NATURAL ENCOUNTERS- FRAN FORMAN > Honorable Mentions: Heather Williamson 'From this Place', Janet Holmes 'Emily and Jenny', Michael Kirchoff ’Redwood', Joyce Lopez 'Drought' & Øyvind Hjelmen 'Broken Shadow 6'
Honorable Mentions: Heather Williamson 'From this Place', Janet Holmes 'Emily and Jenny', Michael Kirchoff ’Redwood', Joyce Lopez 'Drought' & Øyvind Hjelmen 'Broken Shadow 6'
FROM THIS PLACE by Heather Williamson
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
Fran Forman says, "Four children play on a tree. It’s a summer day, and children scramble and talk on the tree. The limbs reach out to the children, as their arms and legs replicate the spread of the branches. It feels as if the children and tree are intertwined. The tree provides comfort, conversation, fun and protection, like a loving family."
Heather Williamson says, "Hello, my name is Heather.
It's been some years to say my name and feel good about it. Many lives I've lived and had to rid (in just this lifetime) and I've realized, my name can be very important. It can be the name associated with the ones who are forgotten, and it can be the name I go to when I have forgotten about myself.
Photography is the air I breathe. It allows me to feel something other than me, but it also allows me to see something that is me in everything. When I don't want to feel a certain way or if I'm not feeling at all, the subjects of my work offer me courage, strength, empathy, and humility. They help me continue.
Sometimes I'm the only one who can see "it" and most times, it's suffering. (Occasionally it's happiness and that's when I can get a bit envious) Either way, feelings are very valuable to me. They are like names, they too are currency. But you know? Just because someone looks or dresses a certain way (or even smiles) doesn't mean they're ok and sometimes, the ones thought broke and poor, the ones thought to be suffering, are exceptionally wealthy. Most shots are right after I felt like I was about to snap, die, "lose it" and fly...
Far away from this world, these ways, these laws, and this pain... But somehow, someone or something appears and I'm saved.
When I'm behind the camera no one is aware of the pain in my mind and if anything, the pain gives way to understanding and for that short amount of time behind the camera, I feel right.
Maybe you can imagine why...
Why it's important for me not to tell you how to feel or what to think and/or say.
I want to see and show what is, what you and I just may be... Intrinsically.
I will wait, take one shot then walk (or drive) away."
Growing up Native American (with Gypsy roots) under the politically active and watchful eye of her adoptive grandmother, Heather collected and redeemed many qualities while absorbing endless ways and points of view. After her grandmother's death, she found herself catapulted into emancipation at the age of 14. This would also be the year she dove deeper into film photography.
In 2003, Heather moved to Los Angeles which became her home for the next decade. In LA she embraced photography, music, film and writing, while also working along-side others for commercials, music videos, indie films and photo shoots.
Towards the end of 2012 she found herself isolated, depleted and upon her return from Cuba, her passion for life absorbed into a life barely alive. "I found myself slowly isolating, not knowing where to go or who I was or was becoming. How does anyone know what to do when they see someone's face change? I was so afraid. I stopped everything. I stopped making."
In 2014 after multiple moves, suicide attempts and hospitalizations, Heather found herself in the California Desert where she would be in treatment for over a year. She learned while being there, the most valuable piece of currency is her name. A long drawn out dusty and dirt road lay ahead, but she didn't mind. Why? Because she also realized, your name is just as valuable as hers.
In the present the subject of all her work is herself. No longer is anyone far from her, for she too (has) is waiting in government lines, below poverty lines and trying to make sense of self and time.
“YOU HAVE TO GO OUT OF YOUR MIND TO COME TO YOUR SENSES”- Timothy Leary
She has a blog for her writing, "The Recovering Life", a mixture of prose, lyric, epic, as well as opinion, magical realism and open letters about manipulation, gaslighting, race and disease. She is getting closer to solidifying a script and has written the first series of books for its prequel. She's also working on a series using American Flags for voice as well as language depicted. She collaborates with a friend for music where she is the songwriter. She doesn't consider herself as singer, more of a Poetic Thug. She makes short films and is a bit obsessed with recording, everything. She records herself and possibly you too. She calls these, "Noisy Letters".
Heather currently resides in the California Desert.
She does Zazen, enjoys Paul Bloom and is interested in human behavior, psychology, theology, philosophy, linguistics, religion, past lives and current ones. She enjoys horses, driving on dirt roads, and watching dust fall off her boots.
Awards:
2014 Analogue Portrait Project Winner
Publications:
Genlux magazine 4.08.14
Hamburger Eyes 3.18
Website for photography:
www.krop.com/aestheticthieves
MAIN website is www.goldsrite.com which umbrellas all creative mediums (including film photography)
Heather Williamson says, "Hello, my name is Heather.
It's been some years to say my name and feel good about it. Many lives I've lived and had to rid (in just this lifetime) and I've realized, my name can be very important. It can be the name associated with the ones who are forgotten, and it can be the name I go to when I have forgotten about myself.
Photography is the air I breathe. It allows me to feel something other than me, but it also allows me to see something that is me in everything. When I don't want to feel a certain way or if I'm not feeling at all, the subjects of my work offer me courage, strength, empathy, and humility. They help me continue.
