Aubrey J. Kauffman, one of the speakers of our last lecture, is having an exhibition. Here are the details:

Location
En Foco at Seventh and 2nd Street Gallery
Middle Collegiate Church
50 E. 7th St between 1st &2nd Ave.

Time
Saturday April 14th
Gallery talk with the artist 3-4PM
Reception 4-5 PM

Josh Brilliant

The archive has a long history connected to the art world. Gerhard Richter published and displays the archive of photographs he has collected as source material for his paintings. Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel collaborated on a collection of found and recontextualized images taken from public and private American institutions, corporations, and agencies, called Evidence. Even though each project is so drastically different in terms of content and meaning the role of the artist as curator in the selection of images unites them, making the projects eccentric and unpredictable. The function of the archived image varies from project to project. The archived image could be seen as a “de-skilling” of the art photograph in the way Ed Ruscha and Christopher Williams hires commercial photographers to taketheir photographs for them. The archive could be used to call attention to the notion of the authentic document in the way Joan Fontcuberta used photography as documentation of a fictitious journey in the series, Sputnik. Author W.G. Sebald also used archived images to accompany his text in a seemingly unrelated and challenging way.

Currently, contemporary photographers are exploring a new concept of the archive collection that reverts the artist’s role back to creator. Photographers such as Torbjorn Rodland, Christian Patterson, and Roe Ethridge are using the framework of the collection to create their own body of work that both exploits the eclectic nature of the images and reactivates the role of the artist as creator. Like traditional photographers, the artist is creating every image, but in this context the single dominating voice is eliminated. The often sought after “style” of one’s own unique vision is replaced by an unpredictable unrestrained method of working. Exploring this working method, Josh has created a system for himself that while focusing on a broad concept or theme as a subject heading Josh creates photographs that are eclectic in their look and specific in their individual conceptual ideas. I take on themes that are expansive in scope as subject headings to create work that spider webs from that subject head to sub themes and ideas. This framework challenges him to continuously search for new ways to illuminate the subject through a variety of photographic genres and conceptual ideas. By placing restraints on himself he is forced to constantly reevaluate his approach and not rely on a single narrative to dominate the series. In this lecture, he will explain, in greater depth, his conceptual ideas of the archive by looking at his work in relation to current photographers.

Aubrey J. Kauffman

Aubrey J. Kauffman was born in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Jersey City State College in Jersey City,NJ and has done post-graduate study at Philadelphia College of Art in Philadelphia, Pa. He has taught photography at Mercer County Community College, Community College of Philadelphia, and Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts where he is a 1st year MFA candidate. His work has almost exclusively dealt with interpreting the urban landscape. The architecture that is born of this landscape is one that he describes as bearing a great similarity to the work of the photographers of the “New Topographics.” His lecture at the March 15th meeting will deal with his concepts, challenges of being a “non-tradional student” , and the influences on his work. He will have a solo exhibit at 7th and Second Gallery in NYC in April.

At The Big Three Exhibition at Art Way Gallery, Keats London and John Cregar both won Honorable Mentions from judge Rick Wright, . Rick praised Keats Criss Cross for its dynamic use of angles to create an compelling sports image. John's Grief was cited for its technique which gave the image a "hyper reality." Wright also mentioned John's effective use of patterns in foreground subject and background. The exhibit reception on Friday, Oct 21, was a great chance to meet and talk to other photographers from both the Princeton and Cranbury Clubs. More than 100 people attended, with many lingering until almost 10pm.
If you haven't taken the ride to Plainsboro, try to before your holiday shopping. Eighty-eight images from RPS, Cranbury and Princeton clubs are on display. Check Art Way Gallery's website for times. The Exhibit runs until December 11, 1pm. The take-down is from 1:00-2:30 pm that day.

President's note: Thanks to Christine Lesko for donating the cake and to Philip Bull, Art and Karen Goldenberg for volunteering for the cleanup. Bob and Karlyn Schwanke spend countless hours making the opening an eventful evening.