nate abramowski

Inspiration: Bamboo Bottle

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Normally I don't look towards products for "inspiration" but recently I was on a quest for non-plastic, eco friendly water bottle. I was using an old Voss water bottle (because of it's glass construction, I think they are all plastic now) but it felt extremely vulnerable to a knock that would cause it to break in my bag. Now, nothing is impervious to the unthinkable (broken h2o bottle in the bag) but I wanted to get close. My internet search yielded several glass options but none seemed to protect the bottle (and yes, going plastic like Kor was another option but I was really bent on glass). However, after a little searching I came across the bamboo bottle co..  Apparently released in 2010, there's some chatter out there about the bottle...it's too heavy, too hard to screw the lid on, if you don't put the lid on and turn it upside down after you fill it you won't know if it leaks, too big for a cup holder...ect. I see those things as a non-issue. I think I'll be able to get the lid on in such a way I can get it not to leak. I guess time will tell there.   As of now, it seems to be the perfect solution. The renewable bamboo shell protects the recyclable, removable glass insert. That's what I wanted. Glass. It's not for cold, hot, or beverages other than water, so I feel I don't have to worry about bottle condensation. I will agree, it's a bit bigger but not obnoxiously big. It's actually a bit smaller than the Voss bottle I was using. And that was the goal for me, replace the Voss bottle while gaining a glass bottle that was protected from the occasional knock.   And this feels like the bottle. I realize I've had it for about less than 48 hours but thus far I'm really pleased with it. I can't help but look at it and wonder where we'll go next (if I can be so facetious as giving the bottle a persona). Check out the site for more details if you're thinking about a new bottle. I should probably state I'm not being paid to endorse this or market the bottle in anyway, I simply felt compelled to share. And it's Friday, so we need something fun to talk about.     Have a good weekend. Be safe out there.

2011: A Year In Music

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Another year, another list. If your reading this I hope you had a most fantastic 2011 and are already off to a wonderful 2012. I have so many things to be thankful for and thankful I am. If we shared anything together in 2011 here’s to you *tips hat* hopefully we can make more of it in 2012. Until then, I’d like to take a moment to reflect back on the music that rocked my speakers more than once in the past year.  If you’re reading this for the first time I want to take a moment to point out that this is my list. It’s not a genera list, categories list, top 40's list, critically acclaimed list (I’m not really analyzing any of this, beyond a comment), radio list, podcast list or anything that can be boxed up, organized, and/or logically placed. Ok. Good. I just wanted to be clear on that. I read a ton of things and come across loads of music all the time (as we all do) so some of it never makes it out of my downloads folder, while other music goes directly into iTunes. Whether it sticks with me or not, time is the only way tell, and looking back over the year is a good way to start. This is what hit me as the notable...         10. Gem Club, Breakers Really chill, slow, and all-in-all nice. It lives up to it’s “dream pop” label but I really enjoyed the chill vibe. There’s a lot I could kick this list off with but I feel this is a good start.         9. The Black Keys, El Camino Can’t deny The Black Keys. Their customary rock gets me every time. It’s solid. I don’t think there’s anything startling about this choice.         8. Dakota Suite & Emanuele Errante, The North Green Down Ambient music moves my mornings. I love it. This is everything I’m down with, calm, subtly complex, and lenient with piano. Everything I enjoy.         7. Ben Howard, Every Kingdom Just some great folk rock. Really can’t go wrong with it. Upbeat, heartfelt. Go listen…         6. Bon Iver, Bon Iver A lot of people didn’t like this album. It got slammed a bit for being too “adult contemporary” rather than “indy” (which people are arguing that "indy" is the new "adult contemporary" but that’s not something I even care to go into). My point being here is, I find it really moving, and this is my list, so deal with it. The debate can be found on other blogs. Keep making music Bon Iver, keep making music.         5. BVDUB, Resistance is Beautiful I start most mornings and end most nights with BVDUB. I can’t say enough about how much I love this ambient music. So good. I could have went with any of the albums... “Then” or “I Remember” or “Songs For A Friend I Left Behind” or even “Tribes At The Temple Of Silence” and it would please me - all of the albums are great. Big year for BVDUB. They must never stop working to crank out so much music...or I don’t know how to read album release dates. That might be it too. I don’t care though, it’s all wonderful.         4. Wilco, The Whole Love This was a bit unanticipated for me. I’ve never been a massive Wilco fan but this album really grew on me. I’ve liked their music but they were never my “go to” band of any given moment. Yet, after a couple of plays, I was happily into this album. It made a lot of noise on critic lists so it’s probably no surprise to anyone to see it on a list, but it’s a bit unexpected that it’s on mine. I’m happy it is though.         3. Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire If you know me, you’d think because I’m a huge Ryan Adams fan I’d just give it the top spot by default but this year was full of the "unexpected" so I thought I'd honor that theme and put the really unexpected but really important album for me where it belongs, the number one spot. That isn't to say that this album isn't choice to listen to. In fact, poetry like this is magic to the ears.         2. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming I learned of M83 a few years back though the intro to the skate movie “Fully Flared.” The music thrilled me. “Saturdays = Youth” defined 2008 for me. “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” could have easily taken the top spot but I wanted to place the unexpected choice there instead. That’s not to say M83 couldn’t be there. In fact, I thought it was going to be there, but then I went to see a M83 concert and was introduced to what became my number one pick. Both are inspiring. Both are amazing. 2011 was a good year for music.         1. Active Child, You Are All I see The album by Active Child hit me hard. It’s an amazing album and I don’t think anyone out there is producing a sound like it. It’s poetic, moving, and really wonderful to listen to.         Honorable Mention - Dwain Martin, Just Now While it wasn't on the speakers all the time, the music of family is always close to the heart if not on the playlist. Can't go without a mention. Mad props Dad!     It's been a great year for music. Looking forward to another one.     Happy 2012 friends!    