Sometimes I'm the only one who can see "it" and most times, it's suffering. (Occasionally it's happiness and that's when I can get a bit envious) Either way, feelings are very valuable to me. They are like names, they too are currency. But you know? Just because someone looks or dresses a certain way (or even smiles) doesn't mean they're ok and sometimes, the ones thought broke and poor, the ones thought to be suffering, are exceptionally wealthy. Most shots are right after I felt like I was about to snap, die, "lose it" and fly...
Far away from this world, these ways, these laws, and this pain... But somehow, someone or something appears and I'm saved.
When I'm behind the camera no one is aware of the pain in my mind and if anything, the pain gives way to understanding and for that short amount of time behind the camera, I feel right.
Maybe you can imagine why...
Why it's important for me not to tell you how to feel or what to think and/or say.
I want to see and show what is, what you and I just may be... Intrinsically.
I will wait, take one shot then walk (or drive) away."
Growing up Native American (with Gypsy roots) under the politically active and watchful eye of her adoptive grandmother, Heather collected and redeemed many qualities while absorbing endless ways and points of view. After her grandmother's death, she found herself catapulted into emancipation at the age of 14. This would also be the year she dove deeper into film photography.
In 2003, Heather moved to Los Angeles which became her home for the next decade. In LA she embraced photography, music, film and writing, while also working along-side others for commercials, music videos, indie films and photo shoots.
Towards the end of 2012 she found herself isolated, depleted and upon her return from Cuba, her passion for life absorbed into a life barely alive. "I found myself slowly isolating, not knowing where to go or who I was or was becoming. How does anyone know what to do when they see someone's face change? I was so afraid. I stopped everything. I stopped making."
In 2014 after multiple moves, suicide attempts and hospitalizations, Heather found herself in the California Desert where she would be in treatment for over a year. She learned while being there, the most valuable piece of currency is her name. A long drawn out dusty and dirt road lay ahead, but she didn't mind. Why? Because she also realized, your name is just as valuable as hers.
In the present the subject of all her work is herself. No longer is anyone far from her, for she too (has) is waiting in government lines, below poverty lines and trying to make sense of self and time.
“YOU HAVE TO GO OUT OF YOUR MIND TO COME TO YOUR SENSES”- Timothy Leary
She has a blog for her writing, "The Recovering Life", a mixture of prose, lyric, epic, as well as opinion, magical realism and open letters about manipulation, gaslighting, race and disease. She is getting closer to solidifying a script and has written the first series of books for its prequel. She's also working on a series using American Flags for voice as well as language depicted. She collaborates with a friend for music where she is the songwriter. She doesn't consider herself as singer, more of a Poetic Thug. She makes short films and is a bit obsessed with recording, everything. She records herself and possibly you too. She calls these, "Noisy Letters".
Heather currently resides in the California Desert.
She does Zazen, enjoys Paul Bloom and is interested in human behavior, psychology, theology, philosophy, linguistics, religion, past lives and current ones. She enjoys horses, driving on dirt roads, and watching dust fall off her boots.
Awards:
2014 Analogue Portrait Project Winner
Publications:
Genlux magazine 4.08.14
Hamburger Eyes 3.18
Website for photography:
www.krop.com/aestheticthieves
MAIN website is www.goldsrite.com which umbrellas all creative mediums (including film photography)
EMILY AND JENNY by Janet Holmes
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
Fran Forman says, "The love felt between the young woman and the chicken corroborates the human-non-human connection. Jenny (who I assume is the woman) gently caresses Emily, whose body is nuzzled into Jenny's cheek and shoulder, Emily's little web foot hugging her waist. What gives power to this image are the textures and patterns of Jenny's arms, her red hair, red-checked dress, and the red and green leaves surrounding the two. It’s a happy image that made me smile."
Janet Holmes says, "In early 2017, during my volunteer shift at the Wild Bird Fund in New York City, I met a hen suffering from severe and chronic reproductive illness.
I discovered that her ailments were common for laying hens. As I learned more about chickens, I discovered a network of vegans (primarily women) who rescue and care for them. I thought about how many women still struggle to control their own bodies and obtain adequate reproductive health care, and how people, in turn, are socialized to exploit hens’ reproductive systems. Even across species, it seems that society expects to dictate how females use their own bodies.
And what about the roosters born to laying hens? Orphaned, unneeded and unloved, most are killed or abandoned soon after birth.
Hundreds of millions of chickens die every year to satisfy our appetites. A very few are fortunate to be rescued by people who only want to heal and care for them. Just like cats and dogs, these chickens become part of the family, loved for themselves rather than for what their bodies provide to us. These portraits of chickens and their rescuers are intended to honor both the birds who have suffered so much and the women who invest so much love, time and money caring for them.
Holmes has always loved animals, but for many years she was afraid to get involved in rescuing them because she couldn’t imagine how she would deal with the heartbreak. About five years ago, she decided that animals needed her more than she needed to be comfortable, and so she began volunteering with rescue groups as a caregiver and photographer.
As she spent more time experiencing animals as individuals through the lens of her camera, she started questioning how she could profess to love them yet continue exploiting them for food, clothing and other materials. She committed to become vegan and use photography to advocate for animal liberation.
She completed the International Center of Photography's Continuing Education Track Program in 2015 and now devotes much of her spare time to portraiture of rescued animals. In 2017, she was recognized by Photo Lucida as a Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist, and she has exhibited and won awards for her animal portraits in juried exhibitions throughout the United States.
