light sensitive gestures...

tomorrow in Reykjavik...

2012-02-09T21:28:00.001-06:00

...wish I could be there in person to hear Sigrún Sigurðardóttir's talk about our exhibition Bergmal/Echo at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography.

2012-02-07T16:48:00.002-06:00

2012-02-01T14:24:00.000-06:00

piece of Iceland

2012-01-25T17:29:00.001-06:00

thank goodness for a sun flare...

2012-01-21T19:17:00.002-06:00

we just got back from an amazing aurora borealis sighting... just north of Reykjavik pulled over on the side of Hwy 36...

Yesterday was a great day...

2012-01-20T05:21:00.000-06:00

morning walk

shooting at Borganes

Great concert at KEX- Sóley

First sighting of aurora borealis

wind so strong

2012-01-18T02:42:00.002-06:00

that it feels like you can lean back and it will carry you away...

our weekend on the island...

2012-01-16T13:35:00.000-06:00

Orjan and Cain checking out the scene pre opening

Lobby entrance

wine!

lobby entrance

inside bookstore

nervous artist before opening

catalogs

Reykjavik paper January 14

full house at opening 3pm on Saturday

proscenium projected in back room

view of Reykjavik from museum balcony

in celebration we headed out of town asap to see mountains

next day Gulfoss waterfalls

Awake in Iceland

2012-01-12T05:30:00.001-06:00

the blissful blizzard like conditions that I previously described are not normal for Iceland... Who knew!? Many people we shocked to hear that we were driving around in the poor conditions. Goes to show you Wisconsin winters are far worse that Icelandic ones. Today the wind is up again but the snow has turned to rain and the temperatures are mild. I'm almost done with the install, Ripe and lacuna are finished and I have just a few minor adjustments to make to the proscenium projection.
My sleep cycle has been out of whack but I think I'm transitioning now as its 5 am and I can't go back to sleep. The short days have been a tease with the long hours in the museum.

The wind howls

2012-01-10T09:26:00.002-06:00

and the the weather changes within the hour, from puffy flakes as big as my thumb to small soft hail dancing across my face. It is magical here and not because I was in a sleep deprived delirium for my first day here. It's magical- the corse volcanic terrain in a blanket of white. The rich blues of the sunrise that takes hours to resolve only to be hiddened under a blanket of clouds. Today the golden sun, big like a harvest moon sitting above the horizon, appeared for a brief 5 minute break in the clouds. Golden light streaked across the road in front of us for a blink. We have been tooling around running errands, prepping for install, as if we've been here before. Amazing how easy it is to get around despite the snow and ice, thanks to GPS and four wheel drive. Everyone has been so helpful and as Heather says "twinkly!" Right now I'm waiting at Isafold for a final press check for the exhibition catalogue (i highly recommend them for anyone looking to self publish!) I am eager to start shooting but have much to do with the install for our opening on Saturday. I will post pictures soon...

Iceland bound...

2012-01-07T13:17:00.000-06:00

I will be sharing news from Iceland on the blog over the next couple of weeks... We arrive Monday morning bright and early and I'm off to a press check at Ísafoldarprentsmiðja. Install ~~madness~~ elegance begins...

Winter Solstice

2011-12-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

embracing WINTER

2011-11-30T11:31:00.000-06:00

I'm eager to learn more about Iceland's winter... Heading there in January!!!!

"People also assume that the winter is not a good time to come (to Iceland) because it is cold and dark all of the time. Fortunately, in the winter, neither of these are true! While it can be cold in the winter, the average daily temperature is actually very similar to that of New York City. Furthermore, due to the angle of the earth relative to the sun, sunset and sunrise actually take a very long time, often more than two hours. These long periods of time produce deep colors in the sky and the landscape that you do not see in the lower latitudes.

The other opportunity you have in the winter is to see the northern lights. In order to see these light you need a dark and clear sky. The best time of year to see the aurora borealis is between October and March, believe it or not by April there is too much light in the night sky!"- from Nes

Speaking of winter... check out this gorgeous new artist book by Paula McCartney!

"On Thin Ice, In a Blizzard is a subseries of my project, A Field Guide to Snow and Ice. While all of the images in the field guide are excerpts of natural landscapes—just not all snow and ice—the images in this book were constructed in the darkroom. A winter of my imagination." - Paula McCartney

much to be thankful for...

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Reykjavik or Bust!

2011-11-22T10:34:00.004-06:00

About a week ago, I launched my first Kickstarter campaign in an effort to support my upcoming exhibition at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography and a self-made residency facilitating the creation of a new photographic series while abroad in Iceland (spread the word if you can!).

I am humbled by the enthusiastic response thus far and am looking forward to this important step in my career as well as the opportunity to explore Iceland's landscape in the dark blanket of winter - aurora borealis here I come!

Any Icelandic must-sees or travel tips are welcome!

David Greenberger is an Artist

2011-11-19T10:56:00.003-06:00

So happy to have had the opportunity to get to know artist David Greenberger. David has been making work for the past 30 years centered around the process of aging, conducting powerful in-depth character studies and collaborations with local musicians. He has carried out extensive interviews with the elderly, making use of their stories to fuel the production of albums, books and comic books. I'm interested in the way he distributes the richness of his research through a variety of mass-media. The documentary film A King in Milwaukee, produced by fellow Nohl recipient Brad Lichtenstein, is a great intro to David's work and process. I highly encourage everyone to visit Duplex Planet and order the soon-to-be released CD completed during David's residency at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboyan.

