Kendall Pavan came into the Darkroom with a shoe box of antique glass negatives that she and a friend found abandoned. My favorite print from these negatives is this oddity of a respectably dressed man draped in snakes. My grandfathers had no love of snakes. In fact in upstate New York there was a bounty on rattle snakes and when my father was a child he had a favorite aunt who would give him the rattles of the snakes she killed. The man in this photo is apparently not afraid of snakes. He seems to think they are cool. Was he a herptologist or just a guy who was cutting the grass who found a bunch of snakes? We will never know. 

In an oddly similar vein Kendall has been photographing her friends on Black and White film with a 4x5 large format camera, much as they would have 100 years ago. These photos are of twenty somethings who are room mates, being posed as truly old school family portraits were. Kendall sees her friends living as room mates for long periods of time and becoming  non nuclear "families" of their own. While looking hipsterish in dress they have old timey expressions and very straight posture.  She is showing her work with fellow photographers Nicolas Ferreira and David Simione  this this week at the Hope Artiste Village. 

Hope Artiste Village

Floating Art Project

1005 Main St

Pawtucket RI

      

The Slater Mill Historic site has an original collection of Lewis Hine photographs taken in northern Rhode Island in 1909 and 1912. You can imagine how I felt when Slater Mill contacted me ( Scott Lapham ) saying they had a grant to create a show of the original Lewis Hine photos with a modern update to be shot by myself and Photographic Memory assistants. The Opening is April 25th from 5-7pm at the Slater Mill gallery at 67 Roosevelt Ave in Pawtucket RI.

Lewis Hine was one of a handful of photographers (that we know of) who worked to create the genre of photography we now call social documentary. He is famous for his images of immigrants coming to Ellis Island, the living and working conditions of industrial laborers and steel workers building the first sky scrapers in New York City. He is perhaps most well known for his photographs exposing child labor. When shown to Congress, these photographs had a direct effect on passing laws stopping underage work and protecting children in the workplace.

I want to let people know about the terrific work that Peter Gemei has done over the past several months and that we are signing up students for our Intro to Photo, Intermediate Printing and Pinhole Workshop classes in April.

Peter Gemei learned photography from our Intro to Photo class in 2003 and has gradually been personalizing his approach to photography ever since. In the fall of 2007 Peter asked me to give him a tutorial in developing 4x5 black and white sheet film. I was anxious to see what he was shooting and was surprised to see what he produced.

All kinds of great things happen in the AS220 Darkroom that all kinds of people have no idea about. Working in a darkroom is a solitary process and even AS220 Darkroom members who use the space are unaware of what happens when they are not there. This is the first of many monthly updates that is meant to change that. What better way to start than to talk about a young person going to college.

Contact Scott Lapham at Scott@AS220.org or (401) 274-1299 to sign up to any of the following workshops in the AS220 darkroom:

Intro to Photo
- Starting Sept 22nd-Oct 27th 6:30-9:30pm running for six weeks
- Cost is $250 not including supplies
- Instructor Gail Porter

Intermediate Printing
- Starting Sept 23rd from 6:30-9:30 running for six weeks
- Cost is $250 not including supplies
- Instructor Stewart Martin

Pinhole Photography
- Held Oct 24-25th.
- Cost $100 not including supplies.
- Instructor Scott Lapham & Stephanie Ewens

Alternative Process
-Held November 14th.
-Cost is $100 not including supplies.
-Olivia McCullough

The basics of 35mm photography will be covered in this first level traditional photography course with instructor Gail Porter. Beginning with a comprehensive examination and understanding of the camera and light meter, students will learn to develop film, make contact prints , and to enlarge prints using variable contrast filters to improve print quality.

Slide presentations of both historic and contemporary photographers will accompany each asssignment as students learn to control depths of field and interpret motion in still photography. Frequent critiques and class discussions will help students to improve their ability to talk about photographs, to define their interests in photography, and to improve composition.

The six-week class is held on Mondays from 7-10pm from October 8th to November 12th 2007. The cost for the workshop is $250 not including supplies. Interested people can contact Scott Lapham at 401-274-1299 or scott@as220.org.

The basics of 35mm photography will be covered in this first level traditional photography course, led by instructor Gail Porter. Beginning with a comprehensive examination and understanding of the camera and light meter, students will learn to develop film, make contact prints, and to enlarge prints using variable contrast filters to improve print quality. Frequent critiques and class discussions will help students to improve their ability to talk about photographs, to define their interests in photographs, to define their interests in photography, and to improve composition.

Where? AS220

When? Wednesdays, April 25-May 30 2007, 7-10 PM

How much? $250, not including supplies.

If you are interested, please contact Scott Lapham at 401-274-1299 or scott@as220.org