content creators among us
TRANSCRIPT
Aaron VirolaC&PA - Technology
The things that inspire me most are those that relate to people on an emotional level. They are the “indescribable” moments in life that speak to us is what is represented in my art.
The Soulchild
“The Soulchild” represents freedom and confidence; something I think we all feel/and can relate to when we’re singing in the shower. It’s also a representation of me and my love for music. The painting inspires me to live everyday like my own and to play by my own rules. I painted this piece in 2003 and used pastels on black paper.
Untitled
This is a tattoo design done in pencil for my girlfriend who has a thing for elephants, orchids and the jungle. The elephant is in the “moving forward” position (meaning progression and determination) with trunk up (meaning good luck). Inside the elephant are vines that represent the chaos and tranquility of a jungle as a orchid sprouts out. I sketched this while coming home from LA for the WCG National Finals (client) in September. I get little nervous on flights and needed something to take my mind off of the six-hour plane ride home.
Albert LewisDigital
I paint on the train. I carry my brushes, canvas, colors, and all the paintings I’ve recently done. Using the iPhone app “Brushes,” I’ve got all of this in the palm of my hand. When I get to my stop I pack up and head out. There’s no easel, no sketchbook, no brushes or hassle. Just my finger, my phone, and the satisfaction of turning a basic sketch into a full-blown painting in the time it takes me to get from Grand Central to my stop.
You can read more about the work here: Edelman Digital piece Twitter: @al_lewisjr
Beauty on the 1 Train
While riding the 1 train last April, I saw a woman who I found to have a face and features that reminded me of a geisha: perfectly symmetric face; stark contrasting colors; hair held up somewhat messily but it still looked planned.
This was about expression and color and the challenge of trying to get that moment down as quickly as possible.
The image was a three-minute sketch done on my iPhone.
Albert Lewis
Fantasy, mysticism, science fiction, mythology, graphic novels, gaming, music are all sources of inspiration as well.
This sketch is a result of my gamer side. If you know what game it's from, don't worry. You're not a geek. After all 12 million people play it world wide - including my wife and daughters.
This was also done on the iPhone.
Allison GoldbergBrand & Corporate Citizenship
One of the many assets of New York is its wealth of ideas and cultures; yet despite finding ourselves in an enclosed microcosm of this diversity every day, we New Yorkers rarely speak to one another on the subway. After countless hours of wondering about the strangers around them, my friend Jen Jamula and I decided to find out who these people really are by interviewing unsuspecting individuals and posting weekly montages to our vlog, Why Are You On My Train?
Amelia VerebHealthcare
My mother is an art teacher, so art has always played a significant role in my life. I didn’t begin drawing with Sharpie markers until I was a senior in high school. As I continued to develop my drawing style, my friends constantly asked me to draw them, so I started drawing portraits in my spare time and have turned it into a regular hobby.
Twitter: @ajvereb
Dani
This drawing, done last May, is my interpretation of a photograph that was taken of my friend Dani. Dani was my roommate for all of 2010, so similar portraits of myself and our third roommate hung together in our apartment.
Group
This drawing is my interpretation of a photograph taken of my friends and me. The drawing was a birthday present for one of the other girls featured in the piece.
Andrew DalsassRuth
I’ve always been interested in work that reveal some truth as to whom that person is. People are usually not what they want the world to think they are. We are all rather complex, but certain things reveal themselves. At least for me, it is often easier to find these things through painting, then perhaps a photograph. It’s why I’ve gravitated to more figurative work. It allows me to create a story about certain things or emotions we all experience. In many ways, I create the characters as you would for a play.
The two oil studies I’ve sent, reveal a little window of their personalities. The first sketch was a model I photographed. She had an elitist grace to her, which were heightened by her protuberant and elongated features.
Oil Study
This oil sketch was a model I photographed. She had an elitist grace to her, which were heightened by her protuberant and elongated features.