Was sad to have missed his performance with Paul Cebar at the Kohler this past Thursday. Would love to hear from anyone who happened to catch it...

Taryn Simon in Milwaukee

2011-11-18T12:41:00.002-06:00

Do not miss Taryn Simon's lecture at the Milwaukee Art Museum this weekend!
Saturday, November 19th, 1:15p.m. with a book signing to follow.

Listen to curator Lisa Hoestetler's interview with WUWM's Lake Effect here.

Still sinking in...

2011-11-18T11:50:00.003-06:00

Speechless and honored to have been awarded a Mary L. Nohl Fellowship in the established artist category...

Congrats to my fellow recipients.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/133248978.html

i really enjoyed this interview...

2011-11-16T14:32:00.001-06:00

you might as well! read Susan Worsham's interview here.

What are you doing on Saturday?

2011-11-07T18:26:00.001-06:00

If I was in NYC I would be heading to The Homefront Gallery to see Justine Reyes' solo show Home, Away from Home

Justine Reyes

Saturday, November 12 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm

The Homefront Gallery

26-23 Jackson Avenue

Long Island City, NY

"The Homefront Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of photographs by Justine Reyes opening to the public on November 12 and continuing until January 8.

Home, Away from Home is a series of portraits of Reyes’ aging mother and uncle taken over the past seven years at home and in hotel rooms while traveling abroad. This body of work draws from the artist’s close relationship with her family to convey the experience of leaving and returning home and the fear of losing those closest to us..."

Shannon's curatorial debut...

2011-11-03T23:41:00.000-05:00

collect.give the BOOK

2011-11-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

The charity-based online photography gallery collect.give announces the release of a book celebrating the project's first 50 photographers - all of whom have pledged to donate 100% of their print proceeds to charities they've selected. Since 2009, collect.give has raised over $28,000 for a wide variety of charitable organizations, by selling affordable, limited edition photographs.

I am honored to be a part of this generous project by Kevin Miyazaki and humbled to have my work the subject of Amy Stein's essay in the book.

Today Time LightBox features the book, see it here.

sneak peak into Milwaukee's art scene...

2011-10-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

Fun video of the amazing Kevin Miyazaki and the rest of Milwaukee's art peeps

back to the studio.

2011-10-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

Art comes from discovery.

Thrilling...

2011-10-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

"It’s thrilling to see an excellent exhibition of photographs conceived by a highly credentialed artist and curated by the informed and intelligent Hostetler."

A review of the Taryn Simon exhibition at MAM by By Judith Ann Moriarty of Third Coast Digest. It is a good read but she is very cynical about the Milwaukee audience's ability to engage intellectually with Simon's work. We should expect more from Milwaukee and I think that is what curator Lisa Hostetler is doing with grace. Challenging us with art, rather than entertain us... another Impressionism show? Really...

The Taryn Simon show is the kind of exhibition that the Milwaukee Art Museum should pursue. Enough cotton candy already.

love this guy

2011-09-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

Gordon Kafer, 2008 (c) sonja thomsen

"celebrating a time when women had less freedom"

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

"But for these series to work, they need to dig deeper, moving beyond the superficial glitz of a time when too many lives were unfairly limited. Otherwise, The Playboy Club and Pan Am will just be celebrating a time when women had less freedom and less power. That's a history lesson no one needs to learn." - Eric Deggans is the TV critic for the St. Petersburg Times.

interesting story this morning on NPR:

Fall TV: Nostalgia For The Glamorous 1960s Needs A Tune-Up

this week in MKE

2011-09-19T16:45:00.001-05:00

Two important photographic events this week in Milwaukee...

Opening Thursday, September 22, 2011

Taryn Simon: Photographs and Texts at the Milwaukee Art Museum...

Explore the ambitious, labor-intensive works of this internationally acclaimed artist whose images and texts highlight the illusion of photographic transparency, and the complex realities of our contemporary world. Taryn Simon: Photographs and Texts is on view through January 1, 2012.

Contemporary Galleries. Free

Lecture Saturday September 24, 2011

Photography Marketing Consultant Mary Virginia Swanson

Event to be held Saturday, Sept. 24, 10am to 2pm, on the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Campus in UWM Arts Lecture Room ACL120, located at 2400 E. Kenwood Avenue. $35 fee

more of the f-word

2011-09-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

Anonymous Was A Woman Awards

Anonymous Was A Woman annually selects ten artists to receive "no strings" grant of $25,000 enabling women, over 45 years of age and at a critical juncture in their lives or careers, to continue to grow and pursue their work. Lauren Katzowitz Shenfield, administrator of the program, explains, "Anonymous Was A Woman Awards are synonymous with important recognition in artists' personal and artistic development. The financial gift helps artists buy time, space, materials, and equipment and, sometimes, recover from traumatic life events. In itself, the Award helps the artists feel recognized and honored by other distinguished women who seek no credit for the role they play."
The name of the grant program, Anonymous Was A Woman, refers to a line in Virginia Wolf's A Room of One's Own. As the name implies, the nominators and those associated with the program are un-named. To date, 131 women have received the award. Each year, an outstanding group of distinguished women - art historians, curators, writers and previous winners - serve as nominators. Anonymous Was A Woman, a program of FJC-A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds, is administered by Philanthropy Advisors, a comprehensive consulting and management organization for private philanthropy.

the F word...