Curriculum Vitae
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
Someone Not Something, Tréo (New Orleans, LA), 2017 (as part of PhotoNOLA)
Portraits at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, The Homestead (Saugerties, NY), 2016
Group Exhibitions
2018
Portraits, A. Smith Gallery (Johnson City, TX), juried by Alyssa Coppelman
Through a Lens: Our Female Gaze, Connections Gallery (Toronto, ON)
2017
Photocentric 2017, Garrison Art Center (Garrison, NY), juried by Francis M. Naumann – Director’s Award
Alleghany National Photography Competition and Exhibition, Alleghany Arts Council (Cumberland, MD), juried by Shannon Thomas Perich – 2nd Place (Color)
Glass, New York Center for Photographic Arts, juried by Traer Scott – 3rd place
TPS 26: The International Competition, Texas Photographic Society (College Station, TX), juried by Allison Nordström – 3rd Place
6th Annual Juried Exhibition, Sohn Fine Art Gallery (Lenox, MA), juried by Laurie Norton Moffatt, Stephanie Habokus’ Plunkett and Jesse Kowalski – 3rd place (photography)
Animalia, A Smith Gallery (Johnson City, TX), juried by Traer Scott – Juror’s Honorable Mention
The Really Affordable Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists’ Coalition (Brooklyn, NY), juried by Laura Phipps – Certificate of Recognition
3rd Annual Group Show, Davis-Orton Gallery (Hudson, NY), juried by Paula Tognarelli
30th Annual Members Only Show, Texas Photographic Society (Houston, TX), juried by Malcolm Daniel
Animalia, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Arlette Kayafas
Aviary, Griffin Museum of Photography Lafayette City Center Annex (Boston, MA), juried by Paula Tognarelli
Center Forward, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Hamidah Glasgow
Photo ’17, Multiple Exposures Gallery (Alexandria, VA), juried by Molly Roberts
Photography as Response, Center for Fine Art Photography (Fort Collins, CO), juried by Christy Havranek
Portals, PhotoPlace Gallery (Middlebury, VT), juried by Aline Smithson (online gallery)
Portraits, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Karen Marks
Singular/Signature, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Alyssa Koppelman
Strength & Beauty: The Women’s Show, SXSE Gallery (Molena, GA), juried by Molly Roberts
2016
Up Close & Personal, PhotoPlace Gallery, juried by Kathleen Clemons – Director’s Award
Photowork ’16, Barrett Art Center (Poughkeepsie, NY), juried by Karen Irvine – 2nd Place
2nd Annual Group Show, Davis-Orton Gallery (Hudson, NY), juried by Paula Tognarelli
Soho Photo National Competition 2016 (New York, NY), juried by Elisabeth Biondi
2015
Really Affordable Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (Brooklyn, NY), juried by Carolyn Ramo - Honorable Mention
Animal World, Umbrella Arts Gallery (New York, NY), juried by Harvey Stein
HONORS
Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist (2017)
PUBLICATIONS
Why Would Anyone Rescue a Chicken?, photos and text, self-published (Blurb, 2018)
Love and Healing at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, photos and text, self-published (Conveyor Arts, 2016)
EDUCATION
Master class in portraiture and other studies with Neal Slavin (2014-16)
Master class in printing and other studies with Ben Gest (2014-2017)
International Center of Photography Continuing Education Track Program (2014-15)
www.frogoutofwater.ca
Instagram: @frogoutofwaterphotos
Janet Holmes says, "In early 2017, during my volunteer shift at the Wild Bird Fund in New York City, I met a hen suffering from severe and chronic reproductive illness.
I discovered that her ailments were common for laying hens. As I learned more about chickens, I discovered a network of vegans (primarily women) who rescue and care for them. I thought about how many women still struggle to control their own bodies and obtain adequate reproductive health care, and how people, in turn, are socialized to exploit hens’ reproductive systems. Even across species, it seems that society expects to dictate how females use their own bodies.
And what about the roosters born to laying hens? Orphaned, unneeded and unloved, most are killed or abandoned soon after birth.
Hundreds of millions of chickens die every year to satisfy our appetites. A very few are fortunate to be rescued by people who only want to heal and care for them. Just like cats and dogs, these chickens become part of the family, loved for themselves rather than for what their bodies provide to us. These portraits of chickens and their rescuers are intended to honor both the birds who have suffered so much and the women who invest so much love, time and money caring for them.
This portrait is included in my book, Why Would Anyone Rescue a Chicken? 50% of the profits are donated to people like Jenny to help them pay for veterinary care for chickens, including reproductive health care. You can see a preview here."
Holmes has always loved animals, but for many years she was afraid to get involved in rescuing them because she couldn’t imagine how she would deal with the heartbreak. About five years ago, she decided that animals needed her more than she needed to be comfortable, and so she began volunteering with rescue groups as a caregiver and photographer.
As she spent more time experiencing animals as individuals through the lens of her camera, she started questioning how she could profess to love them yet continue exploiting them for food, clothing and other materials. She committed to become vegan and use photography to advocate for animal liberation.
She completed the International Center of Photography's Continuing Education Track Program in 2015 and now devotes much of her spare time to portraiture of rescued animals. In 2017, she was recognized by Photo Lucida as a Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist, and she has exhibited and won awards for her animal portraits in juried exhibitions throughout the United States.