Self-Portrait
Ann ClarkC&PA – Public Affairs
Looking through the lens of a camera can change your view of the world. It enables you to stop time. And with this power, I’m inspired by the combination of compelling subject matter with beautiful lighting to convert a moment into something permanent that can be admired for years to come.
Twitter: @aeclark
Apple Day in London
The annual Apple Day celebration at Borough Market brings the colors and flavors of the British countryside to the city. (October 2008)
Glass Sky of Prague
Just outside Golden Lane, a quaint street dating from the 15th century, this reflection shows a view of the past. (November 2006)
Aysha VenjaraBioScience Communications
I've always been about the details. From sketching chordae tendineae of the heart in gross anatomy to editing a complex regulatory document, my eye is drawn to subjects that require a magnifying glass for most.
My style of photography is no different. Nature being the richest form of inspiration one can imagine, I work with a macro lens to capture the finest of details and draw attention to beauty on a miniature scale.
Morning Berries
Stonecrop Gardens Cold Spring, NYOctober 9, 2010
Spike
George's Island ParkCroton-on-Hudson, NYMay 30, 2010
Christy SpeakmanNew York Office
After Hurricane Katrina, I moved from New Orleans to NYC and I was struck by how gasoline drips along Canal Street after rainfall closely resembled hurricane formations on satellite maps embedded in asphalt. They reminded me of the transient images of approaching storm systems that we were all glued to during those days before Katrina. The recent oil spill in the gulf has given this work a new context.
You can see more of my work on my web site: www.christyspeakman.com
Twitter: @christyspeakman
Eyewall #1
Chromogenic Silver Halide Prints20 x 24”2008
Eyewall #3
Chromogenic Silver Halide Prints20 x 24”2008
Ginger HansonBioScience Communications
My dad gave me his old Pentax k1000 from the 1970’s when I was fifteen and I fell in love with it. It’s a heavy, manual camera that makes a very satisfying sound when the shutter is released and the photograph taken-they really don’t make cameras like that anymore. I founded my high school photography club soon after that and have been taking pictures ever since. My photographs have always been inspired by the moment and what I see around me.
Twitter: @TheGingerHanson
Woven Wire Fence
As a Brooklyn native I have always been fascinated by simple, idyllic places. When my boyfriend and I stopped at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch in Jamesport, Long Island, I noticed a tiny white chapel in the distance. It was such a sweet scene, the white chapel and the picnic table surrounded by farm land. At the time I was annoyed that I couldn’t get past the fence to photograph it. I ended up loving the final result, though. Some things will always be just out of reach.
Equipment: Pentax k1000 35 mm camera; Kodak Max 400 film
Pike’s Place Alaskan Salmon
My dad is an avid fisherman and I took this picture for him at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle in March. Growing up my dad and I would often walk around our local marina in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and he took pleasure in pointing out the fishmongers who tried to pass off out-of-season or exotic frozen fish as freshly caught that day. He was particularly thrilled when someone tried to sell Alaskan Salmon, which obviously could not have been caught in NY waters.
Equipment: Pentax k1000 35 mm camera, Ilford Delta 400 black and white film.
Jim MarkowichCorporate Executive MIS
Over the past few years, I've spent a lot of time in the woods. I don't want to make it sound too spiritual, even if it is. That stuff is, for the most part, better left unsaid. But it is powerful stuff, and seems to demand some kind of expression.
Many people take notice of leaves in the fall, especially maple leaves — and more especially those that are still on the trees. What was grabbing me, though, were the leaves that had fallen already. The colors of those that had fallen face-down, stomata up, were completely arresting. So were leaves in various stages of decay. And of course, rain and hail drops were irresistible. So for the past five autumns, I've been finding myself in the woods somewhere (usually Pennsylvania), looking at a few square feet of ground, and finding that inspiring.
You can see more of my photos, videos and paintings on my site www.jimmarkowich.com.