2011-09-13T21:36:00.000-05:00

I am really tired, dumbfounded and frustrated with the contemporary female student to be afraid of the word - feminist. What has created this fear?

"Use the F word. Be a feminist. For decades the majority of art school graduates
have been women. Your class is no exception. But after school, when you find a
too-small number of women and people of color in your field, especially at the
top, then you know there's got to be discrimination, conscious or unconscious,
going on. Don't just put up with it, say something. We think its ridiculous that so
many people who believe in the tenets of feminism have been brainwashed by
negative stereotypes in the media and society and refuse to call themselves
feminists. And guys, that means you, too. Time to man up, whether you're
female, male, trans, etc. and speak up for women. Women's rights, civil rights,
and gay, lesbian and trans rights are the great human rights movements of our
time. There's still a long way to go." - from the Guerrilla Girls' SAIC Commencement Address, May 2010

Liz Steketee's One Picture Book

2011-09-06T14:33:00.000-05:00


(c) Liz Steketee

I was so excited to receive the latest subscription from Nazraeli Press. The NZ One Picture Books are some of my favorite books in my collection and have discussed them on this blog before...
BUT yesterday I opened the box and was ecstatic to see my friend and fellow SFAI alumni Liz Steketee's book!

#72: Dystopia is a must for any collection. The beauty of this series of books is that there is an original print tipped in the back which works so well for Liz's work as each of her pieces are hand altered (beat up, dyed, scratched etc.) to read like a turn of the century vintage print although the content is very contemporary. The objects - the book and the print - are lovely.

A beautiful show of this work and much more from Liz just closed this past weekend at Grinnell College. Fortunately she has great installation shots for you to virtually visit the exhibition, its worth a look.


Part of Liz Steketee's Family Album installation at Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College

Proud

2011-09-01T12:23:00.001-05:00

Of my intern Shannon Wunderlich. She is the new student curator at Gallery M.

h0LLeR @ mY w0Rk yO!

2011-08-23T14:16:00.002-05:00

Ripe, installed at Layton Gallery, Milwaukee WI 2011 from sonja thomsen on Vimeo.

New work and updated website...

2011-08-21T09:00:00.012-05:00

ripe installed in the Layton Gallery at MIAD, Milwaukee WI

I am pleased to announce a new project ripe

Great pop up show...

2011-08-20T12:33:00.000-05:00

at Milwaukee's defunct Grand Avenue Mall hosted by Parachute Projects... Featuring the work of Colin Matthes (American) and Kati Heck (German)

Unfortunately the work is only up through today but I encourage you to make an effort a see this show. I think it is one of the best shows I have seen in Milwaukee in many years. The individual works by these two talented artists are captivating both formally and conceptually.

“It looks at our shared (American and German) national histories and gets it all wrong,” says Matthes. “It tells bits of stories about our world today. These stories are filled with pigeons, turkeys, and questionable characters.” via A.V. Club

On top of this is the context of the exhibition in the mall that once was a crown jewel of retail in downtown Milwaukee and now is an abandoned shell scarred with ugly attempts to reformat the architecture for big box stores. The exhibition is installed in three of the many empty store fronts of the 2nd floor of mall. Milwaukee artists should follow the Parachute Project's lead and repopulate the mall with more events that call into question the relationship between art and retail and that promotes community verses exclusivity.

sorry about the low res iPhone pictures... does not do justice to the show!

Happy Bon Iver Day*

2011-07-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

Bon Iver launched their tour last night in Milwaukee. It was an amazing concert and I encourage everyone to go see this show. Their sound gets more complex, now with 9 musicians on stage, every time I watch them perform. I wish we had tickets to see them again tonight!

*Mayor Tom Barret made a proclamation that July 22, 2011 was Bon Iver Day.

apply by August 7...

2011-07-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Attention Milwaukee artists... apply to the MARNmentor program by August 7,2011.

I am pleased to be a Mentor this year as I am passionate about MARN's mission to cultivate relationships among artists. I hope to not only cultivate relationships but also a rigorous discourse about contemporary art.
I am looking to work with someone who demonstrates discipline in their practice, conceptual thinking in their work and an eagerness to dive in. If this sounds like you please apply now!

From MARN:
To strengthen the network of support for artists, provide in-depth professional resources and to contribute to the health of Wisconsin's arts community, MARN has created MARNmentors for visual artists, literary artists, filmmakers, composers, and arts administrator in the Milwaukee area. MARN will act as a liaison between established working artists and administrators and those who are pursuing a career in the arts. Several established arts professionals with a proven track record of professionalism and who have a desire to pass on their knowledge to developing artists, have been selected as Mentors.

MARN and its Mentors believe it is essential to Milwaukee's art community that we cultivate relationships among our artists, and provide opportunities that encourage artists to stay and work in Milwaukee.
We are looking for highly motivated Protégées to participate in this program.

