The annual Photo Review benefit auction is taking place this Saturday night, November 21, in downtown Philadelphia, PA. You can find out more about it by clicking here.
Benefit auctions are a great place for collecting prints as prices are normally below market (often substantially so) and the proceeds go toward a worthwhile cause. Most of the prints in my collection have been purchased at such events.
This year, two of my own prints will be up for grabs. They are Nude, Joshua Tree, 2008, #1 (photo at the top) and Children, Lanten Village, Laos, 2006 (seen below). So, if anybody out there has wanted to get their hands on a genuine print from me, that I printed myself, here's your chance to do so at a discount. You can see and bid on the nude print by clicking here, and do the same for the travel image here.
Of course, you can bid on the other photos, too.
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The past weekend was another one devoted in part to art. On Friday night I went to see the Modernism show at the Park Avenue Armory. I got a ticket for free admission that evening to attend a reception for the New York Academy of Art. (I guess I’m on the school’s mailing list, my having attended its own benefit auction last month.)
I didn’t stay very long at the reception, held by one of the dealers, but I spent most of my time walking around looking at what the other galleries and dealers had on display – a collection of paintings, furniture, jewelry, clothing, decorative lamps (think Tiffany) and so on.
One of the highlights for me was meeting “Kramer” – actor Michael Richards from Seinfeld. I was looking at some paintings and turned around to see someone who looked like Kramer. Then when I heard him speak, I realized that it really was Richards. I spoke with him briefly and told him that the painting of him from the TV show, “the Kramer,” should have been there. (For those who are wondering, yes – his hair really is like you see it on TV, though it wasn’t quite as wild as it sometimes was seen.)
On Saturday I had to go into Manhattan for a medical procedure, and decided to stay around to visit some galleries, too. By sheer coincidence, the first one I went to – the Old Print Shop - was having a reception for a new exhibit of contemporary prints soon after I arrived, so I stayed around for several hours. I have to say that it was one of the best times I’ve ever had at a gallery show opening party. Contrary to when I attend most such events at photography galleries – when I often stand around and ask myself why I’m even there - I actually spent most of the time talking with people, mostly about things like art.
