. Check it out.

I'm working on my thesis - making phone calls, drawing birdish birds, waiting for the warm weather so I can shake some hands, typing words.

I've submitted a proposal to the Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens for an outdoor installation.

Waiting for my future employer to offer me my dream job.

Thesis

2010-02-22T20:43:00.001-05:00

It's coming...

Exhibition: Some Things Change

2010-02-22T10:12:00.002-05:00

Please join me for the reception of Some Things Change, an exhibition I curated, in which I asked artists to revisit past ideas and artworks and rework them to create something new.

The show runs February 22-March 13
Gallery One
The University of the Arts
320 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia

The reception is Thursday, February 25th from 5-7 and will feature a musical performance by some of the musicians involved in the show.

Artists include: Margaret Rolicki, Ollie Wagner, Lindsey Martin, Rebecca Gilbert, Molly Landergan, Turner Hilliker, Ben Potts, Wendy Hyatt, Time Westberg, Kassie Richardson, Jordan Perry, Brendan O'Conner, and Adam Cooper.

Hope to see you there!

Thesis

2010-02-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

steadily working on my thesis.

typing seven letter words until my fingers fall off.

making phone calls to strangers hoping that they still exist.

walking in uncharted territory (for me anyway).

shaking hands with strangers.

i'll talk to you on the other side of the glass.

Exhibition: Works In Progress

2009-10-31T12:42:00.006-04:00

Here are some installation shots of my work in the MFA II Works In Progress Exhibition.

These pieces are a series of actions that call upon repetitive processes, limitations of material, and explorations of maintaining an acute awareness of my surroundings.

Action #1: Cut into 3 x 25 inch strips two pieces of 25 x 38 inch Neenah’s Eames Architectural paper; accordion fold into 3/8 inch sections; refold and piece together to create forms resembling honeycombs.

Status: Complete

Date started: 9/12/2009

Date finished: 10/23/2009

Action # 2: Copy all notations by an unknown owner of J.M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country and Foe onto tracing paper using a Micron 02 pen. Books found on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in West Philadelphia, summer 2009.

Status: In the Heart of the Country complete

Date started: 9/13/2009

Date finished: In the Heart of the Country - 10/10/2009

Action # 3: Stitch in straight lines 500 yards of 100% white cotton no. 40 quilting thread onto 1 square yard of cotton organdy.

Status: Complete

Date started: 9/24/2009

Date finished: 10/18/2009

Action # 4: Type onto a roll of Mohawk Superfine paper, 2 inches in width, every seven-letter word in English (24,029 words), using an IBM Selectric Model 71 typewriter. List of words compiled by students in the math department at the University of Toronto; typewriter purchased at a yard sale in the fall of 2000 in “as is condition”; type ball capable of typing no more than seven characters in a line.

Status: Letters A-F complete (8,270 words)

Date started: 9/22/2009

Date finished:

Action # 5: Photograph in one session every step of my route from home to studio using a Cannon Powershot SD800 IS Digital Elph and a 2 gigabyte memory card. Distance between my home and my studio, according to Google Maps, is 3.6 miles, resulting in 7,480 steps. Images displayed on a TV in video format using Boinx iStopMotion and iDVD software, created on a PowerBook G4.

Status: Complete

Date started: Walk - 10/11/2009

Date finished: Video – 10/20/2009

Pages of Pandemonium: MFA II Works In Progress

2009-10-20T22:49:00.003-04:00

Our 2nd year WIP show is coming up! We install this weekend and there is a reception October 30 from 5-8 at Gallery 224, Anderson Hall 333 S. Broad St.

Updates: Fall 2009

2009-10-07T22:51:00.009-04:00

So, a lot has happened.

My internship at the Wagner was amazing.

all the books i conserved

I was in a show about birds.

linoleum print of an ivory billed woodpecker drawn from a specimen at the wagner

I was in a show about bike parts.

nest made from spokes and tubes

Justin and I sold a bunch of stuff at SPX.

justin's 1st edition of truant with silkscreen covers, my 2 linoleum prints of ghost birds, and dedication:life and love minicomics

Now it is time to get crackin' on the fall semester work load. I've got a Works In Progress show coming up, but I'll post more about that later.