Happy Holidays!

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It's been forever since I've been able to get a post in. Really been busy times behind the desk of I.U. and that makes it tough to find a moment to write. Hopefully your holidays have been filled with family, friends and cheer. Maybe something like this...                                  Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!

Inspiration: Made by Hand

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Things have been busy at the helm so I haven't been able to post as much as what I would have liked but I wanted to get these videos out there. There seems to be a huge surge in things being made by hand with an emphasis on quality and the maker. I love this. I see more and more small businesses getting attention on the web and many of those are either in the arts or manufacturing. These two videos caught my eye in particular from a site called This is Made by Hand  From the Made by Hand site: MADE BY HAND WAS CREATED out of the belief that the things we collect, consume, use, and share are part of who we are as individuals. For example, the food that we eat says something about each of us, as do the tools we use and the chairs we rest on. Objects that surround the space we dwell in tell stories, and not just about us. Where did they come from? Who made them? How were they made?   And from the Vimeo page: Each film aims to promote that which is made locally, sustainably, and with a love for craft. Based in Brooklyn, the project takes its influence from the handmade movement here and elsewhere. We hope you find the spirit of it inspiring.   About the videos: Made by Hand is a new short film series celebrating the people who make things by hand — sustainably, locally, and with a love for their craft.    

Made by Hand / No 1 The Distiller from Made by Hand on Vimeo.

   

Made by Hand / No 2 The Knife Maker from Made by Hand on Vimeo.

    I'm really into it all. Great stuff. Hopefully more to come soon. Like I said, the helm has been pretty busy...but more should drop...until then, have a good one out there.

Shows: Victoria Veenstra, The Conversation Series

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Victoria Veenstra has work in The Green Lion Gallery. Located on 150 E Fulton in Grand Rapids, MI, Victoria will be showing work with Renee Zettle-Sterling.

Victoria's work, The Conversation Series, is a "chromagenic pinhole photographic series exploring the ebb and flow of conversations in monochromatic time between careers and life demands. A vusal quandary to the question 'what would a superwoman say if she had coffee with me today?' "

Really great work so make sure you stop by if your in the area. The gallery hours are simple enough, Fridays 5pm-9pm and Saturday 12pm-5pm, with a closing reception August 27, 7-11pm.

Sorry no images for the blog this time around, only a show card but that just means you'll have to come out to see the work in person and that's never a bad thing.

Photographer and book artist: Frank Hamrick [q&a]

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As time continually goes by with increasing speed it's an honor when an artist takes a moment to talk about the work they are creating. I recently had a wonderful conversation with Frank Hamrick about his work. I originally met with Frank at (the always inspiring) SPE and I contacted him to see if he would like to elaborate on his work and process.  Currently Frank Hamrick is an assistant professor and the photography area coordinator for the School of Art at Louisiana Tech University. His work mixes photography, storytelling, handmade books and found objects which addresses the private environment of a home provides intermingled with personal secretes and memories. Examples can be found on his website or copies of his books can be purchased here.   Some may say the conversation runs a little long, but the answers are truly enlightening and I am grateful to have a conversation of such depth. Please give the article a read and visit his website or stop by store.   [q&a]     [Me] Your work is deeply poetic and moving. With the body of work entitled “harvest” I am responding to the amount of time involved in both growing a garden and book making. I see many parallels between the two. Have you drawn any conclusions about the relationship between the two processes?   [Hamrick] Yes. There are similarities between growing a garden and bookmaking and/or building a photographic body of work. They are process oriented involving multiple stages and faith - believing in something you cannot see. This is something I speak to my students about, especially in my view camera class where they are developing their own film and printing their photographs in the darkroom. Knowing your medium and materials well and believing in yourself are important when taking on a task that does not supply instant gratification. There will be mistakes, which is OK as long as you learn from them. The best way to learn how to grow a garden or make a book is to grow gardens and make books. It helps to have a teacher and handouts, but the best way to learn is to take that advice and apply it by doing the actual thing. And yes, I do believe growing a garden has been positive for my bookmaking. It taught me patience and understanding that doing something well or poorly in the early stages will affect the end result.