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
Someone Not Something, Tréo (New Orleans, LA), 2017 (as part of PhotoNOLA)
Portraits at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, The Homestead (Saugerties, NY), 2016
Group Exhibitions
2018
Portraits, A. Smith Gallery (Johnson City, TX), juried by Alyssa Coppelman
Through a Lens: Our Female Gaze, Connections Gallery (Toronto, ON)
2017
Photocentric 2017, Garrison Art Center (Garrison, NY), juried by Francis M. Naumann – Director’s Award
Alleghany National Photography Competition and Exhibition, Alleghany Arts Council (Cumberland, MD), juried by Shannon Thomas Perich – 2nd Place (Color)
Glass, New York Center for Photographic Arts, juried by Traer Scott – 3rd place
TPS 26: The International Competition, Texas Photographic Society (College Station, TX), juried by Allison Nordström – 3rd Place
6th Annual Juried Exhibition, Sohn Fine Art Gallery (Lenox, MA), juried by Laurie Norton Moffatt, Stephanie Habokus’ Plunkett and Jesse Kowalski – 3rd place (photography)
Animalia, A Smith Gallery (Johnson City, TX), juried by Traer Scott – Juror’s Honorable Mention
The Really Affordable Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists’ Coalition (Brooklyn, NY), juried by Laura Phipps – Certificate of Recognition
3rd Annual Group Show, Davis-Orton Gallery (Hudson, NY), juried by Paula Tognarelli
30th Annual Members Only Show, Texas Photographic Society (Houston, TX), juried by Malcolm Daniel
Animalia, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Arlette Kayafas
Aviary, Griffin Museum of Photography Lafayette City Center Annex (Boston, MA), juried by Paula Tognarelli
Center Forward, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Hamidah Glasgow
Photo ’17, Multiple Exposures Gallery (Alexandria, VA), juried by Molly Roberts
Photography as Response, Center for Fine Art Photography (Fort Collins, CO), juried by Christy Havranek
Portals, PhotoPlace Gallery (Middlebury, VT), juried by Aline Smithson (online gallery)
Portraits, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Karen Marks
Singular/Signature, Center for Fine Art Photography, juried by Alyssa Koppelman
Strength & Beauty: The Women’s Show, SXSE Gallery (Molena, GA), juried by Molly Roberts
2016
Up Close & Personal, PhotoPlace Gallery, juried by Kathleen Clemons – Director’s Award
Photowork ’16, Barrett Art Center (Poughkeepsie, NY), juried by Karen Irvine – 2nd Place
2nd Annual Group Show, Davis-Orton Gallery (Hudson, NY), juried by Paula Tognarelli
Soho Photo National Competition 2016 (New York, NY), juried by Elisabeth Biondi
2015
Really Affordable Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (Brooklyn, NY), juried by Carolyn Ramo - Honorable Mention
Animal World, Umbrella Arts Gallery (New York, NY), juried by Harvey Stein
HONORS
Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist (2017)
PUBLICATIONS
Why Would Anyone Rescue a Chicken?, photos and text, self-published (Blurb, 2018)
Love and Healing at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, photos and text, self-published (Conveyor Arts, 2016)
EDUCATION
Master class in portraiture and other studies with Neal Slavin (2014-16)
Master class in printing and other studies with Ben Gest (2014-2017)
International Center of Photography Continuing Education Track Program (2014-15)
www.frogoutofwater.ca
Instagram: @frogoutofwaterphotos
REDWOOD by Michael Kirchoff
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
Fran Forman says ,"Michael Kirchoff’s beautiful Redwood soars to the sky. The majesty of this tree suggests the dominion of the natural world, despite our attempts to control and alter it. I found this image to be hopeful yet cautionary, a reminder of our relative tiny place on the planet."
Michael Kirchoff says of his series, 'Sanctuary', In 1976, a film by the name of Logan’s Run was released, and quickly became something that my young mind gravitated to.
In the movie, when one reached the age of 30, you would participate in a ritual of rebirth where you would be “renewed” by being terminated.
The thought was that by being reborn you would start life young again and continue living in this purely utopian society, under a domed, technological city of the future. The problem was that not all wished to conform, thinking that this rebirth was a lie, and wanting to continue growing older. Subsequently, you became a “runner” looking to escape to a mythical place, spoken only in hushed tones, known as “Sanctuary”.
This concept fascinated and resonated with me, and I found myself wondering what my Sanctuary would be? What was my safe place? If I needed to run in times of trouble or discontent, where would I go? I quickly realized my own fondness for nature and the solitude and strength that Mother Nature provided.
This was a very primal pull I was feeling, an instinct of survival, like returning to the days of early human existence. Certainly though, my vague ideas existed more in my dreams than in real life, and Sanctuary for me became a place that is as dark and mysterious as it is bright and hopeful.
Spending time in nature, often in profound wonder, brings peace of mind during troubling times.
It is an escape; a safe place where one can become intimate with the elements that surround you. These are the opportunities to take in views that help to explore your thoughts and perceptions, and how you see your own place in this world. These images are representative of home, and finding beauty in the often darker and fractured recesses of the mind. Each image is a mysterious place, both real and unreal, captured from the safety of my own imagination. Each has become my own Sanctuary."