Being picked as a Protégée you...

work with one of the most respected cretive talents in the state

get into all the MARN workshops for a year for free
get a free MARN membership for a year
are guaranteed a spot in the final Mentor / Protégée exhibition or performance
get you and your work published in the MARNmentors catalog
are added to a group of past and present mentors and protégées that meet to critique their art

Deadline to apply for visual artists, composers, filmmakers, and writers is August 7th, 2011. Please submit:

A one page letter of intent - information about you and your work what you'd like to get out of MARNmentors

10 visuals or samples of your work - ideally this would be a CD or DVD of images for visual art applicants, a total of 15-20 minutes of video or audio for film, screenwriting, or composing applicats, or 20-50 pages for literary or screenwriting applications
A CV or Resume

Send to melissam@marnonline.com with the subject: MARNmentors: visual (or filmmaking, or literary, or composition). Or via snail mail to:
MARN5407 W. Vliet St.
Milwaukee, WI 53208

Questions? Contact: Melissa Musante, melissam(at)marnonline(dot)com or 414/732-2121.

Additional Important Information:

Visual Art, Filmmaking, Composing, and Literary Protégées may not be currently pursuing a degree

Mentors choose which protégée they would like to work with
You may specify which Mentor(s) you would like to work with in your letter of intent
Tution:
While the actual yearly cost per protege is $2500 there is only a $100 tuition.
Tuition can easily be off-set by serving volunteer hours at the gallery or doing outreach on MARN's behalf (roughly a total of 40 hours over the course of the mentorship)
Payment plans are available
The $100 tuition includes admission to MARN's 2010/11 Workshops and a Full Membership to MARN

THE ARTS MENTORS
Santiago Cucullu: Visual Arts
Brad Bernard: Visual Arts
Reginald Baylor: Visual Arts
Jose Chavez: Visual Arts
Kendall Polster: Visual Arts
Sonja Thomsen: Visual Arts
Valerie Christell: Visual Arts
Anne Kingsbury: Visual Arts
kathryn e. martin: Visual Arts
John Riepenhoff: Visual Arts
Richard Taylor: Visual Arts
Nathaniel Stern: Visual Arts
Fahimeh Vahdat: Visual Arts
Jason Yi: Visual Arts
Dasha Kelly: Literary Arts
John Kishline: Directing
Jeff Kurz: Screen Writing
Ken Kornacki: Filmmaking (Narrative, Commercial, or Experimental)
Janet Fitch: Filmmaking (Documentary)
Mark Mantel: Composing
Pegi Christiansen: Arts Administration IN:SITE

Aground...

2011-07-15T13:12:00.001-05:00

pleased to be a part of the PCNW's exhibition Aground. Juried by Chicago's Karen Irvine.

I love Seattle and look forward to making a mini vacation out of the trip out west...

just...

2011-06-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

just caught my first lightning bug of the season...

catch and release.

happy summer.

love the mail!

2011-06-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

package from Justin on its way !

Memorial Day weekend...

2011-05-27T14:28:00.000-05:00

...remembering Paul G. Swanson
June 25, 1914 - May 12, 2011

already 6 months...

2011-05-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

a year ago...

2011-05-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Deepwater Horizon

"petroleum" installed

2011-04-21T21:54:00.001-05:00

Installation view of Sonja Thomsen's Petroleum in the exhibition Earth Now: American Photographers and the Environment on view at the New Mexico Museum of Art, April 8, 2011 - October 9, 2011

aCurator feature...

2011-04-18T15:57:00.001-05:00

So pleased to be featured on aCurator this week! Julie was interested in a few of my projects and wanted to showcase a selection from each of them. It is rare to get the opportunity to share work from a variety of projects in the same venue! Please check it out and let me know what you think...

review of Earth Now...

2011-04-11T12:00:00.019-05:00

Nice recap of Friday night's opening by Susan Montoya Associated Press here ...

Fraction Magazine collaborates with New Mexico Museum of Art to feature artists in the exhibition... Dornith Doherty
Phil Underdown
Daniel Handal
Beth Lilly
Brad Temkin
Sharon Stewart
Brook Reynolds
Robert Toedter
Bremner Benedict
Sonja Thomsen

in Santa Fe this weekend...

2011-04-08T10:00:00.014-05:00

Tonight...

Fri, April 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m., NM Museum of Art Museum
Earth Now: American Photographers and the Environment,
Public Opening and Book Signing with Katherine Ware, Curator of Photography
Meet the Author!

Tomorrow...

Official launch party for Publish Your Photography Book

Booksigning with Darius Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson

at Photo-Eye Books, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Earth Now...

2011-04-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am honored to be included in this exhibition...

Petroleum, 2008 will be on view in Earth Now: American Photographers and the Enviroment

The New Mexico Museum of Art presents,
Earth Now: American Photographers and the Environment

Earth Now: American Landscape Photographers and the Environment offers both a survey and a contemporary view of how artists working in photography have addressed our relationship to the environment, one of the greatest challenges facing us since at least the mid-twentieth century. Using beauty, humor, and horror to engage attention, these photographers provoke questions about the legacy of industry, construction, consumption, and waste disposal while pointing toward new directions such as local farming, new energy source technologies, green roofs, and a renewed connection with the landscapes we inhabit.

Earth Now opens at the New Mexico Museum of Art on April 8, 2011 and will be on view through August 28, 2011. The exhibition opens with suites of images by landscape photographers Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter. As successful artists they also participated in the use of their photographs to promote the establishment and preservation of some of the country’s wilderness areas.

