James Gilmore's Viz Arts Ed

Editor’s Note: Tough call, huh? I guess I’d have to take the money, but a show and a year in NYC with a free apartment would be so sweet.

Deadline is Midnight, Monday, May 31!

Artists Wanted is a collaborative project between several New York City artists and creative organizations working to build new lasting opportunities for emerging talent. We have experienced first hand the difficulties in breaking into the professional art world and it is our mission to make this process more welcoming, dynamic and open-ended.

This is an incredible era for art, photography and design. New paradigms are being explored, boundaries are broken and work is selling at record rates. However, we believe many of the best new artists remain undiscovered. Our job is to get your work seen in the most powerful way possible.

Collectively we have over two decades experience within the New York City art world and our goal is to use our networks and infrastructure to bring undiscovered talent to the forefront. You did the hard part, making great work. Now let us find your audience.

This is your moment to be discovered.

Q: What’s this open call all about?
A: Photography is power.  In a world of images, the camera is a tool powerful enough to change the world as we know it. We are all armed with a camera, but great photographers capture moments and build concepts that speak beyond the bounds of the frame. Exposure is an international open call for inspired photography.  This opportunity is open to photographers of all backgrounds who are able to speak exquisitely in the language of lenses and aperture. Every artist who submits to Exposure will be searchable by collectors, gallerists, press and commercial buyers from all around the world.  Our goal is to find talent from around the world and award everyone who participates in ways large and small.

Q: What is the Grand Prize Package?
A: Our top selected artist will win 1-year FREE living in a $1.2 million apartment at The Edge in New York City OR $10,000 cash; a highly publicized, art-star gallery event in New York City; airfare for you and a friend and shipping of your work to and from New York City for the event.  The Grand Prize is decided by our judging panel and is not affected by your popular vote tally or whether you have a premium portfolio or not.  The judges will be seeing your work on it’s own and only the quality of your work will be considered.

Q: What is the People’s Choice Award?
A: The public will cast their vote and the highest rated portfolio will receive $2,000 in cash, an art-star gallery event in New York City and airfare and shipping to and from New York City for the event.  The People’s Choice Award is given to whomever has garnered the most votes with the highest star rating.

Q: How can people view my portfolio and vote for me? A: In order for people to see your work, you must to spread the word. You can now share your work directly form your portfolio.   Click the ‘Share This’ button below your biography and pick from over 200 social networking tools to help spread the word about your portfolio.   If you have a premium portfolio, you will also be linked from our homepage, which is seen by thousands of visitors a day.  Your icon will be in a randomized cue and will link directly to your portfolio.

Q: How do I vote?
A: At the bottom of your portfolio, there are 5 stars.  Click on the appropriate star (5 stars being the best) and your vote will be submitted.  You may only vote once every 24 hours.  Anyone can vote on your portfolio.  Encourage friends, family and anyone else to vote your portfolio up so you can win the People’s Choice award.

Q: What is the deadline for entry?
A: All submissions must be in by Monday, May 31st.  We will accept late submissions through June 7th but late fees will apply.

Q: What type of Art do you accept?
A: We are looking for all types of photography including portrait, self-portrait, fashion, digitally manipulated, photojournalism, nature, erotic, candid and toy camera.  Anything that is photographic is eligible.    If you have any questions regarding the type of work accepted, please feel free to contact us at info@artistswanted.org.

Q: What is the submission fee?
A: You may submit up to 8 images for $10 per image.  For 9 or more images, we offer a flat discounted rate of $88. You can upload up to 15 images for the discounted rate.

With the support of sponsors we have set our submission fee at half what most other competitions ask. The submission fee supports the running of this contest, the prizes and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the non-profit FreeArtsNYC, an organization helping at-risk youth with Art & Mentoring programs.

Q: What is the benefit of upgrading to a Premium Account?
A: Upgrading to a Premium Account allows you to create a portfolio icon which will raise the awareness of your work in our artist search engine used by collectors, gallerists, press and commercial buyers. You will also have your icon seen by tens of thousands of visitors on our homepage.   This icon will link to your portfolio, which will increase you overall exposure.  You can upgrade to a Premium Account for $9.

Q: Will upgrading to a Premium Account affect how my work is judged?
A: Upgrading your submission to premium will have no affect on the formal judging. The formal judging is based purely on the quality of work submitted.

Q: Can I submit work if I live outside of New York?
A: Yes. Artists Wanted accepts submissions from all over the world.  In the past we have received submissions from dozens of countries around the world.  Several of our past winners have been international artists.

Q: Who owns the work/copyrights after it is submitted?
A: You do, of course.