David Clark, a writer and farmer, once wrote something like, "If you want to have beautiful flowers, you have to start with beautiful dirt."

Having good raw materials to begin with is essential to both growing and bookmaking. That includes the physical materials like paper and ink, but also having good images and text to work with.

David also wrote, "The second kick of the mule is not educational." So make sure you learn from the mistakes that will certainly be made along the way.

My website professor in grad school, John Dunn, asked the class, "What is the hardest thing about making a website?" Some of us thought the correct answer might be making the site load fast even when using a slow connection or making sure the site is user friendly. John answered his own question, "Content."

The same applies to making a book. The work inside has to be something important and something I believe will be worth sharing with others.

When you tell people you are growing a garden, they ask, "What are you growing?" When you say you are making a book, they ask, "What is it about?" They are interested in what the content is.       [Me] Do you have a predetermined sequence that relates to what you would like to see page to page, or is the physical construction of the book connected with a different process?   [Hamrick] The sequence of images in the book relates to life span. The three short stories in the book reiterate that point since they address youth, adulthood and old age or conception, maturity and death.

Then there are design aspects of the book's layout intended to be felt rather than seen, but are important to successfully guiding the viewer through the book. Not always, but I often try to put similarly oriented images together. Usually a vertical image on the left side of a page spread is balanced by a vertical image on the right. The textblock shapes mimic the shape of the photographs they are paired with. The images often point subtly towards the center of the book. It might be the direction of a flower that leads the viewer's eye from that image, across the book to the image or story on the facing page. For instance, there are two photographs of hands appearing on the right side pages within the book. In both cases the hands point into the book, not outside the book. Depending on the subject matter, an image that is straight forward and centered might appear on the book's first page where it is not coupled with any text or image. I believe these details are important in the end to making the book feel right to those who pick it up and look at it.

I worked in the gallery at New Mexico State University during grad school. My first task was working at the opening of an exhibition that was hung just before I got hired. The director at the time, Mary Anne Redding, has a husband, Roger Atkins, who is a high end carpenter. I mentioned to Roger how nice the show looked. He replied that most of the time spent in hanging the show was for things the viewer never notices so they will instead notice the things you actually want them to see and feel. I am sure Roger applies that concept everyday when making cabinets and furniture. It is also something I strive to apply in the work I make.

I probably revised the book dummy for "Harvest" five times before I had the mock up I brought to this year's national SPE convention, which is where you and other peers saw the first glimpse of the book and provided feedback. I brought those responses home and made further revisions before producing the actual book. There are thirteen or fourteen various mock ups on my table capturing the slight changes in the book, whether it was image sequence, making the fonts consistent throughout the book, page layout or how a story was conveyed. I tell my students you have to be your toughest critic. So I do not see all those revisions and book dummies as an indication of having terrible layout skills or being a bad writer. I just see that as personally setting a high standard. The last thing I want to do is make a final edition and end up hating the book because I was too lazy or rushed to fix something I already knew was flawed early on in the process. There's a carpentry saying, "Measure twice, cut once." I guess for me it's, "Revise twenty times, then print and bind."     [Me] The word “Harvest” inspires many different avenues of thought, do you ascribe more complex ideas to that word and your work?   [Hamrick] I usually have a small exhibit of my students' work at the end of each book arts course. Last summer I called the exhibition "Harvest" because I felt this was what they had to show for their work from that period of time. The word Harvest stuck in my head.

I like book titles that create strong mental images. Two years ago I made a small edition book called "The Ship Is Going Down", which featured images made using Polaroid's positive/negative film that is no longer produced. The book I'm working on now is called "Letter Never Sent". The word Harvest is a strong word for generating mental images because the word is both a noun and a verb and can be used in different settings.

