La Taza de Oro

I took these photos at a Puerto Rican lunch counter on Eight Avenue in Chelsea yesterday. I have been going there for years, and have always been attracted to the atmosphere. The food is good too!

Touching Strangers - closing this Friday

The show closes this week so if you haven't had the chance to check it out yet - please do.
The Gallery at Hermès
691 Madison Ave @ 62nd Street, 4th Floor

Africa and Gays

From the recent Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 in Uganda, to news this week about a gay couple convicted in Malawi of unnatural acts and gross indecency, Africa has been rampaging against its' gays. It is very disheartening. Perhaps it is happening because the continent has vast and deep problems, and so much dire poverty that people brave enough to come forward and live an honest open life are the ones who are being made scapegoats. I don't really know, but I do know that the religious right in my country has a hand in all of this. They have been sending missionaries and messengers to Africa that are spreading fear and hatred of gay people. It's criminal, and appalling. When we were in Namibia in 2008, Seth & I were met with surprise and suspicion that we were two men sharing a single bed amongst the hotel staff wherever we stayed. I suspect that the attitudes we encountered as foreigners might be just the tip of the iceberg in regards to most Africans attitudes towards homosexuality. I don't mean to necessarily single out Africa here, but it being such a beautiful and magical place, I do wish to return someday without the fear of reprisal over my sexual orientation. I should mention the exception here - South Africa, which is way ahead of the curve when it comes to protections for their gays and lesbians. They were the fifth country in the world to legalize gay marriage in 2006. Possibly that progress in South Africa is contributing to more visibility among other African gays, which in turn is leading to this violent backlash...
You can help by donating to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.


Eldson Chagara/Reuters

Steven Monjeza, left, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, a gay couple, were convicted of unnatural acts and gross indencency in Blantyre, Malawi, on Tuesday and were sentenced Thursday to the maximum penalty allowed by law, 14 years of hard labor in prison.

The Large Format Portrait at ICP

I'm teaching my large format portrait class again this summer at ICP. It is a 5 day class over the course of two weeks beginning July 12.
If you are interested in enrolling please register at ICP here.

SKATEBOARDING.3D.

Last weekend in Hamburg, I met photographer Sebastian Denz. He was looking through some photography books in the office at the Robert Morat Galerie. It came up that he is photographer as well, and that he has a book that was recently published by Prestel. Fortunately, Robert had two copies left. His book is in 3D, and about skateboarders. In the milliseconds before the book was opened, and I put on my 3D glasses, I made an instant judgement that this was going to be a bit gimmicky. That's the problem with instant judgements, as I was immediately blown away by quality and the strength of the photographs. They are beautiful. If there ever was a subject to be photographed in 3D - skateboarding really lends itself to the medium. It is extremely spacial. Sebastian shoots with a large format camera that is specially designed for making the clearest sharpest 3D photographs you have ever seen. He has some interesting thoughts about space and our relationship to it in his writings and interviews found on his website. This book is a must have.

pictures from Germany

Hamburg, Germany, May 6, 2010

"If that photography thing doesn't work out kid, you can always snake toilets"

Fall River Boys and Figure & Ground at Robert Morat Galerie

If you happen to be in Hamburg, check out my show opening this Friday at Robert Morat Galerie. It is up through July 3. The super cool thing is that I am showing with Andrew Phelps in the adjoining gallery. Andrew studied at the same college as me in Salzburg, Austria. He was a year behind me so we never actually met, as this was a 1 year photo program for students studying abroad. We both had the same fantastic teacher however, Dörte Eissfeldt. Dörte will be there on Friday night at the opening. Andrew is now in Dorte's position and runs the photography program at Salzburg College. This certainly is something that appears to have come full circle. Very exciting!

Touching Strangers Abroad - taking it to Italy (my ancestral homeland).

Drawing in New York - 2 shows not to be missed!

Patrick Lee has a show up right now at Ameringer McEnery Yohe in Chelsea that I saw over the weekend. His line is so fine - you might mistake them for photographs. Go and See it!
Additionally the artist Joan Linder has a show up at Mixed Greens at the moment which is also not to be missed. Her work keeps evolving, getting better, and better.

Patrick Lee

Joan Linder