24" x 30“ Acrylic on canvas (also created a digital print version on canvas)December 2000-May 2001
Leafscape #1 (untitled)
24" x 30”Acrylic on canvas (also created a digital print version on canvas)February-October 2002
Leafscape #5 (Jade)
Joseph TropianoRuth
“Big Night” reflects what was on my mind at the time personally and professionally. All four of my grandparents were immigrants from Italy, so my family’s narrative was informed by the challenges posed by assimilation; this became the focus of Secondo’s story in the film. At the time that Stanley Tucci (my first cousin) and I wrote the script, we also were talking a lot about how an artist can create truthful work without “selling out,” a tension expressed in Primo’s story. We didn’t set out to write a “food movie,” but food emerged as the medium for exploring these themes, as did the music of the great Louis Prima, who mixed traditional Italian melodies with American jazz.
Big NightCo-written by Joseph Tropiano & Stanley Tucci
Jon KayDJE Science
My roommates at my last apartment and I (all graduates of Brandeis University) entered our alma mater’s Brandeis Alumni Video Challenge. Basically, alumni were tasked with creating videos that inspire people to donate to Brandeis.
Hotel Brandeis is a ten-minute video made in ‘mockumentary’ style about three Brandeis alumni who run a “hotel” in Manhattan catering to people who may want the Brandeis spirit while they are away from the college (it’s outside Boston). I was the producer and also an actor in the film.
We found out that our entry, won 2 of the 3 awards from the challenge: best overall quality and most popular (number of views).
Twitter @jonathankay
Joshua Mansbach
I love turning my experiences into words, and those experiences can take many forms – something I observe, a feeling or emotion I have, a moment of happiness, exhilaration, inspiration, or despair; any or all of those can strike at any time, and writing poetry is my catharsis – poems crystallize my experiences and make them real and memorable. I’ve always been an avid writer and have a passion for developing creative metaphors; poetry is a tremendous outlet to write creatively and expressively.
I was raised on poetry -- my father exposed me to it at a very young age, and though I love many writers and styles, my chosen style of poetry is slam, which is a free-form, prose-oriented genre; I call it “random acts of thought”.
Think Like a Poet
Not enough rhymesbut too many rules,hardly any true poets, just a bunch of damn fools;Think knowing how to spell "pentameter"
qualifies them to think like a poet; Seems easy, don't it? Trouble today is,most of the metaphors are just mental masturbation,of amateur scribesfumbling clumsily in the dark for a simile;like scared lovers trying positions they can't handle. Euphemisms of emotion, a lost art form.Rhymes inspired by reality, long forgotten.Verses from vision,no longer bornfrom genuine feeling spit from the sun.
Walk like a poet;Wander lonely as a cloud, on the Walden pond shore. And inspire Richard Corywho had everything to live for. Dream like a poet;Contemplate the meaning of "If";Like, "If she only knew how I do love
thee,"the phantom of delight,my Annabel Leewho walks in beauty like the night. See like a poet;And you can repress self pity,or comprehend the futilityof trading rimeswith the ancient mariner about a Grecian urn's beauty. So, think like a poet. Because they are the masters; They gave new words to Roget and
defined them for Webster. Now BE a poet;Express your mind freelyin rhyme, prose or verse; 'Cause not having poets?--Damn...ain't nothing worse.
Think like a poet; When you want nothing more than
toeffuse the essence of love espouse the hell that is hate, slam the system,up the institutioncondemn conspiracy--or tell a lady-fairthat your affection, is more than the season of love's apprehension. When you think like a poet, it's worthwhile to write. Words protect soulsfrom the dying of the light.
Fight like a poet;Swear allegiance to my Captainwho dared Prufrock to eat a peach,and educated ignorant armies clashing on Dover Beach.
Cry like a poet;When you comfort Auden as he mourns for his friend;Or spy the black ravenno nevermore,and learn the coy mistress was a common street whore.
This is dedicated to the great writers who paved the way and allowed us to share our art...