Artists included in the gallery exhibition

Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, Subhankar Banerjee, Bremner Benedict, Michael P. Berman, Joann Brennan, Suzette Bross, Sarah Charlesworth, Christine Chin, Dornith Doherty, Chris Enos, Terry Evans, Daniel Handal, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Mark Klett, Beth Lilly, Greg Mac Gregor, Victor Masayesva Jr., Brad Moore, Matthew Moore, Richard Misrach, David Maisel, Patrick Nagatani, Bill Owens, Eliot Porter, Brook Reynolds, Laurel Schultz, Christina Seely, Sharon Stewart, Carlan Tapp, Brad Temkin, Robert Toedter, Sonja Thomsen, Phil Underdown

The Museum of New Mexico Press published a companion book to the exhibition. Read a review of the book on the photo-eye blog

panel detail from petroleum, 2008 sonja thomsen

photography week in Milwaukee

2011-04-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow -April 6, 2011, 7pm - Nate Larson will be talking at UWM's Peck School of the Arts

Larson's photographic work uses visual and textual narrative to explore the way that individuals construct meaning in contemporary culture through the lenses of social networking, consumer behavior, organized religion, and other contemporary mythologies.

T-Rex and Space Book, Digital C Prints, 20" x 30" ea, 2008, Larson & Shindelman

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011, 6:15pm - Colleen Plumb will be talking at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Join Chicago-based photographer Colleen Plumb for a lecture on her recently published book, Animals Are Outside Today, a photographic exploration of the human-animal relationship in contemporary society. A book signing will follow.

Radius Books presents: Animals are Outside Today Colleen Plumb

Heading east for a foto filled weekend...

2011-03-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

It is spring break and the whole family is NYC bound for AIPAD this weekend. Looking forward to taking in as much work as I can while enjoying family visits and birthday celebrations!

Nungesser Elephant, 2010 by Colleen Plumb

Lucky for us it is also the opening of Colleen Plumb's - Animals are Outside Today - solo exhibition at Jen Bekman. OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, March 18th from 6-8p.m.

I am very excited for Colleen who has been working relentlessly on this project. The first time I saw Colleen's work in Chicago's City Gallery Historic Water Tower in 2009 I was taken by how lush her prints were. Now we are all eager to see the beautiful prints as well as a sneak peak at her new book by Radius Books.

Amy Tan TED talk

2011-03-02T14:40:00.000-06:00

creativity and uncertainty...

uncertain

2011-02-21T22:14:00.000-06:00

"Particularly as an artist — it's uncertainty that allows for possibility" -Roni Horn

in the last 3 months

2011-02-17T10:52:00.002-06:00

Orjan 3 days old and 3 months old

i've been busy

Stop action by James Worrell

2011-02-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

Be Mine from James Worrell on Vimeo.

much love everyone...

dreaming of summer...

2011-02-09T17:51:00.000-06:00

Alec Soth and Zoe Strauss?!?

2011-02-02T23:05:00.000-06:00

Last week I had the pleasure to attend Alec Soth's lecture "The Paralyzed Cyclops in the Democratic Jungle" at the Haggerty Art Museum. And tomorrow I have the opportunity to hear Zoe Strauss speak on a panel at the Milwaukee Art Museum!?

Two prolific conceptual artists in Milwaukee in two weeks... sweet.

Marwen exhibition...

2011-01-25T13:02:00.000-06:00

Reviewed here.

Photography and Milwaukee...

2011-01-14T14:54:00.000-06:00

this spring is packed full of great reasons to come visit Milwaukee...

Wednesday, January 26
Opening Lecture for "The Truth is Not in the Mirror" at the Haggerty Museum of Art
Alec Soth The Paralyzed Cyclops
6 p.m.

Thursday, February 3
Panel Discussion:
Evolving Practices in the Presentation and Care of Contemporary Photographs at MAM
Zoe Strauss, Michael Foley, Sherman Fairchild, Max Yela
6:15 pm

Wednesday, March 9
Lecture at the Haggerty Museum of Art
Kelli Connell and Will Steacy
6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 30
Lecture at the Haggerty Museum of Art
LaToya Ruby Frazier and Jesse Burke
6 p.m.

Thursday, April 7
Animals Are Outside Today - Lecture and Book Signing at MAM
Colleen Plumb
6:15 pm

Please let me know if you are heading to town for all or any of these events!

new year, new resolution...

2011-01-01T12:51:00.002-06:00

KaPOW 2011...

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T09:26:00.001-06:00

May the new year be filled with exciting new beginnings ...

photo Joelle Swanson

Collaboration finished... Opening Friday December 17.

2010-12-16T21:05:00.000-06:00

Seeing the Invisible

Explorations of Time
photographs and video
Marta Shumylo and Sonja Thomsen

December 17, 2010-March 12, 2011
Untitled Gallery
833 North Orleans Street, Chicago, Il 60610

Opening celebration: Friday, December 17, 5-7 pm
Closing celebration: March 2011, TBA

These events are free and open to the public

Marwen alumna Marta Shumylo collaborates with Sonja Thomsen, professor of photography at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, to explore metaphysical questions in relation to time. Collaborations include: Away/Home, a series of diptychs made simultaneously in the Ukraine and America; 90+ hours in 11 minutes, a looping video exploring creative process; Waiting, a look at the ephemeral effects of time on person, place and thing.

Here's a sneak peak of the installation in progress...