Michael Kirchoff straddles the worlds of both commercial and fine art photography. A commercial shooter for over twenty-five years, it is his fine art work that has set him apart from others, with instant film and toy camera images fueling more than a few bodies of work.
His consulting, training, and overall support of his fellow photographic artist continues with assistance in constructing ones vision, reviewing portfolios, and finding exhibition opportunities, which fill the gaps in time away from active shooting. In addition, Michael spent ten years (2006-2016) on the Board of the American Photographic Artists in Los Angeles, producing artist lectures, as well as business and inspirational events for the community.
Currently, he is also an Editor at Blur Magazine, curating work for the international digital publication.
Michael’s fine art imagery has garnered recognition from the IPA Awards, the Prix de la Photographie in Paris, Photographers Forum, and Critical Mass. His photographs have been published in Black & White (U.S.), Black & White (U.K.), Seities, Esquire (Russia), New Statesman, Blur, Harpers, Adore Noir, Fraction, SHOTS, Diffusion Annual, and Lenscratch.
Michael also continues to exhibit his prints internationally in both group and solo exhibitions, including a recent one-person exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography.
CV:
Selected Solo / Two Person Exhibitions ~
2018:
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
2016:
Fractured, Orange Coast College, CA
Flawed, Downtown Photo Collective, L.A., CA
2015:
Flawed, Photo Methode Gallery, Austin, TX
Vignette, online exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography
2014:
An Enduring Grace, Ignited LA, advertising agency, Los Angeles, CA
Vignette, online exhibition, Plates to Pixels Gallery
2013:
Fractured View, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
2012 :
An Enduring Grace, Shanghai Int’l Photographic Art Festival, Shanghai, China
2011:
An Enduring Grace, Russian S’Lon, hosts Janet Fitch & Sandra Tsing Loh, L.A., CA
An Enduring Grace, Wildfire Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA
Of Faith, Power and Glory, Baang + Burne Contemporary, NY, NY
An Enduring Grace, Lishui International Photo Festival, Lishui, China
Selected Group Exhibitions ~
2017:
The Subconscious, Light Leaked, online
Flora, Don't Take Pictures, online
Travel & Discovery, Light Leaked, online
Cold War Spaces, Wende Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Fourth Annual Members' Exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Hollywood, CA
Visual Armistice, Juried Group Showacse, online, Plates to Pixels Gallery
Art City Austin 2017, Art Fair rep'd by Photo Méthode Gallery, Austin, Texas
Off The Clock 2017, Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica, CA
2016:
Direct Positive / Polaroids, online, Light Leaked blog
Off The Clock, Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Reclaim Photography, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, West Midlands, U.K.
Heart, Edition One Gallery, Santa Fe, N.M.
Photo L.A.,‘The Art of Friendship’ benefit & auction, Los Angeles, CA
2015:
Alternative Cameras: Pinholes to Plastic, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Deux, Photo Méthode Gallery, Austin, TX
100 Mile Radius, The Pilkington Prize, online exhibit
Landscapes, Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
H2O (Water), Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
New Visionaries, School of Design at Mount Ida College, Newton, MA
Landscape, Plates to Pixels Gallery, Portland, OR
2014:
Forgotten, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
Plastic Fantastic V, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
Mainland, The Kiernan Gallery, Richmond, VA
2013:
Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
Grayscale, The Kiernan Gallery, Richmond, VA
Plastic Fantastic IV, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
Off The Clock, APA/LA group exhibition, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, CA
An Enduring Grace, ShiJiaZhuang Art Museum, ShiJiaZhuang, China
Emergence, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
2012:
Enchantment, Plates to Pixels Gallery, Portland, OR
The Next: Emerging LA Artists, The Perfect Exposure Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
5th Annual Plastic Camera Show, RayKo Gallery, San Francisco CA
Press, Publications, and Interviews ~
2017:
Diffusion Annual IX, One Twelve Publishing, Autumn
Pryme Editions Annual Journal, December
Harper's Magazine, July
Hylas Magazine, Issue #1, April
2016:
L'Oeil de la Photographie, article and gallery,December
Fossils of Light + Time, juried publication, Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography
2015:
Edge of Humanity Magazine, online feature, December
Black & White Photography Magazine (UK), feature, Issue #182, October
Image In Progress Magazine (Italy), feature, Issue #6, June
Aether Magazine, feature, Issue #8, Spring/Summer
2014:
Los Angeles Center for Photography, Catalog cover, November
Pryme Magazine, interview & feature, Winter Issue
Blur Magazine, feature, Issue 39, Oct/Nov
Light Leaked, “Michael Kirchoff's Five Favorite: Destinations to Photograph”, September
Seities Magazine, feature, Autumn
SHOTS Magazine, #124, Summer Issue
Camera-9 Magazine, Feature and Cover, Winter 2013-2104
2013:
Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Exhibition catalog cover
Develop & Fix blog, Artist Spotlight, December
Lensa Magazine, Vol. 9, November
F-Stop Magazine, Issue 61, "Cities", Oct/Nov
Square Magazine, Issue SP03, March
Light Leaked, interview, February
Curatorial ~
Editor, Blur Magazine, 2014 - present
Board Member, APA/LA (American Photographic Artists, Los Angeles) 2006-2016
2017:
Juror/Curator, Conversation with Light, Pryme Editions, online
Juror, Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
Portfolio Reviewer, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles, CA
Juror, Black & White (& Blue), Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT
2016:
Portfolio Reviewer, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles, CA
Portfolio Reviewer, Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival
2015:
Juror, Flawed : An Instant Film Exhibition, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
2014:
Juror, LightBox Photographic Gallery MobileMagic Competition
www.michaelkirchoff.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kirchoffphoto
Instagram - @michaelkirchoff , https://www.instagram.com/michaelkirchoff/
Twitter - @michaelkirchoff , https://twitter.com/michaelkirchoff
-------------------------------------------------------
CLICK ON ARROW AT TOP OF PAGE TO CONTINUE TO ADDITIONAL HONORABLE MENTIONS
---------------------------------------------------
NATURAL ENCOUNTERS HOME PAGE:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman
FIRST PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/first-place-donna-bassin-gorillas-8----/1
SECOND PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/second-place-jefferey-milstein-barry-koffler----/1
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/honorable-mentions-heather-williamson-from-this-place-janet-holmes-emily-and-jenny-michael-kirchoff-redwood-joyce-lopez-drought-yvind-hjelmen-broken-shadow-6----/1
EXHIBITION #1:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-1/1
EXHIBITION #2:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-2/1
Michael Kirchoff says of his series, 'Sanctuary', In 1976, a film by the name of Logan’s Run was released, and quickly became something that my young mind gravitated to.