Edelman PRConsumer groups, competitive snoops and underground watchdogs searching
for truths.Reviling public eyes with unseemly lies, all to disguise how inside traders buy secrets from spies. That’s what they say, but that just ain’t
real; go ask the court of public appeal.And heed well the message that gets
sent to you; pay attention son, and hear the hard
truth. Don’t look for glamour in the ads near and far; get the real factsfrom Edelman PR. You may have been born in the house
that Madison Avenue built; bricks of empty hypethat make your world slant and tilt. And over the years you’ll see ten billion
impressions; but you won’t be impressed.You’ll hear ten billion slogans,about what drug works best.You’ll smell fetid breathof ten billion slick pitchmen, And be exposed to the lies,of ten billion rich men.
But with ten billion options about a pharmaceutical brand,that drink in your hand, a vacation plan, a political man, or a fancy new car; You best slap your gapon Edelman PR.
Truth or lies; consequences rise,and so do the stakeswhen you make your decision about what swag to buyor what airline to fly.Would you trust a man in a poly-blend
jacket and sans-a-belt slacks who winks and says,“you’re my kind of guy”? Or would you trust The Post, The Journal,
The Times; CNN Headline News, or even Fox 5?They did their homework, and they know what’s up;‘cause they got their knowledge from PR folk like us. So when you’re in the market for a new set of tires, make sure that Firestone is cleared by the wires.
I see you in pain; you’re clutching your hip.Best hope that ain’t Vioxx, Doc put on your scrip.
If you play the stockslike a day-trading drone, I hope that you read a review of ImClone. And before you peep that new Sony, with hi-definition,you best read The Journal; Walt Mossberg’s edition. (Just make sure you have product to pitch
him.) So look beyond the verbal crimes on the page; try to quell the rage; don’t be the buyer that’s zealous;falling for empty lyrics filled with so many
similesthat metaphors get jealous. ‘Cause while those fancy adjectives hold pro-
noun rallies on the steps of City Hall,you can stand tall; noble and proud, ‘cause now you’re possessin’ the credible learnthat penetrates the nations; This poetic lesson in media educationcomes to you courtesy of Edelman;Public Relations.
Katarina WongNew York Office
Art is how I situate myself in my life. By distilling and abstracting work from personal experience, I’m trying to find different ways of understanding those experiences. My earlier paintings were predominantly large-scale and highly colorful and have been described as explosions of energy or emotion. My current work is quieter, darker, more intimate and less abstract but still draws on those experiences.
You can see more of my work here:www.katarinawong.com
Twitter: @katarinawong
From the Brambles
Sumi ink on clayboard24"H x 18"2010
Blow Yer Big TopWatercolor and acrylic on paper. 50”HX30”2007
Katie FacadaDigital
These portraits are part of a series called Freedom, which showcases some of the most uninhibited people I've met. The series intends to debunk the belief that freedom is a privilege, or something given to us by our governments, or even something we must work for.
You can see more photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/katie_facada/
Twitter: @batria
Antonio
Dolores ParkSan Francisco, CA2009
Trampoline Man
Burning ManBlack Rock Desert, NV2009
Kelly PepeConsumer
Launched in July of 2009, The Boken Online provides extensive coverage of the Hoboken, NJ restaurant, nightlife and bar scene – and just about anything else you want to know. This all started after a couple bottles of wine at Margaritas one night, and the urge to start a Twitter feed about all things Boken.
Twitter: @theboken
Lauren CowherC&PA - Pfizer
I paint and write poetry.
Both of the paintings included here were completed as part of an advanced drawing course I took while at Princeton under the direction of Professor John O’Connor, an extremely talented artist who resides in New York City and who often has exhibits going on around town. I’m also including one of my poems. You can see more of my paintings here:Snapfish username: [email protected]; password: Lauren
Twitter: @lauren_cowher
Muted Inflorescence
An exploration in perspective, this piece represents an overgrown plant from many angles. The contrast of white and black represents the mix of positive and negative space, and the overlapping lines aim to create an illusion of movement and growth. I think John’s goal for the piece was to teach us—particularly the perfectionist folk like myself—to embrace a bit of chaos and clutter in our work.