The photographs in my book "Harvest" were made over a period of several years. I tend to not work on one single subject for a set period of time, print them, exhibit them and then move onto the next body of work. The "Harvest" photographs were made while also working on images that have been used in other series, such as last year's book "Scars". There are plant images in both books. Last year I looked at the photographs I had and noticed several images of people, plants and things with scars. So that is what I had been unconsciously drawn to photographing for a while, and those were the images sticking out to me when it came time to make a book. Creating a book is a way for me to look at the photographs I have and then start to bring some method and organization to the chaos of my image making that can sometimes feel aimless when I am initially shooting the photographs. Particular images stick out to me on the contact sheets and through editing, a thematic body of work emerges. Making photographs for me is often intuitive and subconscious process that is felt more than seen, whereas bookmaking for me is the opposite - a much more considered, conscious endeavor.

There are particular reoccurring words and concepts in my work, such as "found", which appears in the titles of my books "Found Objects" and "i found it when i stopped looking". "Home" is another concept that appears periodically, like in my one off books "Keep Moving" and "There's No Place Like Home". Or the line, "Old people are like houses burning down " from my one of a kind "Wallet Book".

Making my books signals the end of a series of work or at least a finished chapter in that work or the end of looking at a subject from that particular angle. I have grown a garden for the last five years and plan on having a garden and photographing it each year in the future because it is something I enjoy doing and can see at the end of the day. "I turned this soil over today." "I pulled these weeds today." Plus I can later look at the flowers and vegetables and see them as an investment paying off. The seeds planted in the early spring yield profit in the summer. But by the end of last summer I felt as though I had photographed this particular garden as much as I could for a while. And so I decided it was time to bring some of those photographs together with other images I had and make a set body of work from them.

The last photograph in "Harvest" shows a dying sunflower leaning over, whose seeds have fallen to the ground. I made that photograph around the time my grandmother was dying last August. That image is paired in the book with a story about my great-grandmother's last garden, but the sunflower image to me is my grandmother dying and the seeds that have fallen onto the ground are the future generations. It was her handing over the responsibilities. She had done her part and her time was past. Now it is up to us. Harvest is the time to gather your crops and eat them or take them to the market. It is a set point in the life of that produce. You don't want to do it too early when there's not enough ready or too late when everything is past its prime and no longer wanted. It's all part of the cycle. The grower needs to take the produce into town so they can sell it and then there's the people who want it. The farmer also needs to clear the field so the ground can rest and then be prepared for the next season of planting. The same thing can be said for these photographs. I truly felt I was harvesting this particular group of photographs. I thought it was time to put them out in the world to share with other people so they could see them all together in the context of plant imagery addressing life span. It also allows me to make room both physically in my studio and mentally in my mind to start planning the next book project.

Another piece of work that was in the back of my mind when putting this book together was Neil Young's album, "Harvest". Although I should be clear none of the photographs or stories were inspired by that album and the book is not meant to be any sort of homage or comment on Young's work. The album "Harvest" was recorded forty years ago in various places, including a proper studio in Nashville, a barn on Neil Young's ranch and a concert at UCLA. So Young was gathering these recordings and putting them together, which became the album. It went on to being the most successful record released in 1972 and featured songs like "Heart of Gold", which was a number one hit on the radio.

The album resonated with people when it first came out, but the important thing is that after all this time it still matters to people, even to younger listeners like myself who were not around when it was first released. It has songs heard on the radio today and as a whole it is an album that people still gravitate towards.

My goal was to do something in the same spirit - to bring together a small group of photographs and writing that would make an impression on viewers today, but would also remain relevant years from now to those original people and generate a strong, positive response each time a new person is exposed to the book. I did not want to make a piece that would be seen as a dated trend when people look back on the book years from now. I once heard the way to know if you wrote something good was to put it on the shelf and then read it 75 years later to see if it still was strong material. My book is a harvest of photographs and stories, but I suppose it might be seen as a seed just now being planted. We'll have to check back in several decades to see how it holds up.       [Me] The idea of impermanence and story are powerful notions when talked about in the same context. As people, I believe our stories that we share, and retell, often lack or include different details as we re-engage ideas. Books try to circumnavigate natural variations within storytelling. It appears in your artist statement you are trying to overcome this natural suggestion of “book as document” and bring forth classical storytelling - is this an aspiration of “Harvest”?   [Hamrick] It's interesting you say that. The other day I was listening to an interview on the radio about court cases and how victims will naturally tell their story slightly differently each time, such as to the police soon after the crime occurs and then later to the jury in court. The opposing attorney will place emphasis on those slight variations in the victim's story in an attempt to have that testimony seen as being flawed and therefore have the accused acquitted.