In the movie, when one reached the age of 30, you would participate in a ritual of rebirth where you would be “renewed” by being terminated.
The thought was that by being reborn you would start life young again and continue living in this purely utopian society, under a domed, technological city of the future. The problem was that not all wished to conform, thinking that this rebirth was a lie, and wanting to continue growing older. Subsequently, you became a “runner” looking to escape to a mythical place, spoken only in hushed tones, known as “Sanctuary”.
This concept fascinated and resonated with me, and I found myself wondering what my Sanctuary would be? What was my safe place? If I needed to run in times of trouble or discontent, where would I go? I quickly realized my own fondness for nature and the solitude and strength that Mother Nature provided.
This was a very primal pull I was feeling, an instinct of survival, like returning to the days of early human existence. Certainly though, my vague ideas existed more in my dreams than in real life, and Sanctuary for me became a place that is as dark and mysterious as it is bright and hopeful.
Spending time in nature, often in profound wonder, brings peace of mind during troubling times.
It is an escape; a safe place where one can become intimate with the elements that surround you. These are the opportunities to take in views that help to explore your thoughts and perceptions, and how you see your own place in this world. These images are representative of home, and finding beauty in the often darker and fractured recesses of the mind. Each image is a mysterious place, both real and unreal, captured from the safety of my own imagination. Each has become my own Sanctuary."
Michael Kirchoff straddles the worlds of both commercial and fine art photography. A commercial shooter for over twenty-five years, it is his fine art work that has set him apart from others, with instant film and toy camera images fueling more than a few bodies of work.
His consulting, training, and overall support of his fellow photographic artist continues with assistance in constructing ones vision, reviewing portfolios, and finding exhibition opportunities, which fill the gaps in time away from active shooting. In addition, Michael spent ten years (2006-2016) on the Board of the American Photographic Artists in Los Angeles, producing artist lectures, as well as business and inspirational events for the community.
Currently, he is also an Editor at Blur Magazine, curating work for the international digital publication.
Michael’s fine art imagery has garnered recognition from the IPA Awards, the Prix de la Photographie in Paris, Photographers Forum, and Critical Mass. His photographs have been published in Black & White (U.S.), Black & White (U.K.), Seities, Esquire (Russia), New Statesman, Blur, Harpers, Adore Noir, Fraction, SHOTS, Diffusion Annual, and Lenscratch.
Michael also continues to exhibit his prints internationally in both group and solo exhibitions, including a recent one-person exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography.
CV:
Selected Solo / Two Person Exhibitions ~
2018:
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA
2016:
Fractured, Orange Coast College, CA
Flawed, Downtown Photo Collective, L.A., CA
2015:
Flawed, Photo Methode Gallery, Austin, TX
Vignette, online exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography
2014:
An Enduring Grace, Ignited LA, advertising agency, Los Angeles, CA
Vignette, online exhibition, Plates to Pixels Gallery
2013:
Fractured View, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
2012 :
An Enduring Grace, Shanghai Int’l Photographic Art Festival, Shanghai, China
2011:
An Enduring Grace, Russian S’Lon, hosts Janet Fitch & Sandra Tsing Loh, L.A., CA
An Enduring Grace, Wildfire Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA
Of Faith, Power and Glory, Baang + Burne Contemporary, NY, NY
An Enduring Grace, Lishui International Photo Festival, Lishui, China
Selected Group Exhibitions ~
2017:
The Subconscious, Light Leaked, online
Flora, Don't Take Pictures, online
Travel & Discovery, Light Leaked, online
Cold War Spaces, Wende Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Fourth Annual Members' Exhibition, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Hollywood, CA
Visual Armistice, Juried Group Showacse, online, Plates to Pixels Gallery
Art City Austin 2017, Art Fair rep'd by Photo Méthode Gallery, Austin, Texas
Off The Clock 2017, Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica, CA
2016:
Direct Positive / Polaroids, online, Light Leaked blog
Off The Clock, Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Reclaim Photography, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, West Midlands, U.K.