Medium: Charcoal, chalk, pencil and oil pastel. 2008.
Escher’s Closet (or otherwise, Untitled)
Medium: Watercolor, marker, oil pastel, charcoal, chalk, and ink. 2008.
This piece underwent quite a few stages before ‘completion’. Over the course of a couple weeks, John gradually created a muddled pool of all the various art supplies he could get his hands on. He started by scattering stepping ladders on the floor, added larger ones, threw in some obscure wooden benches, and eventually topped the whole mess off with a large black rope and a kitten-ish ball of yarn.
Each change was represented by a different medium, and the end result is what I would imagine M.C. Escher’s janitorial closet to look like (assuming he has one, of course, and ergo the title).
Fog2 amtwo slippered feetshuffling in swift tiptoedown the hallways of deception:doors locked.—This timetwo weeks agoyou were here; mauve carpetstained with red wine from your glass, anomen.—She wakesin her own bed,tidy sheets to her left.A presence gone; two minds aloof.Too soon.—
Boardingrows one through five,and you grab your baggage.A child grins from his mother’s
lap:conscience.—Tryingnot to rewindor remind yourself ofwhat could have (if you only
wouldhave) stayed.
Marisa BiaggiC&PA – Public Affairs
Musicology Smackdown was primarily inspired by my having earned my doctorate in musicology - a fact that has never ceased to strike me as absurd. So I took this esoteric degree I had earned, combined it with six years of cultivating a kind of droll/snarky stand-up style, an interest in a wide range of music (i.e., not the 16th century madrigal), added some red lipstick and a black dress and voila! (The show - currently on a brief hiatus - has been featured twice on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon's blog.)
Stylistically, I've always admired the outrageously ridiculous when delivered matter-of-factly. Eddie Izzard, David Sedaris, Tina Fey (among many others) have always inspired me--they've set an incredibly high bar for the droll and absurd. Me, I'm just having fun!
Twitter: @musicsmackdown
Martin MaisonpierreC&PA – Public Affairs
We launched BK365 in March of 2010 in response to feeling our little borough of Brooklyn being under-represented in the NYC space. Always a footnote in publications like NY Mag, TimeOut, and the rest. We strive to inform and entertain. If you need to get the word out about an event, new restaurant, gallery opening, or anything else of relevance to our audience please let me know. We’re all about helping you out.
Twitter: @martinpm and @brooklyn365
Mike BrunoConsumer
I like to write about stuff I feel like I'm understanding for the first time, because to me that's pretty exciting and worth writing down.
Twitter: @MikeBrunco
Story About a Picture
After I lost my shoes on the drive home from work an’ Ana phoned to tell me she was leaving, I opened a ramshackle door an’ I noticed the dishes in the sink were brokean’ the lamp was stuck through the ceiling an’ Curtis the gardener was out in the lawn dying in the pitch black with a hoe and all this dead grassand screening for the porch. I was feeling pretty bad about the way things were turning out, so I undid my tie and I looked about, and the work bench in the corner just split in half while I was waitin’ for for nothing else to happen.
Mindy SherEdelman Foresight
Photography allows me to observe the world through a much different perspective and take a brief vacation from reality. I enjoy observing human interactions and capturing moments that illustrate how people co-exist.
Here are two photographs I took at Coney Island earlier this summer and really enjoy. Even though it was relatively late on a Sunday night, the boardwalk was packed with young families out to enjoy the night. Observing moments like these is what motivates me to keep snapping away.
A Summer Coney Island Night
Pretzel
Nicole KenneyNY Presentation
My partner and I interviewed over 1,300 people about what they want to do before they die / what their biggest goal in life is. We have Polaroids of each person with their own handwritten statement, each completing the sentence “Before I die, I want to…” We have asked people all over America (small towns and big cities), all over India, and also in Hospice (where people have six months or fewer to live, so they are very likely thinking of life from a very different perspective).