The folks behind this site are just a few artists from Brooklyn trying to make real opportunities for others like us from around the world. We are not business people and have no intention of owning your work. Long story short, everything you submit is yours. Outside the main prize we look for unique opportunities for every artist who submits work into our system. We have developed an incredible network of media/gallerists/buyers and we want to put that to work for you. So far we have gotten artists international media attention, gallery shows and sales. We want to be connectors and to put our connections to work for you.

Q: Can I submit a hard copy of my work? Can I mail in a CD of my work?
A: No. Submissions are only accepted online.

Q: How many images can I submit?
A: You can submit up to 15 images per portfolio. You can submit as many portfolios as you like.

Q: What size image files can I submit?
A: You may submit images up to 2 MB.  We suggest submitting images that are between 1 and 2 megapixels (between 1,000 and 2,000 pixels wide).

Q: Can I edit my portfolio once I have paid?
A: You will be able to edit your portfolio until the contest closes.  Go to artistswanted.org and click on ‘My Account’.  From there you can login and modify your bio and images if need be.  Once the competition is closed, portfolios will be locked for judging.

Q: Who is eligible? Do I need to have shown work publicly?
A: Everyone is eligible. We accept work from artists who have had public shows and those who remain undiscovered. We aren’t interested in your work history; we are only interested in the quality of work you are producing now.

Q: When is the decision made?
A: The winner will be announced in July 2010.

Q: How can I contact you if I have further questions?
A: Feel free to e-mail us anytime at info@artistswanted.org.

Congratulations, everybody, on a great exhibition and opening reception for Collective Perspective! That was one of the biggest turnouts we’ve seen for an exhibit here at COS.

For today, Wednesday, May 12, we will gather at the usual time for a quick meeting. Please come to class prepared to get some lab time in. There has been a request for sepia toning, so we’ll get that setup for you to use.

I’ll keep the lab open until 7pm tonight.

For the Final Critique next Wednesday, I’ll expect to see 5 – 7 NEW works, mounted and presented as a final portfolio.

From the Young Gallery:

Born and raised in London, Nick Brandt studied Film and Painting at St. Martins School of Art. He started photographing in December 2000 in East Africa, beginning the body of work that is his signature subject matter and style. He no longer directs, devoting himself full time to his fine art photography now.

Brandt’s first book of photographs, “On This Earth”, was published in October 2005, by Chronicle Books, with forewords by Jane Goodall and Alice Sebold (author of “The Lovely Bones”). Brandt has had numerous one-man exhibitions between 2004 and the present, including London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Santa Fe, Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco. He is represented internationally by numerous galleries, including the Young Gallery in Megéve, France, and lives in Topanga, California.

In his own words, Nick Brandt:

“Few photographers have ever considered the photography of wild animals, as distinctly opposed to the genre of Wildlife Photography, as an art form. The emphasis has generally been on capturing the drama of wild animals IN ACTION, on capturing that dramatic single moment, as opposed to simply animals in the state of being.

I’ve always thought this something of a wasted opportunity. The wild animals of Africa lend themselves to photographs that extend aesthetically beyond the norm of 35mm-color telephoto wildlife photography. And so it is, that in my own way, I would like to yank the subject matter of wildlife into the arena of fine art photography. To take photographs that transcend what has been a largely documentative genre.

Aside from using certain impractical photographic techniques, there’s one thing I do whilst shooting that I believe makes a big difference :
I get extremely close to these very wild animals, often within a few feet of them. I don’t use telephoto lenses. This is because I want to see as much of the sky and landscape as possible–to see the animals within the context of their environment. That way, the photos become as much about the atmosphere of the place as the animals. And being that close to the animals, I get a real sense of intimate connection to them, to the specific animal in front of me. Sometimes a deliberate feeling that they’re almost presenting themselves for a studio portrait.

Why the animals of Africa in particular? And more particularly still, East Africa?

There is perhaps something more profoundly iconic, mythical, mythological even, about the animals of East Africa, as opposed to say, the Arctic or South America. There is also something deeply, emotionally stirring and affecting about the plains of Africa – the vast green rolling plains punctuated by the graphically perfect acacia trees.

My images are unashamedly idyllic and romantic, a kind of enchanted Africa.

They’re my elegy to a world that is steadily, tragically vanishing.”

Nick Brandt

I’m going to a hands-on wet plate collodion workshop with platinum and wet plate printer Ray Bideagain on Saturday in Portland.

Sounds like it’s going to be very hands-on. I’m bringing some props to photograph – my father’s boots and a hat, and myself. Looking forward to making some tintypes.

I’ll have a full report and some examples when I get back. Off to Portland!