Opening tonight in Indianapolis

2010-12-10T17:01:00.000-06:00

I am showing some of the "proscenium" images at the Indianapolis Art Center. ARTIFACTS is an exhibition curated by Chicago art critic Paul Klein. The exhibition opens tonight, December 10 and runs thru January.

collaboration in progress... part 3

2010-12-07T17:21:00.004-06:00

"Apple" by Marta Shumylo "25 weeks" by Sonja Thomsen

Along with the "home/away" series of diptychs, Marta and I have each been independently creating a short series of images & video titled "waiting." I found out I was pregnant with my first child during our year long collaboration. Aware of Marta's interest in documenting rotting fruit, I thought it fitting to document my growing belly. I was interested in Marta's process of decay and her photographic observations. They were the antithesis to the new life developing inside me. "Waiting" for me became about a conversation about time as well as transition. Marta's rotting ripe fruit seen with such clarity and sensitivity and my own fertility documented weekly with a crude Polaroid are paired in the exhibition to speak to the ephemerality of life's cycles.

S: I think anticipation was something both of us were grappling with while making photographs for the "waiting" series. How do you think your perceptions of time and anticipation affected your series documenting rotting fruit? How did you select this subject?

M: I have always been interested in looking at the way everything ages and deteriorates. The beginning of the Rotten Fruit series was when I opened my fridge one day and saw a fruit that was slightly covered by mold. Instead of being disgusted I was amazed by the effect that time had on it. I started photographing immediately in spring of 2009. The photographs were interesting but I knew there was more to pursue in the series. I was very excited to continue working on the project for the show at Marwen during the summer/fall of 2010. The second time around growing the mold was an unanticipated challenge. I had to learn more about the climate and science of rotting the fruit. Seasonal weather affected my process and at times it was frustrating to see how some of the fruit would not rot the way I anticipated.

Time played such a big role in this series. The process forced me to be more patient and just wait for decay to happen. It took much longer and more attempts than I anticipated and very often the lack of control and not knowing if the result would turn out interesting was overwhelming.

I'm curious about your use of both still and moving image with your pregnancy documentation. Why did you use both media?

S: Hearing your child's heartbeat for the first time is an incredibly surreal experience. You don't look pregnant, you don't really feel pregnant (just ill) and yet you go to the doctor's office and there inside of you is another being's heart pounding away. I knew I wanted to record this sound before I went into the office. I needed a record/a reminder that it was really happening. I did not anticipate being interested in the video footage at all - it was a means to record the sound. After a few visits I was fascinated in how the curvature of my belly was becoming more and more apparent in each video. In the final video piece the grid creates an interesting visual play with the Polaroid stills and the sound of the heartbeat is a powerful element that a viewer can personally experience if they engage with the piece and put on the headphones. I love how the blending heartbeats create this heightened sense of anticipation to the first person perspective of the growing belly. It is a little Edgar Alan Poe added suspense.

My final question for you is about this entire process (and the video that tries to speak to our long process). What have you learned about yourself as an artist and the artistic process through this collaboration? Does our video bear witness to any of those things you have learned?

M: As an artist, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. Through our problem solving and teaching ourselves new techniques I have been empowered with a new confidence in my own art making. I was not used to working in series for a show until this collaboration and it was interesting for me to challenge myself in such way.
Taking pictures is only a little part of the process when preparing an exhibition. Developing ideas through writing and discussion, creating work prints, proofing for color, and re-shooting are now crucial to my process. Editing has been a big part of this collaboration and I learned that what you refrain from putting in is just as important as what you put in.

Even though a year of working together is impossible to portray in a eleven minute video, I think it is an interesting addition that reflects on our time invested in art making.

collect.give is 1 year old!

2010-12-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

Kevin Miyazaki's brain child, collect.give, has raised over $18,000 thus far for non-profit organizations! Check out the special December Giveaways in celebration of its first year anniversay!

collect.give

participating photographers: Jane Fulton Alt, Jonathan Blaustein, Mark Brautigam, Barbara Ciurej, Amy Eckert, Matt Eich, Jon Feinstein, Sarina Finkelstein, Elizabeth Fleming, Max S. Gerber, Ben Huff, Dave Jordano, Stella Kalaw, Melissa Kaseman, David Leventi, Lindsay Lochman, John Loomis, Kerry Mansfield, Mark Menjivar, Kevin J. Miyazaki, Annie Marie Musselman, Susana Raab, Dalton Rooney, Ellen Rennard, Kelly Shimoda, Emily Shur, Allison V. Smith, Aline Smithson, Brea Souders, Lacey Terrell, Sonja Thomsen and David Wright.

a new arrival...

2010-11-17T22:29:00.001-06:00

Orjan Richard Oulahan...

one day late... the veterans in my life...

2010-11-12T13:48:00.000-06:00


Paul Swanson, WWII Bronze Star Veteran

Drew Thomsen, Iraq War Purple Heart Veteran

Thank you.

collaboration in progress... continued

2010-11-09T18:35:00.001-06:00

For the Marwen exhibition Marta and I were interested in exploring our perceptions of time through photography and video. In the month of July we created a series of photographs titled "home/away." Marta was visiting home in the Ukraine and I was teaching/working in Milwaukee. We agreed to make a photograph a day at the same time (8 am in USA and 4pm in Ukraine) creating an archive of images taken at the same time worlds apart. Upon Marta's return we edited the work and were interested in some of the serendipitous pairings... there will be 14 diptychs from this work in the exhibition.