This project was included in the recent the Dumbo Arts Festival. To learn more go to: www.beforeidieiwantto.org
Before I Die, I Want To
Installation shot of the Polaroids displayed.
Paul Marinello
I have been a songwriter since 1991. I am and always have had an innate connection to the voice and music of Stevie Nicks. It is within her liner notes, for her 1991 greatest hits compilation “Timespace” that I found my first inevitable inspiration. For each of her songs she penned an epilogue, a ‘written for and inspired by’ note. I was terribly inspired by my first love at the time and began writing for her. It never stopped.
Risks
Don’t come inside - stay right where I can see youWhile I live a beautiful white lie and continue to
deceive you And part of me is petrified that I can’t get out of
thisAnd part of me knows that it’s just quite worth the
riskFor now no one is telling So don’t worry I’ll be back around to show you the
shit I’m selling I lost an hour of sleep today for no good reasonYet I am roaming before the church folk are outAnd it shows – then I don’t feel so bad about
myselfMaybe I fit right inI woke up a woman over thinking her problems and
excusesCradling her head and I though it might as well be
me Roaming, working on my curriculumAvoidance, I’m allergic to my own self-interestsSearching for a rendezvous without self doubtI just spent 6 nights trying to recreate this dream
(about a boy)I wish I could tell you what it was all aboutThings are not what they seem
I say I just can’t do this thing anymore but my committal weans
Supposed to not take risks but have no idea what the hell that really means
How many days and nights?How many times do I lose this fight – without
getting into the ring?What happened to the solace of this soul?Each night I forget but I’m really never letting it go Don’t come inside - stay right where I can see youWhile I live a beautiful white lie and continue to
deceive you And part of me is petrified that I can’t get out of
thisAnd part of me knows that it’s just quite worth the
riskFor now no one is telling So don’t worry I’ll be back around to show you the
shit I’m selling
NOTES: It’s frustrating, as when I look at these things in my mind they seem so simple. I am so concise and eager to put things right. I am so abnormally focused on the prize. The focus is a roadmap, an outline of a script I have written a hundred times in my head.
And then this comes out. It’s a series of longing words to look back to in victory and notch as another accomplishment. But my committal weans and I realize I am just the same man I was yesterday, no matter how much the focus drives me. I am pleased as this song will follow me around like a child forever. It continues to follow as I continue the risks.
Little Boy Splashing
Trying like hell to make today mineI grasp this marble – I’m willingI’m willing to give it a tryWhy is this so hard for me?Think back on how it used to beA dirty window to my soul I know that these comfortable days
are numberedAnd I am meandering – I’m
wallowing throughThis bout of self-medicationWhat would you like to know about
addiction?The façade drips like memoriesI’ve fallen – I’ve fallen to my knees A lonely smile – it’s time for little
boy splashing This breathing – laboredWhat happened to the love once
savored?See – doubt gives us room for selfBut after I wonder – I wonder
what’s leftYou’ll have to try harder to seeMaybe I want someone more like
me
Get the feeling I’m a top about to spin
I lay around – well here I go again!!!
Under-appreciated, what do I deserve?
And a drink would really calm my nerves
I’m not anyone – I need more I can tell you what I’m longing for A lonely smile – it’s time for little
boy splashing I tremble around – waste time on a
touch of myselfTrying to see if I’m realOr just our imaginationI wonder about the martyr’s rulesI’m wondering about the time with
youWhat little worries we abide by
What voices cry in anger over self?I open this wound left there on the
shelfA man with a smile is just too blind
to seeThe tragic humor I’ve turned out to
beThese white walls need more
attention than their gettingRolling over in this world unsteady
A lonely smile – it’s time for little boy splashing
It’s time for what’s rightfully trueI can’t always count on the boyAnd I can’t always count on youWhat happens when water runs
dry?