Updates: Summer 2009

2009-05-22T20:37:00.005-04:00

I am about to start one incredible summer after one incredible fall/spring.

I plan on spending a majority of my time hashing out ideas for my thesis and finishing up some loose ends on projects started this spring.

I will be interning here a couple days a week and am so looking forward to being around the awesome collection of insects.

So, yeah, that's about it for now.

Updates: Bird & Bee Press

2009-05-03T13:30:00.003-04:00

I'm finished with my first two books as bird & bee press.

The first is a trio of chapbooks about the mandrake, dragonfly, and hummingbird. They were offset printed by Lori Spencer in the Borowsky Center for Publication Arts at UArts and hand colored with pouchoir
.

The second is a guide book to insects, printed in palladium with letterpressed text.

That's What She Said

2009-04-11T13:31:00.002-04:00

Here's photos from the WIP show.

Show: That's What She Said

2009-02-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

Our first Works in Progress show opens March 20th!!

Project: The House

2009-02-25T19:57:00.006-05:00

So, last semester I made 17 paper houses. This semester I'm building 4 fabric houses, much larger.

This project will be in the WIP show.

These are pictures of me figuring out how the hell to build a house. The final four will not be this big.

Updates: Spring Semester 2009

2009-02-01T14:57:00.002-05:00

I've begun my second semester at UArts. This semester should be quite productive.

We've got a Works In Progress show coming up in March. I've got a few ideas roaming around in my head for that show. I'll be working on creating a large scale paper house that involves a sound piece. I'm also working a series of images in gum bichromate that will be included in a Natural History Field Guide.

I'm taking a book structures course with Carol Barton and Jude Robison that I'm really excited about. We'll be learning different pop-up structures, tunnel books, and box structures. I'm also taking an advance non-silver photography course.

I'm also interning at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania this semester 1 day a week in the conservation lab. So far I've been making multi-use boxes for a group of books. I'll post all the projects from the internship as the semester goes on.

Project: Natural History Field Guide

2009-02-01T14:37:00.005-05:00

For this spring semester, I'm putting together a Natural History Field Guide. I'm creating images of insects, plants, and perhaps other animals (mostly birds, probably) and pairing them with myths and folklore.

The first images I'm working on are insects. Here are the light resists for what will soon be gum bichromate prints. The insects are created from onion skins, glue, and acrylic paint.

Project: The Shelf

2008-12-12T15:25:00.003-05:00

This piece is for an assignment in Non-Toxic Printmaking.

Project: The Shelf

2008-12-12T15:16:00.006-05:00

I have a little shelf in my studio that sits on a blank wall. I'm using this shelf as inspiration for installation mock ups.

Here's the first:

This is part of the "17 Years as a House" project from an assignment in my studio class, Color/Mark.

My family has owned this house for 17 years, though we haven't all lived there together for that entire duration.

These houses are the basis for another project I'm working on, "House of Listening."

Village

2008-12-09T22:57:00.003-05:00

Paper plants and glass jars.

Containment within containment.

Taxonomy

2008-11-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

100 images!

Workshop: Amos Kennedy and the Letterpress

2008-11-22T16:25:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos from the workshop we did with Amos Kennedy. It was awesome and I am now totally in love with letterpress.

Mandy took all these pics.

Updates

2008-11-13T13:27:00.002-05:00

Here is a web page from the Art Lab workshop

It was great. Hopefully I can do it again.

I'm in grad school now, which is why I haven't posted anything. I have pictures, which I will put up as soon as I have time.

Teaching: Day 5

2008-08-15T21:32:00.002-04:00

Today was the final day of the workshop. I had the kids work on a final collage project: where you've been and where you're going. I told them that they had to use at least 2 of the process learned throughout the week to create the final piece. It was great to see what they could come up with. More of them continued to use the cyanotype process than I thought. I expected that they would all be clamoring to use the Polaroid film again. I would say that most of them used the matte medium transfers.