I tell my students there are two extreme ways of looking at storytelling and what pieces of work are about. One is that a piece of work can inspire the imagination of the reader/viewer because the artwork exists as a point of inspiration and is open to interpretation. The ceramics professor I work with, Mary Louise Carter, said she looks at abstract art like she listens to instrumental music. "I take what I need from the work." There is no person there telling you this song is about love or this painting is about anger. Mary Louise saw a postcard of my image "Intertwined Carrots" and responded, "Carrots in love." whereas the produce man at the grocery store might view that same image as a couple of deformed looking carrots he would never be able to sell. The other extreme of storytelling and art making is to have an end goal in mind and make sure the viewer/reader gets that exact message. I suppose that is what you mean by the "book as document" where the story is put down on paper and viewed as, "This is the story. This is how it is told. This is what it means" much in the same way as a song appears on a record and then many fans feel that is the arrangement of how the song should always be performed. Sometimes doing this is easy, sometimes it is difficult and many times it can be boring, not only for the creator, but to the listener as well.

Photographs denote something. They show. The photograph "Intertwined Carrots" shows one carrot wrapped around another carrot. Photographs can also connote. They can suggest. This photograph shows two carrots, but for many people it also carries a sensual connotation.

I am most interested in photographs that serve as metaphors to ideas beyond what is obviously seen in the image, even if it inspires ideas in viewers different from my own. I like looking at others people's photographs that leave room for me to be part of deciding what this work means, or at least what the work means to me. So I try do the same for viewers looking at my work, leave room for them to be part of the process.       [Me] Is there a gallery component to “Harvest” or to any of the other handmade books you have created? Or is the photography and accompanying printed elements primary focused in the art of the book(s)?   [Hamrick] I have done a couple of pieces that exist only as books, such as last year's "Chasing The Sun", which I view as my best example of an artist's book. Its content is a seven panel, tea stained, accordion fold out. The tea stain mimics the southwest landscape I experienced while going to graduate school at New Mexico State University. This book will be included in a group exhibition this August at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas.

Like many of the images in my other photographic artist's books, the photographs in "Harvest" have appeared as individual framed prints in various group and solo exhibitions. Although there has not yet been an exhibition of just the "Harvest" photographs, since these images only recently appeared together as this particular body of work.

"Harvest", the book, was in a book fair this July in New York City. The book will be exhibited next at the Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, Oregon in August and then will be included as part of a solo exhibition here at Louisiana Tech University in late October. The book may be exhibited in some additional shows this year, but the details are not confirmed at this time.

I compare the individual photographs to songs, and the book can be compared to an entire album - a cohesive body of work with liner notes and cover art. So a single photograph can stand on its own as a piece of work, just as a single song can appear on the radio. Or the book can be viewed as a larger piece of work, like an album you listen to from beginning to end. I do not see the book as a monograph, which simply reproduces the images, like a catalog from an exhibition. The book is a handmade piece delivering a cohesive idea that is not fully expressed by any single image viewed alone from the rest of the book.

The book's construction includes handmade rag paper and letterpress printing, along with more contemporary processes, such as InDesign layout and Inkjet printing. The first edition exists in a limited quantity of 25 soft cover books and 25 hardcover books I printed and bound myself.

I think of "Harvest" as an artist's book - a piece of work. etsy.com/shop/frankhamrick      

BookArt: A video book review by Jörg M. Colberg

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This is a post by Jörg M. Colberg originally posted on the up-and-coming Google+ (now G+ or has it always been G+?) talking about a photo book. It's an interesting, straight forward "experiment" (his description) about how to incorporate video with a book (review). It really makes me want to head to ebay and do a little digging but I assume my search will not yield instant gold the first time (so mine is going to take a bit of digging). I do think I'm going to look about a bit and see if I can't come up with something of the same to share. I like this idea a lot. Until I get my own interesting video up about a book, enjoy his…   Here is the G+ link but also the embedded youtube video:

    For those of you wondering…I have yet to join G+

I happen to like the suspense.

Cheers.  

Music Friday: New M83 Album (soon)

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I haven't had a music friday in awhile but this hit the radar and I am really looking forward to it.      I really dig M83.   In other music news, I saw Kurt Elling on Wednesday and had my mind blown. He is always impressive. He released a fairly new album as well called, "The Gate" as in, "Swings like a...". Choice.   New work on the blog next week...hopefully...have a good weekend!

(future) Opportunity: Rabbit Island

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This could be cool. Although the winters are probably going to be quite cold...  The Rabbit Island Artist Residency Project in summary: "Imagine a remote, forested island in the largest body of freshwater in the world. Now imagine living on that island and being a part of one of the most unique and challenging artist residencies in the world. Rabbit Island is that island, and with your help, Rabbit Island will become that residency."         I hope it gets off the ground.