NOTES: May 15, 2003, 9:25-10:57pm (114th & St. Nicholas) This is a simple song, about doubt. Inspired by a little boy whose face I cannot remember. A boy who unbeknownst to him made my day doing something so simple, so much fun that it almost seemed silly to write about.
Reema MitraDigital
I create most of my illustrations on moving trains – I find that letting motion dictate my overall body of work mirrors that of my life. Bumps in the road lead to thicker pen strokes and broader circles; things I can’t anticipate ahead of time. The intricacy of my line work is also attributed to never planning a piece of work and just allowing the piece to dictate itself. I like constructing images that both inspire thought and emotion. Abstract art is often a harder aesthetic to define, but I allow those who view my work to create their own ideas of what they think an image is. My favorite part of creation is the sharing process in which the eye of the beholder sees what he or she wishes to see.
You can see more of my work on my flickr page:www.flickr.com/photos/rmittynyc
Twitter: @rmitty
Xenophobia
This is essentially a globe on a bird’s body, which represents the notion of “freedom” – something I am sort of obsessed with.
The Animal Inside You
I created this piece on a long train ride last month. It began as the face of a sleeping man, but once I started adding color, it took on a different life. To me, this piece represents that which is inside of us – an animal instinct that can appear in the waking or dreaming hours of our existence.
Robby CorradoC&PA - Corporate & Financial Communications
I love a well composed photo. I always look to take advantage of photographically balanced landscapes as they exist. I like to photograph events, because there is always something happening and there is usually emotion to be captured, but other times it is perfect to simply take your camera out and make a memory—it seems to happen every time I do so.
Twitter: @savethecyclone
Power to the Moustache
This is one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. I took it from the press pit of the Siren Music Festival in 2010, capturing the excitement of one fan as Matt & Kim took the stage.
The Sun Sets over Coney Island
I took this photo while at the Siren Music Festival in 2009. I am a big fan of the old time Coney Island mystique and find myself down there a number of times each year. In terms of photography, I think silhouettes are one of the simplest yet most visually impressive tactics and in this case, I simply took advantage of the great lighting and the dynamic visual.
Robin BruceBrand & Corporate Citizenship
People say that memories are made when we are overwhelmed- when our senses are “under attack” by stimuli, feeling, memories. I find myself taking pictures in those same moments - when I am overwhelmed, when there is a knot in my throat and words seem inadequate, when things are too sad or too beautiful to box up with language. I also take pictures to remember people, to share their stories with others and to open a door of communication between us.
11,000I visited this church in Bugesera, Rwanda, Africa for the first time in 2004, ten years after the Rwandan genocide. It’s a strange place to visit- up on a hillside, tucked away in the rolling landscape- surrounded by a quiet village. During the 1994 genocide, one million people were murdered in the course of 100 days. The perpetrators, members of the Hutu tribe, often lured people into their local churches under the guise of protection and safety. Once they had congregated in the church buildings, they were surrounded by the Hutu and systematically murdered. This church, beautiful as it may seem, was home to the murders of 11,000 people over the course of five days. When I entered the space, I was immediately struck by the contrast of the beauty and stillness of the church and the weight of the lives that had ended there- I took this picture to remember that even in the midst of such great evil, there is often light.
This Way
This is a little boy I met when I was surveying the clean water situation in the Liberian countryside in August 2008 with an organization called Living Water International. In the villages we visited, we would always ask to see the community’s current source of drinking water. Often, the children were excited to show us their water source- to lead us through the woods and countryside where they gathered water for their families and schools. This little boy was particularly excited to show us his village’s water supply and happily led us along the well-worn footpath to a small, algae-covered pond. What he didn’t know what that water was home to a host of deadly parasites, like river blindness and other waterborne diseases that were responsible for many deaths in his community. Thankfully, we were able to install a well in this village the following week. Now he and his community are able to drink clean, safe water.