All in all it was very successful. I'm not sure what exactly I would do different, but I do have some ideas. The writing assignments did not work at all. I originally was going to have them write a piece about where they've been and where they're going, but after the lack of interest Monday, I decided not to do that, which I think was the right choice. It would have been to spend some more time teaching them other non0silver photography methods. I had a thought that doing ambrotypes would be fun. But that process takes so long...some time days for the exposures, that it wouldn't have been feasible. I think having them learn specific process each day and then asking them to combine elements was a good choice. I really wanted to do some kind of collaborative piece with them all, but there were so many kids and so little time, we would've spent most of the class discussing the project.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts and reflections in the next couple days, but I really think that this went smoothly and beautifully.

Teaching: Day 4

2008-08-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

On Thursday we did images transfers with matte medium and blender pens. These went really well. I had the kids bring in photographs and magazines and we made xerox copies of some of their favorite images. They also used magazine pages directly. The blender pens are kind of cool. I'd never used them before and someone from Utrecht recommended we try them out. They don't work with magazine, but they give a really cool affect with black and white xerox copies. The magazine also worked really well. It was pretty interesting that you could pull up some of the image fro the other side of the page. The kids seemed to really enjoy this process.

Teaching: Day 3

2008-08-14T08:07:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we made some Polaroid transfers. The kids seemed to really enjoy, but it didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. The wrong film was bought accidentally (Polacolor 690 instead of 669) and it didn't really work well for the emulsion transfers. I think the gelatin they use for the 690 is much harder than the 669. Also, we bought a new DayLab processor (I brought mine too) not realizing that they sell them without the rollers. So, the kids were trying to process film and it wasn't working and I'm a wreck trying to figure it out. Luckily, Kevin came to the rescue and went out to the nearest photo store where he bought them out of 669 film and they special ordered overnight a roller for the DayLab. Despite these mishaps, the kids really liked using all the weird slides I had and they each took a million pictures with the old Land cameras we brought. This is definitely a learning experience...check all your supplies before the workshop.

Teaching: Day 2

2008-08-13T08:55:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we did cyanotypes. My original intention was to have kids bring in objects from the writing they did the day before. I asked them to write about a memory and jot down any visual clues they could remember and use that to think of objects to bring in. Well, most kids didn't seem receptive to the writing assignment...some asked if they could just draw it, others didn't know why they had to bring in objects that related to it. Yesterday only a handful actually brought in objects related to their memory. It's a good thing the art room is well stocked with odds and ends.

After I gave the kids a demo, things really took off. They all seemed to enjoy it and some turned out exceptionally well! One boy thanked me profusely for introducing a creative outlet to him that didn't involve drawing (he doesn't know how) and didn't involve the viola (he plays in band.) And then of course another boy told me he was bored. I just stared at him and said, "Well, make some more cyanotypes, we have a lot of fabric." At the end of the day I had them discuss what they liked, didn't liked, etc. I think the benefit of having a large class is that you're almost guaranteed to have at least 5 kids that are always willing to talk and then once they open up, more follow. So, the discussion went very smooth.

I decided not to do another writing assignment yesterday, based on the lack of enthusiasm the day before. I have one more writing assignment that I really want to do with them, so they can't get out of it.

Today we are going to do Polaroid transfers. This should be fun!

Teaching: Day 1

2008-08-12T08:36:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my first day teaching the ArtLab for Teens workshop at the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Here is the description of the class:

This summer, Philadelphia-based artist Jessica Hoffman leads a five-day workshop inspired by part two of the exhibition The Cinema Effect. Using a variety of photographic processes, students will explore the real and the imagined in art and create a multi-dimensional documentary based on their own memories, writing projects, class discussions, and interviews.

We spent the day yesterday introducing ourselves and I gave them a brief history of the photographic medium and which alternative process we are going to work with. Then we toured The Cinema Effect and discussed it as a group. I must say, I was not expecting them to be so enthusiastic about discussing the show. I was a little worried I was going to have to call on kids to answer my questions, but there were several (the class has 22!!) who always raised their hand and had very insightful comments about the show. We talked about reality/non-reality as represented in film. We talked about visual clues that can direct a viewer to think a certain a way. We even discussed the role of photography/film as a recorder for society and how that is not always the most truthful news source. It was great!

Today we will work with cyanotypes. Here's to another good day! (I hope most of the kids come back!)

News: Featured Photographer at Project Basho

2008-07-25T11:50:00.005-04:00

Here is the second edition of "Featured Photographer."