Heart, Edition One Gallery, Santa Fe, N.M.
Photo L.A.,‘The Art of Friendship’ benefit & auction, Los Angeles, CA
2015:
Alternative Cameras: Pinholes to Plastic, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Deux, Photo Méthode Gallery, Austin, TX
100 Mile Radius, The Pilkington Prize, online exhibit
Landscapes, Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
H2O (Water), Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
New Visionaries, School of Design at Mount Ida College, Newton, MA
Landscape, Plates to Pixels Gallery, Portland, OR
2014:
Forgotten, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
Plastic Fantastic V, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
Mainland, The Kiernan Gallery, Richmond, VA
2013:
Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
Grayscale, The Kiernan Gallery, Richmond, VA
Plastic Fantastic IV, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
Off The Clock, APA/LA group exhibition, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, CA
An Enduring Grace, ShiJiaZhuang Art Museum, ShiJiaZhuang, China
Emergence, LightBox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR
2012:
Enchantment, Plates to Pixels Gallery, Portland, OR
The Next: Emerging LA Artists, The Perfect Exposure Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
5th Annual Plastic Camera Show, RayKo Gallery, San Francisco CA
Press, Publications, and Interviews ~
2017:
Diffusion Annual IX, One Twelve Publishing, Autumn
Pryme Editions Annual Journal, December
Harper's Magazine, July
Hylas Magazine, Issue #1, April
2016:
L'Oeil de la Photographie, article and gallery,December
Fossils of Light + Time, juried publication, Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography
2015:
Edge of Humanity Magazine, online feature, December
Black & White Photography Magazine (UK), feature, Issue #182, October
Image In Progress Magazine (Italy), feature, Issue #6, June
Aether Magazine, feature, Issue #8, Spring/Summer
2014:
Los Angeles Center for Photography, Catalog cover, November
Pryme Magazine, interview & feature, Winter Issue
Blur Magazine, feature, Issue 39, Oct/Nov
Light Leaked, “Michael Kirchoff's Five Favorite: Destinations to Photograph”, September
Seities Magazine, feature, Autumn
SHOTS Magazine, #124, Summer Issue
Camera-9 Magazine, Feature and Cover, Winter 2013-2104
2013:
Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Exhibition catalog cover
Develop & Fix blog, Artist Spotlight, December
Lensa Magazine, Vol. 9, November
F-Stop Magazine, Issue 61, "Cities", Oct/Nov
Square Magazine, Issue SP03, March
Light Leaked, interview, February
Curatorial ~
Editor, Blur Magazine, 2014 - present
Board Member, APA/LA (American Photographic Artists, Los Angeles) 2006-2016
2017:
Juror/Curator, Conversation with Light, Pryme Editions, online
Juror, Somerville Toy Camera Festival, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
Portfolio Reviewer, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles, CA
Juror, Black & White (& Blue), Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT
2016:
Portfolio Reviewer, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles, CA
Portfolio Reviewer, Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival
2015:
Juror, Flawed : An Instant Film Exhibition, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
2014:
Juror, LightBox Photographic Gallery MobileMagic Competition
www.michaelkirchoff.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kirchoffphoto
Instagram - @michaelkirchoff , https://www.instagram.com/michaelkirchoff/
Twitter - @michaelkirchoff , https://twitter.com/michaelkirchoff
-------------------------------------------------------
CLICK ON ARROW AT TOP OF PAGE TO CONTINUE TO ADDITIONAL HONORABLE MENTIONS
---------------------------------------------------
NATURAL ENCOUNTERS HOME PAGE:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman
FIRST PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/first-place-donna-bassin-gorillas-8----/1
SECOND PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/second-place-jefferey-milstein-barry-koffler----/1
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/honorable-mentions-heather-williamson-from-this-place-janet-holmes-emily-and-jenny-michael-kirchoff-redwood-joyce-lopez-drought-yvind-hjelmen-broken-shadow-6----/1
EXHIBITION #1:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-1/1
EXHIBITION #2:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-2/1
DROUGHT by Joyce P Lopez
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
Fran Forman says, "Joyce Lopez’s Drought suggests the vulnerable planet we call home. Unless we repair the damage to our climate, continents will experience severe drought, and other areas severe flooding. We are all at risk."
Joyce P. Lopez’s photography, often composited photos, are beautiful, unique and often distill important issues facing the planet today into a single image.
Her work falls squarely into the category of Fine Art and not documentary which she leaves to others.
Born in Chicago, she has mostly lived in the Chicago area as well Copenhagen, Ethiopia,Tanzania and now Florida. She has exhibited across the US as well as in Berlin, Barcelona, Istanbul, etc. receiving many awards.
Her work in included in many private and public collections including Sony of America, and the State of Wash. etc. and was an artist in residence
at Ragdale in Illinois.
www.joyceplopez.com
Joyce P. Lopez’s photography, often composited photos, are beautiful, unique and often distill important issues facing the planet today into a single image.
Her work falls squarely into the category of Fine Art and not documentary which she leaves to others.
Born in Chicago, she has mostly lived in the Chicago area as well Copenhagen, Ethiopia,Tanzania and now Florida. She has exhibited across the US as well as in Berlin, Barcelona, Istanbul, etc. receiving many awards.