Sabrina WinogrondBioScience Communications
My photographic process is an act of patience. I wait for forms to emerge. Once a form is recognized, the process becomes revelatory, representational, and relational simultaneously. I'm not interested in shooting subjects that people know are either beautiful or grotesque. I'm interested in shooting things that people pass everyday and never look at. I enjoy re-presenting subjects in a way that forces them to see things in a different way.
These specific photographs come from my ‘White Series.’ This series is meant to document and explore the various manifestations of forms the color undertakes. I’ve always been fascinated with the color white, as it seems to be fully present and absent simultaneously.
You can see more of my work on my web site: thegreatcuddle.com
Twitter: @sabijoy
Bohannan
This is a photo of one of my favorite disco music producers Hamilton Bohannan. Few people aside from DJ’s and disco fans know who he is anymore, and I wanted this image to be for them. I wanted the image to be rough, gentle, and mysterious at the same time. (Taken in April 2009.)
Hárið
This photo is a macro shot of a horse’s mane. I love this image because of all the different shades of white contained in it. When you look at a white horse’s mane from afar, it appears to be a uniformed shade of white. When you take a really close look, it becomes a color study. This photo is also meant to express the juxtaposition between the coarseness of the hair, with the gentleness and flow of its form. (Taken in October 2008.)
Sarah Lewitinn
I started my blog in 2003 out of necessity. After spending too many days partying, my family grew concerned that my drinking habits were getting the best of me. The blog was meant to chronicle my days of sobriety for my family and friends so they’d leave me alone and stop annoying me. Because I detailed my nights, it also included me writing about bands I was seeing and the New York City nightlife. After a few blogger friends of mine had linked to it, my blog accidentally became popular because people were less interested in me being sober and more interested in knowing about all the bands I was seeing perform and my stories about hanging out with them. People got to live vicariously through my adventures and they either loved me or hated me for it. My blog evolved a lot as my interests changed. I found myself obsessed with the news – not music or entertainment news but world news, politics, economy, etc. I found myself tweeting and retweeting news articles obsessively through the night and during the day, so I decided to condense all the news I found overnight and make a single morning update on my blog. Now that’s gotten really popular because it turns out that there’s a lot of people who find combing through news sources tedious and like that I find the most important items.
Twitter: @ultragrrrl
Sarah’s Books
Steve RubelDigital
I’m charged with helping clients identify emerging technologies and trends that can be applied in marketing communications programs. I also explore these topics on on my site and in monthly columns for Forbes.com and Advertising Age. I’m also an avid sports fan.
Twitter: @steverubel
Stephen Truax
Fabric Painting I, 2009, is a part of After Painting, 2010, a series of interrelated sculptures which employs the narrative of the painter who gave up painting as its model. Fabric Painting was contracted to fashion design and quilting professionals like master tailor Fernando Vergara. Using reverse appliqué, abstract shapes of colored fabrics – taken directly from recently-famous painters Raoul de Keyser, Rebecca Morris and Mary Heilmann paintings – are inserted flush within a field of blank canvas. High quality fabrics were generously donated by painter-turned-designer, George McCracken.
Despite the elimination of the painter’s hand, creative expression, and role as object-maker, the new work remains within the parameters of painting. The narrative of After Painting is intentionally blurred with autobiographical details of the actual artist.
You can see more of my work on my web site: www.stephentruax.com Twitter: @stephentruax
Fabric Painting, 1/4
Decoys that simulate paintings and drawings represent what the painter might make after giving up his practice. Each piece was contracted to fashion design and quilting professionals.
Cotton, wool & canvas16 x 17 in., stretched2009
Fabric Painting, 4/4
Cotton, wool, shearling & canvas16 x 16 in., stretched2009
Edelman Colleagues on Twitter:Visualized by the edelman-smarts daily paper.li
A compilation of Edelman folks in NY (mainly). Managed by Katarina Wong.
Go to paper.li/katarinawong/edelman-smarts to subscribe.