This interview was with Scott McMahon, a Philadelphia based artist who works in a wide array of photographic techniques.

Scott McMahon, Featured Photographer

Project: Philadelphia Grid Project

2008-06-19T15:42:00.005-04:00

These are from May. I misplaced the CD with the images from April, hopefully I'll find them and they will be up soon.

This area was Tioga/Nicetown. Honestly not my favorite place we've been to yet. I got yelled at by some woman who couldn't understand why I wanted to take pictures...I think she thought I was a rival to the TasteyKake Corp. We did, however, find a pretty cool abandon factory. Also, this was the shoot featured in the Fox 29 News piece.

Anyway, here are a few selections from that shoot.

News: Featured Photographers at Project Basho

2008-06-09T10:20:00.002-04:00

I've completed the first in a series of interviews for Project Basho. Once a month I will be interviewing photographers who work at and support Project Basho. The first photographer was Genevieve Coutroubis. Please check it out here on the Project Basho blog.

Updates

2008-05-19T10:53:00.003-04:00

The Philadelphia Grid Project was featured on Fox 29 News Saturday May 17.

Fox 29 News Segment

I've, finally, put up some of my portfolio on my website. More to come on that.

www.thebirdsandthebees.org

Project: Philadelphia Grid Project

2008-04-23T10:00:00.003-04:00

Photos from March shoot: West Philly area

News: Eat Forever Tour

2008-03-27T12:12:00.002-04:00

Eat Forever is about to embark on a mini Spring tour.

Please come if you are near any of these places!

April 4th - Macrock (Harrisonburg, VA)

April 5th - Artist Underground Cafe (Richmond, VA: 1600 Monument Ave)
w/ Snacktruck, Antlers, Cinnamon Band

April 6th - The Velvet Lounge (Washington, DC)
w/ Snacktruck, Food for Animals, Max Levine Ensemble

April 7th - The Cakeshop (Manhattan, NYC)
w/ Snacktruck

April 8th - Danger Danger Gallery (Philly)
w/ Snacktruck, maybe someone else.

Update: Reception for show at the Green Line Cafe

2008-03-24T16:33:00.003-04:00

Come to the reception at the Green Line Cafe Friday March 28, 2008
7pm - 9pm
4239 Baltimore Ave

Place: Ireland, January 2008

2008-03-23T15:12:00.003-04:00

Place: London, December 2007

2008-03-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

News: Collotype exhibit at Project Basho

2008-03-18T18:27:00.002-04:00

Time: Exhibition of Contemporary Collotype Prints

March 13th – April 27th, 2008

In collaboration with FOTOSPHERE in NY and Benrido in Kyoto Japan, we are excited to announce the upcoming exhibition “Time: Exhibition of contemporary collotype prints.” The show will open with a reception on Thursday, March 13 as a part of 2nd Thursday Openings in the area. The reception will be open to the public from 6 to 9 pm. The exhibition will run through April 27th.

The exhibition demonstrates the intricacy and sensibility of the process. The participating photographers include:

Emmet Gowin
Eikoh Hosoe
Graciela Iturbide
Koichiro Kurita
John Pfahl
Ryuji Taira
George Tice
Arthur Tress

Project: Philadelphia Grid Project

2008-02-19T14:34:00.009-05:00

I'm working with Project Basho on a series in conjunction with the Philadelphia Grid Project.

THE PHILADELPHIA GRID PROJECT ©

The Philadelphia Grid Project is a long term project which will attempt to photographically document the city of Philadelphia. Each month we will set out, individually, to photograph a pre-assigned area of the city. The subject matter is of your choosing. The only requirement: the photograph must be made within a pre-assigned geographic location. The following month, the group will assemble with the results of it’s’ efforts and select one image per photographer to be added to the archives.
The “grid concept” was born in Portland, OR and operates under the title of the Portland Grid Project. I learned about it from a good friend and member M Bruce Hall. I immediately thought, what a fantastic way to organize the photographic documentation of a city.

The February shooting grid was Page 95 , map #40

Here are a few from that shoot:

News: Show at Greenline Cafe

2008-02-19T10:00:00.004-05:00

Check out my show at the Greenline Cafe on Baltimore Avenue! My work is hanging with my friend, Molly Landergan.