Her work in included in many private and public collections including Sony of America, and the State of Wash. etc. and was an artist in residence
at Ragdale in Illinois.
www.joyceplopez.com
BROKEN SHADOW 6 by Oyvind Hjelmen
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
HONORABLE MENTION
(Click on image for larger view)
Fran Forman says, "Øyvind Hjelmen Broken Shadow 6 presents a gorgeous landscape of mountains and lakes surrounded by fog. But rather than an ordinary shot of a beautiful scene, a lone tree grows from the lake. Somehow, this small tree defies nature. It stubbornly has pushed through the water and defiantly sits between the mountains. It is alone yet resilient, a hopeful metaphor for the strength and power of the natural world."
Øyvind Hjelmen says, "In my projects I wish to look at how we relate to each other as human beings, how we live with our nightmares and fears, our sexuality, our hopes and dreams.
The memories of the childhood that shaped us into who we are. These memories that are so important to us.
The past is still, it is unchangeable, - is it not?
It is the future that is forever moving, approaching ever faster as we grow older.
As my childhood and youth become more distant, they also become more
important to me, and therefore in a way closer. And whether real or not, I feel
the past is changing, almost as much as the present.
Through my images I aim to look back at the past, but also at the present, and
sometimes allow myself to dream. Not only to look for answers, but also for more
Questions."
Øyvind Hjelmen lives and works on the island of Stord, off the west-coast of Norway.
He is a fine art photographer specializing in hand-printed black and white images, hand bound artists books and portfolios, and larger format unique photograms.
He holds a BA in modern art and aesthetics from the University of Bergen.
Øyvind Hjelmen has been working with photography for more than 20 years, and counting around 60 exhibitions his works have been exhibited in USA, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom,
Poland, Italy, Greece, Lithuania, Japan, Georgia, The Netherlands, Spain, France and Norway.
Among the collections that hold his works are The Museum of Fine Art in Houston,USA, and Centro Internazionale di Fotografia Scavi Scaligeri - Verona, Italy.
He has published three books:
Sentimental, 2004 (writers´portraits) publisher: Eide Forlag,
Ride the Wind, 2009 (with playwright Per Jan Ingebrigsten) publisher: Publica,
Elsewhere 2011, publisher: Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg Berlin.
Øyvind Hjelmen was Artistic Project Manager and curator for the Artist - in - Residence program at Halsnøy Kloster, Sunnhordland Museum 2010 – 2018.
www.oyvindhjelmen.com
----------------------------------------------------
NATURAL ENCOUNTERS HOME PAGE:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman
FIRST PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/first-place-donna-bassin-gorillas-8----/1
SECOND PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/second-place-jefferey-milstein-barry-koffler----/1
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/honorable-mentions-heather-williamson-from-this-place-janet-holmes-emily-and-jenny-michael-kirchoff-redwood-joyce-lopez-drought-yvind-hjelmen-broken-shadow-6----/1
EXHIBITION #1:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-1/1
EXHIBITION #2:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-2/1
Øyvind Hjelmen says, "In my projects I wish to look at how we relate to each other as human beings, how we live with our nightmares and fears, our sexuality, our hopes and dreams.
The memories of the childhood that shaped us into who we are. These memories that are so important to us.
The past is still, it is unchangeable, - is it not?
It is the future that is forever moving, approaching ever faster as we grow older.
As my childhood and youth become more distant, they also become more
important to me, and therefore in a way closer. And whether real or not, I feel
the past is changing, almost as much as the present.
Through my images I aim to look back at the past, but also at the present, and
sometimes allow myself to dream. Not only to look for answers, but also for more
Questions."
Øyvind Hjelmen lives and works on the island of Stord, off the west-coast of Norway.
He is a fine art photographer specializing in hand-printed black and white images, hand bound artists books and portfolios, and larger format unique photograms.
He holds a BA in modern art and aesthetics from the University of Bergen.
Øyvind Hjelmen has been working with photography for more than 20 years, and counting around 60 exhibitions his works have been exhibited in USA, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom,
Poland, Italy, Greece, Lithuania, Japan, Georgia, The Netherlands, Spain, France and Norway.
Among the collections that hold his works are The Museum of Fine Art in Houston,USA, and Centro Internazionale di Fotografia Scavi Scaligeri - Verona, Italy.
He has published three books:
Sentimental, 2004 (writers´portraits) publisher: Eide Forlag,
Ride the Wind, 2009 (with playwright Per Jan Ingebrigsten) publisher: Publica,
Elsewhere 2011, publisher: Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg Berlin.
Øyvind Hjelmen was Artistic Project Manager and curator for the Artist - in - Residence program at Halsnøy Kloster, Sunnhordland Museum 2010 – 2018.
www.oyvindhjelmen.com
----------------------------------------------------
NATURAL ENCOUNTERS HOME PAGE:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman
FIRST PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/first-place-donna-bassin-gorillas-8----/1
SECOND PLACE WINNER:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/second-place-jefferey-milstein-barry-koffler----/1
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/honorable-mentions-heather-williamson-from-this-place-janet-holmes-emily-and-jenny-michael-kirchoff-redwood-joyce-lopez-drought-yvind-hjelmen-broken-shadow-6----/1
EXHIBITION #1:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-1/1
EXHIBITION #2:
http://nyphotocurator.com/natural-encounters-fran-forman/exhibition-2/1
