"Laura Letinsky" interview

Michel Comte

©Michel Comte

Michel Comte does alot of commercial, fashion and celebrity shoots. Pictured above is a photo from his series "Rizzoli Nudes." I enjoy the color's.

Jeff Bark

©Jeff Bark

This image is part of his Woodpecker Show at the Michael Hoppen Contemporary Gallery in London.

"The upshot is a group heavily symbolic photos in a rural setting rife with loneliness, despondence and introspection. Manufactured moonlit tones only add to this effect. Take a closer look and you'll see that the subjects are actually in an urban setting—tipped off by urban litter such as a fence, crates and even a car." Tim Yu

Bill Henson

©Bill Henson

Henson's work has received major criticism. His exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Sydney was closed after several individuals filed complaints with law enforcement due to the questionable nature of Henson's photographs depicting naked children.

In recent years the charges against world renowned photographers who photograph nude children has reached a boiling point. In the eyes of child advocates the fact that an artist has exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums does not make photographs involving nude children anymore legitimate than child pornography. You may recall that in 2007 an exhibit of Nan Goldin’s photographs were seized from the collection of Sir Elton John due to similar charges that Bill Henson is now facing. Do these works walk a fine line between artistic freedom and exploitation?

Sarah Small

www.sarahsmall.com

Death to Venus!

"Death of Venus" the anti-Ideal Beauty...

photo by A.Bonamie ©2008

Orangina revisited

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck14LKBI9GM

Jardin de Luxembourg

The Gardens were beautiful, lots of statues even a smaller version of the statue of liberty. A good game of bocci and 40 cents to use the bathroom. You have to pay to use the restrooms here in most public places.

internet troubles

I have been having a hard time getting on the internet and finding any free time. Things have been exciting and artistically informational. The picture uploader is not working so no photos today. We went for a 3 mile bike ride yesterday it was awesome not to mention I'm in pretty bad shape. The 3 miles back I happened to get a flat tire so I rode the rim for a while and worked it extra hard.. My thighs are now made of steal, french air and steel.... whew. The bike ride was to Monet's Gardens and house which they've recreated to be exactly how it was when he lived there. It was very nice and full of tourist seeing things through their cameras. Oh and a few of us decided to go hiking also. We got to a hilly area where the local boys were play war games in their underware. It was great eccept I kept telling the girls they could gang up and take us hostage like a bad scene from Lord of the Flies.

Itinerary
Monday-was the Jardin de Luxembourg (gardens)
Tuesday-was the Musee d'Orsay*museum
Wednesday-Musee du Louvre*museum
Thursday-Monet's gardens
Today we are going to five exhibitions (the Picasso, A Photography museum and many more.)

I am really sore from yesterday but I think I'll be in pretty good shape by the time I get back.

orangina!

Orangina is a orange juice soda that seems to be pretty big in Paris. It taste like a mimosa but you dont get drunk. What I really enjoy about it, considering I dont really like drinking it, is the slutting up of animals they do to market the product. Hey I guess if animals sell things and sex sells why not use both?

Paris

I finally arrived, the taxi drivers are crazy and the city is beautiful. We meet at the PRC - Paris Research Center and then went to dinner at Chez Fernand's here's the menu< and above is my dinner it was great, I was also starving and delerious.

London

I arrived Sunday in London at the Gatwick airport with no time to spare to make it to the train station that would take me to the Euro-Rail. My friend who sat next to me on the whole plane ride over also ended up meeting me on the train. We had good conversations shes a teacher and she was on her way to meet her friend outside of London. we had to abruptly part ways after the train ride so I could run to the chunnel station to conect my last ride before Paris.





window shot














my traveling buddy















the train station at the Gatwick Airport

Cinco de' Mayo

Happy Cinco de' Mayo from Paris.

Ok I finnally got some sleep, woo! we have no internet at the hote'l unless I pay 5 euro an hour but I really miss my internet so I might splurge and buy it. We ate dinner at a decent restuarant last night it was good but I was delerious and I had to carry my bags all around town so Im a luittle soar today. we have class all day then we do some gardens and dinner. a few of us might go out tonight. hoping to update photos soon. au`revoir.

weather

gheesh the weather could not be anymore perfect, I'm sitting outside waiting for our orientation and it's completely gorgeous outside...

congrats Amanda!!!

for those of you who know one of my very bestest friend's Amanda, has a new bundle of joy on the way. Say hello to Piper Drew.

Paris

I have arrived!
I can't believe I actually made it....I made the first train with ten minutes to spare and made the Eurotrain with 5 minutes to spare. I tried to ask the guy at the research center if he knew anything about a room cause I'm exhausted, but he pretended to not speak English so we parted ways, you should of seen me trying to ask the taxi driver if it was customary to tip. He gave me exact change and tried to pull away with his trunk open, I offered to close it and he wouldn't let me. I think he was trying to be polite or maybe just cursing me under his breath. The city is gorgeous and way more interesting than I had imagined I will be posting more photos soon. I didn't get many of London because of my rush rush schedule but I'll be back there in a couple of weeks.

Trip entry 1

this one looks like Manny.

Chaz and Nate were in the Atlanta Airport

I arrived in Atlanta alright

Heres my plane from Gainesville. I sat next to a guy with underarmor shorts and a hiwaiian print shirt. We did are best to ignore each other for the most part except when it was made known we had to store our shit all the way under our seats. I asked if he wanted me to rearrange and he mumbled something I could't understand and began kicking his bag as to make the fit work. it did not.

Ok so here I sit at the Gainesville Regional Airport waiting for my first leg of the trip. I really can't believe this is an actual up and running airport. I guess there doing some renovating if anything they should think about replacing the carpet. So from here I fly to Atlanta where I hang for awhile and then on to London.

sometimes I make t-shirts (the exchange)

at the screen print shop I work at we donated some children's tees to Africa. In return the kids modeled the tees for us. 

Artist of the Day - Doug Aitken

photo by Doug Aitken