News: "Onward" exhibit at Project Basho

2008-02-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

Please check out the latest exhibit in the gallery at Project Basho!

Information about Onward

Place: Acadia National Park, August 2007

2008-01-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Project: Polaroid Transfers

2007-12-18T11:31:00.000-05:00

News: Project Basho article in Philadelphia Inquirer

2007-11-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

Check out the article about Project Basho, the community darkroom I work at.

Click here for the article!

Place.: Cornwall, NY, Fall 2007

2007-11-14T11:57:00.000-05:00

Polaroid: Delaware

2007-11-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

News: Friends of Project Basho Exhibit

2007-11-06T16:02:00.001-05:00

Friends of Project Basho: November 8th - 30th

::: Opening Reception: Thursday, November 8th, 6 - 9 pm :::

To celebrate the completion of the gallery space, Project Basho is organizing this show titled “Friends of Project Basho.” It runs November 8th through 30th. The reception is open to public, and DJ Einstein will be playing music during the event.

This show at Project Basho Gallery will feature the works of students, instructors, monitors, darkroom users, and others who have been actively engaged in photographic activities at Project Basho. It will attempt to portray a sense of community and the diversity of talent at Project Basho as well as represent a vibrant segment of the current photographic scene in Philadelphia.

The photographers included are: Olivia Antsis, Mary Arnold-Brightwell, Emily Barnhart, Aaron Bechtel, Richard Boutwell, Gary Briechle, Robert Cocozza, Ryan Collerd, Genevieve Coutroubis, Mary Crowley, Christa Cywinski, Olga Dekalo, Suzanne Delaney, Alfred For, Jacob Hellman, Dutch Huff, Jessica Hoffman, Tsuyoshi Ito, Kerik Kouklis, Kara Lafleur, Este Lewis, Lauren Mackiewicz, Scott McMahon, Julie Melton, Brenna Murphy, Nadhar Omar, Joshua Peach, Salazar-Borja, Karen Sobolewski, Rod Sutherland, Jim Stogdill, and past students at Project Basho.

For more information about the show and reception, please feel free to contact Project Basho.

Project Basho
215-238-0928
1305 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19122 (Click for Google Map)
info@projectbasho.org
“Re-introducing Photography to Philadelphia”

i will have 2 pieces up from the series "dwellings"

Polaroids: Garden Party

2007-10-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

Eat Forever: Tristan's "Culture Shock"

2007-10-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

The CityPaper asked Eat Forever to write something for “Culture Shock” and so we agreed to have Tristan write it.

They reworded/deleted some stuff, but it still is the best darn “Culture Shock” entry I’ve read.

Here is his original article:

THE DRAUGHTSMAN'S CONTRACT

A truly educational film. Written and directed by the arch formalist Peter Greenaway and released in 1982, it immerses us in the candle-lit milieu of a smutty and conspiratorial English gentry circa 1694, a periwigged class well-practiced in acid drollery. "Barbed familiarites" plant seeds of intrigue from which emerge sinuous deceits. Language wraps its tendrils around our draughtsman and us, its writhing thicket obfuscating violence. Two bodies in the moat and credits roll before we realize the Moliérerian satire we've been watching was a murder mystery. The feints and gambits of language are rarely so well rendered. But it is not dramaturgy at the expense of the cinematic: Greenaway frames his tableaux vivants with a precision Wes Anderson would be right to envy, and Michael Nyman's soundtrack is exquisitely woven in to this cunning tapestry.

Here is a link to the CityPaper version:

The Draughtsman's Contract - Culture Shock

News: Philadelphia Open Studio Tour

2007-10-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

I will have some pieces up for POST at Project Basho, 1305 Germantown Ave. (a couple blocks up from Girard just past Thompson, between 2nd and 3rd.)

POST is the Philadelphia Open Studio Tour that happens twice a year. It is a great opportunity to see the art that you might otherwise not get to see. It is 2 weekends - one for studios East of the Schuylkill (October 20-21) and one for West (October 27-28) and covers both art studios and galleries.

Project Basho, the community darkroom I work at, will be displaying the work of Tsuyoshi Ito, Kara LaFleur and Richard Boutwell, along with selected pieces by Project Basho staff, faculty and students.