July 29, 2010 from home/away, Marta Shumylo & Sonja Thomsen

S: Home/away was a challenge for me but a fitting assignment for me to undertake as I was making my pre-college students take on the same challenge that month (although they didn't have a time limit). It was an exercise in discipline (of which I failed at times) and thinking about my own domestic space as subject - something I never do. Although I often will photograph family and friends never do I pick up the camera in my own home for my art practice - curious. I found myself paying more attention to the morning light than my home itself. What was it like for you to be photographing in Ukraine which was once your home?

M: For me, working on our Home/Away project was extremely exciting but very difficult at the same time. This project is one of the main parts of our collaboration and yet I was physically so very far away from you, unable to get any feedback about my work. Photographing every day made me pay attention to how my process was changing. By the end of this project I was very aware of how light looked at specific times of day, I learned my habits and became aware of my thinking that was related to the process. As time was passing by, I felt like I was understanding the concept of being Home/Away more and more.

Visiting my home in Ukraine, a place where I was born, and thinking about time was a very strange experience. A lot of feelings and memories rushed back as soon as my plane landed, but for some reason this place no longer felt like home. I moved away only six years ago, yet to many changes happened during these six years. This experience also made me analyze myself and how I have changed during this time. That's when I had a moment of sudden revelation that transformations that happened to me are much larger than the ones that happened to the place where I was born and grew up. I am a different person now and no longer perceive things the way I did when I was living in Ukraine and that is why everything seemed so strange.

makes me laugh out loud...

2010-11-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

Collaboration in progress

2010-10-31T18:22:00.005-05:00

This past year have been working with MIAD student Marta Shumylo in preparation for our collaborative exhibition at MARWEN this December.

Marta is a MARWEN alumni and is very passionate about the school and its programming. In December of 2009 she asked me if I would show with her in their alumni gallery. After almost a year and many long conversations about art making I asked Marta to reflect with me on our process. I will post bits of our conversation and works here in the next few days...

Sonja: What is Marwen? What does it mean for you to show there?

Marta: Marwen is an organization that offers free art classes for youth. It is a place where young artists go because they want to be there. It is a place that offers inspiration, support, education, feedback as well as many other things without asking for anything in return. It is a place that has changed my life because I am sure that if i did not have the experience I had at Marwen, there is a big chance I would not have ended up in an art school...
Having the ability to exhibit my work at Marwen means a lot to me because I have a tremendous amount of respect for everybody there. By having a show there I wish to inspire the students that go there and hope to make the faculty proud. This would be my way of showing appreciation and staying connected.

S: When offered the opportunity to show at Marwen, why did you ask for a collaborative exhibition instead of a solo show?

M: I was originally thinking about doing a solo show but eventually the idea of having such great responsibility became too overwhelming. After talking to Arielle, Coordinator of Alumni Programs, I decided that it would be a much more enjoyable experience for me if I worked with another artist.

S: When we started talking about the show last December I remember being moved by the enthusiasm and energy you brought to the table, it was impossible to turn down the opportunity to work with someone so motivated. I can't believe it has been almost a year since that first meeting, we are in the midst of final printing, editing of video and I am expecting my baby's arrival any day now! It is interesting how our conversations about time and the ephemeral in photography became more palpable for me in my 9 months of anticipation.

July 6, 2010 from home/away, Marta Shumylo & Sonja Thomsen

friend & performance artist Kristina Wong strikes again...

2010-10-13T14:45:00.001-05:00

more about Kristina Wong here, here, here and here.

Mark Menjivar in Milwaukee...

2010-10-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

Midwife/Middle School Science Teacher | San Antonio, TX |

3-Person Household (including dog) | First week after deciding to eat all local produce.

Mark Menjivar

Milwaukee is lucky to have photographer Mark Menjivar in town this week. Mark will be giving an artist talk at UWM's Union Gallery on Thursday October 7 @ 7pm, about his project You Are What You Eat. His project is part of the Conspicuous Consumption exhibition on view through October 15.

Who: Mark Menjivar

Where: UWM Union Gallery, 2200 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee WI between Stowell Avenue on the east and Maryland Avenue on the west, on the east side of Milwaukee.

When: October 7 at 7pm

video on website...

2010-10-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

"Figure Ground" lightboxes from Re:Current from sonja thomsen on Vimeo.

Just posted this video documentation of the two installations of "figure ground" on my website. The livebooks hosting of Vimeo video is really seamless - its a great help for a web neophyte like me.

Collaboration in progress...

2010-10-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

more soon...

Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility

2010-09-30T14:15:00.000-05:00

Monday I took my students in the WATER course to tour the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility. I am hoping it will help them contextualize their daily use of water and its connection to Lake Michigan. It was a visceral experience, the sights, sounds and smells. I took this short video of one of the water clarification pools toward the end of our tour. Hundreds of plastic bags clung to the pool as the water spilled over the edge - why aren't plastic bags banned?

Milwaukee pride...

2010-09-24T13:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Anne in KY I was tuned into this program about my hometown. Listen to State of the Re:Union, Milwaukee City of Vision. This city is small enough that I have a personal connection to each of these stories. Seeing home through new perspectives is always a good idea.

Back to School & Catching Up...

2010-09-10T08:37:00.001-05:00

I apologize for the delay in posts this summer. I am hoping to get back into the rhythm of a weekly update this fall.