I'll be putting up 2 of my Polaroid transfers from slides I took on my trip to Mexico in 2003. I've been working a lot with transfers, so I’m excited to have them up for a show. I'll post them on the blog as soon as I take digital pictures of them.

Also, Tsuyoshi will be doing a tintype portrait session Saturday and Sunday for POST. Basically the process falls under the category “wet plate processes”, where the photographic emulsion is contained in liquid collodion. The process requires long exposures in large format cameras and produces surreal, beautiful images.

Hope you can come!

Wet Collodion image by Kerik Kouklis

Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Spicy Seeds

2007-10-15T10:26:00.001-04:00

Here is the first of many recipes that I will be posting. Aside from making art, making food is my most favorite thing to do. Now that we are in the full swing of Fall, I will be (hopefully) posting lots of Fall treats. I went to the farmer’s market on Saturday and got lots of good things.

This is what we made Sunday night.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:

Serves 4-5

1 Butternut squash

1 purple onion

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

1 ½ tsp thinly sliced ginger

1 honey crisp apple

1 small carrot

4-5 cups vegetable broth

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cardamom powder

2 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Toasted spicy butternut squash seeds:

Leftover seeds

1 tsp sesame oil

Dash of soy sauce

Sprinkling of cayenne

To make the soup:

Pre-heat the oven to 450. Cut the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds, reserving them for toasting. Place cut side down on a pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until soft.

Meanwhile, sip some apple cider and watch the leaves fall.

Once the squash is done, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash is cooling, cut up the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté in a large soup pot until everything is fragrant and super soft. Dice up the carrot and apple and add them to the mix. Throw in the spices. You don’t want this soup to be too spiced up, or you will mask the flavor of the delicious butternut. Continue to cook until everything is soft.

Add the broth.

Remove the skin from the squash. Cut up the squash and add it to the soup. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering you can prepare the seeds:

Set the oven to about 350.

Rinse off the seeds so all the stringy stuff is removed. Pat the seeds dry between some paper towels. Place the seeds in a little baking dish. Mix the oil, soy sauce and cayenne pepper with the seeds. Lay out the seeds so that they are flat. Put in oven and remove after about 15 minutes, or until toasted.

Now, back to the soup:

This next step is best done with a hand blender. If you do not have one, you can ladle the soup into a blender and blend small batches. But seriously, the hand mixer is the way to go. Turn off the heat and remove the pot form the stove. Mix with hand blender until there are no more chunks and you have a smooth soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the toasted seeds. Serve with crusty bread, or grilled cheese and tomato.

With each mouthful, you’ll be reminded why Fall is the best time of year.

Project: Negative Energy

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This project was completed in the fall of 2005.

I worked with two other Philadelphia photographers, Lindsey Mears and RA Friedman, on this project. This was my first real exploration of alternative photographic process. In college, I did some work with cyanotypes, Van Dyke browns, and Polaroid positive/negative contact prints, but they were really more exercises. Negative Energy, on the other hand, was where I found my love for all things old and out of the ordinary.

For two weekends in a row, the three of us set up camp in front of a bookstore on 2^nd Street during the Philly Fringe Festival. Armed with an old Polaroid Land Camera, expired Polaroid roll film (Polaroid ceased production of this film in the early 1980’s), and a trunk full of vintage clothing, we had Fringe passersby sit in front of our camera for an on the spot photo shoot. The pictures that emerged were like little time capsules. Since the film had expired in 1978 and the camera itself was well aged, there was only so much light metering we could do before chance stepped in. The result was a fragile paper negative with a faint image of our subject and a positive print that would surely fade within a few weeks time.

We gave our willing subjects the positive print as a keepsake and kept the rolls of paper negatives. Our intent was to marry the process of aged Polaroid film with modern photographic techniques. Over the next few weeks, we scanned the paper negatives and did some tweaking to create dramatic effects. The end product was a digital portfolio of over 170 images. We tested out some print processes, mostly all cyanotypes, but the thinness of the paper negatives proved to be quite difficult to work with. In the end, however, we were quite pleased with the results we achieved working with digital processes. Perhaps in the future, more experimentation will come to fruition. For now, we just have the fleeting memory of a time past.

hello

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i will update this very soon with new projects