I am back to teaching and pleased to be teaching two courses that I created at MIAD this fall, Historical Perspectives and an interdisciplinary course titled, Water. They are two great groups of students and look forward to seeing their work evolve this semester. I hope to share some of the treasures here as the semester progresses.

I am in the process of giving my website a bit of a face lift. Thanks to the good people at livebooks.edu I am now able to host video on the site, stay tuned for new video works to be posted here.

PhotoMidwest is a month long celebration of photographic art held in Madison, WI, September 24 - November 9, 2010. I will be on the other side of the table as a reviewer for the PhotoMidwest Porfolio Reviews, Saturday Sept 25.

figure ground (2am), 2010 featured in CAS auction (c) sonja thomsen

The motion sensitive light boxes from re:current, titled "figure ground," will be on view in two locations this fall:

The biennial faculty exhibition at MIAD opens next week and includes 2 "figure ground" pieces. I will be teaching until 7 but will pop by from 7-8pm, if you're in town it looks like an interesting show this year.

Opening Thursday, September 16 from 6-8pm, MIAD 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee WI 53202

The Milwaukee Art Museum's Contemporary Art Society Auction features "figure ground" (2am), 2010.

Preview Party Thurs, Oct 14, 5:30–8 p.m. Gallery Talk Tues, Oct 19, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
CAS The Art Auction Saturday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m., MAM 700 N. Art Museum Drive Milwaukee, WI 53202

San Francisco bound...

2010-08-05T17:39:00.000-05:00

So excited to be heading to my favorite city for a long weekend with Cain!
Haven't been back since 2007 - I am long over due.
Hope to see many of you in the Bay Area!

Teaching Pre-College at MIAD

2010-07-27T22:58:00.000-05:00

I have been consumed by the 3 week intensive course that I am currently teaching. The high school students have been stepping to the charge and producing a lot of work in both analog and digital media. Check out the class blog and their "photo a day" posts here...

Sonya Kozlova

Liz Folkman

Sarah Nasgowitz

Emily Tierney

WI Triennial update...

2010-07-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

Recent review of the Triennial by Mary Louise Schumacher... here
Triennial Blog written by curator Jane Simon... here

6 weeks into the show (5 more to go) and the lacuna piece has shed 2,550 reproductions from its stacks with 900 left for the taking. The piece has changed rapidly in this very public space (the museum is free and my piece accessible from noon til midnight) and I have learned a lot from this installation. Here are a few images...

day 1

day 21

day 40

For the ladies...

2010-07-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

Two GREAT grants for female photographers...

Women in Photography 2010 WIP-LTI Project Grant : DEADLINE EXTENDED: extended the submission deadline for the WIP-LTI/Lightside Individual Project Grant by one week. You now have until Thursday, July 22nd at 11:59 EST to upload your application.

The Tracy Baran Award: DEADLINE - September 1st, 2010

new to me...

2010-07-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

So excited to shoot all weekend! Recently acquired a used 50mm lens for the Hasselblad and am eager to put it to work. Also loaded up on plenty of Fuji Instant Color 100C for the weekend. Time away from the computer with husband, family and camera! sign me up... Have a good weekend all!

Nazraeli Press + Fed Ex=

2010-06-23T16:02:00.002-05:00

latest edition of One Picture Books delivered yesterday = JOY

David H. Gibson
Eiji Ina
Alec Soth
Mark Steinmetz

It's crazy not to subscribe to the the series - huge savings and incredible books! win win

from May 2007...

2010-06-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

oil study from 05/07, sonja thomsen

I was curious - what does it look like? How does it smell? How different is my used motor oil from crude oil? How can I understand its economic and political implications?

Now that an unimaginable amount of this toxic fossil fuel is suspended in the gulf waters this inquisitive gesture has become my responsibility...

Part of a drawing from today...

2010-06-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

life imitating art, art imitating life

2010-06-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

Still from Daniel Beltrá's audio slideshow on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 2010

crude 6, 2007 sonja thomsen

trying to understand scale...

"burning water" 2007

2010-06-07T09:07:00.003-05:00

"gather" on Flak

2010-06-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

image from the Re:Current series featured on Flak Photo today...

Re:Current closes May 29...today

2010-05-29T12:30:00.008-05:00

Re:Current
Dean Jensen Gallery
759 N. Water St.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Hours of Operation: Tues-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-4

"gather"

2010-05-28T12:30:00.005-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-27T12:30:00.007-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-26T12:45:00.003-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-25T12:44:00.004-05:00

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"Figure.Ground" lightboxes from Re:Current

2010-05-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

2010-05-24T12:41:00.005-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-23T12:37:00.004-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-22T12:31:00.000-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-21T12:27:00.001-05:00

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lacuna in the WI Triennial...

2010-05-21T07:00:00.010-05:00

iPhone snapshot of the installation of lacuna at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

I am pleased to be included in such great company in this year's Wisconsin Triennial. The exhibition opens tonight 6:30 - 9pm at MMoCA.
If your in the area it is a not to be missed event. See work by some of Wisconsin's finest including: Jason Yi, Santiago Cucullu, J. Shimon & J. Lindemann, Bruce Charlesworth, Tom Jones, Claire Stigliani, Marc Tasman and Nicholas Frank.

2010-05-20T12:29:00.002-05:00

ibid.

2010-05-19T12:25:00.001-05:00

ibid.