For more results from the workshop, visit the Leica Norway site.

The FotoFest Biennial is the first and longest running Biennial of its kind in the US, and one of the largest photography events in the world. The 2012 Biennial is a citywide event, with over 110 participating museums, art galleries, non-profit arts organizations, universities, civic organizations and corporate spaces across Houston, Harris County and Galveston.

Lens Culture will be there reviewing portfolios.

See all of the reviewers here.

JEFF COWEN – PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS
January 28 – March 24, 2012

Opening and artist talk
March 14, from 19.

Jeff Cowen in converation with
Jennifer Crowley, Art Historian, Cologne
Jim Casper, Founder of Lens Culture, Paris
Conversation in English

From the gallery statement:
Michael Werner Kunsthandel, Cologne presents an exhibition by Jeff Cowen titled “Photographic Works” beginning on January 28th. The artist tests the boundaries between photography, painting, drawing and sculpture. Cowen works on a thick silver based paper, which he cuts, collages and attacks with various chemicals and specialized darkroom techniques. The evolution from the photographic image to the unique and painterly final print may take the artist months or even years. This process is consciously controlled only to some extent, but not entirely predetermined. Cowen is on a quest for something he rationally does not understand, but senses and knows exists. His photographic images transcend time and space. He writes: “Making a photograph for me is a paradox, a sacred and violent act. You kill a moment and eternalize it. There is a mysterious metamorphosis that transpires of which I am continuously surprised and in awe of. It’s a transformative process for the observer and the observed”.

Jeff Cowen was born in 1966 in New York City. In 1988 he graduated in Oriental Studies as a University Honors Scholar from New York University and Waseda University in Tokyo. Upon graduation, he continued photographing intensively on the streets of New York and worked as an assistant to Larry Clark. In the course of the 1990s his artistic approach was influenced and altered by his study of drawing and painting. This further informed the artist’s search for the relation between the photographic picture and abstraction. Cowen has been based in Paris and now Berlin since 2001. The Cologne exhibition reveals works of these past ten years including still life, landscape, figure, and abstraction. In many of the works, one senses Cowen’s interest with what he calls the “non-moment”, i.e. the point in time just before or after something has happened. “Like silence, my images can best be described by what they are not.”

January 2012
San Francisco Art Institute, US.
20: San Francisco Photo Alliance
More information at photoalliance.org

March 2012
San Francisco, US.
22–25: 2012 SPE National Conference
More information at spenational.org

Houston, US: Houston Center of Photography
More information at hcponline.org

April 2012
Oslo, Norway. Bilder Nordic School of Photography
Dates will be announced soon.
More information about the school at bildernordic.no

July 2012
Arles, France: Voies Off
Will be screeened during the festival
More information at voies-off.com

…more dates to come!

About the work
This award-winning work was selected from entries that came in from 48 countries. The quality, and sheer amount of submissions, amazed (and almost overwhelmed) the members of our international jury.

The winning entries cover a broad and diverse range of subject matter, stylistic approaches, and technical processes. So, in many ways, the judges’ selections represent a true snapshot of some of the best photography and multimedia as it is being practiced today.

Multimedia Category Winners:

Grand Prize: Olga Kravets, Maria Morina, and Oksana Yushko
2nd Prize: Florence Royer
3rd Prize: Markel Redondo

Portfolio Category Winners:

Grand Prize: Michael Marten
2nd Prize: Rachelle Mozman
3rd Prize: Jody Ake

Single Image Category Winners:

Grand Prize: Kerry Mansfield
2nd Prize: S. Gayle Stevens
3rd Prize: Andrey Ivanov-Eftimiopulos & Sasha Shikhova

Honorable Mention Awards:

David Adams
Justyna Badach
Pierfrancesco Celada
Matthew Conduit
Julia Cybularz
Marrigje de Maar
Luca Desienna
Tamas Dezso
Laura El-Tantawy
Odette England
Claire Felicie
Eran Gilat
Lucia Herrero
Line Hjorth
Dave Jordano
Andrea Land
Boots Levinson
Mayra Martell
Kenneth O’Halloran
Donna Pinckley
Markel Redondo
Laura Stevens
Pat Swain
Stephen Vaughan
Cam Wrigley

Read more about the reviews here.

Lens Culture FotoFest Paris Meet the Artists Photography Night

Art collectors and photography lovers can meet 110 international photographers during a special evening event — for 2 hours only — in Paris on Tuesday 8 November, from 18:30 to 20:30, at Spéos Paris Photographic Institute, 8 rue Jules Vallès, 75011 Paris.

These very talented photographers are coming to Paris from 36 countries around the world for the second annual Lens Culture FotoFest Paris 3-day conference.

Meet the Artists Night is the only part of the conference that is open to the public.

It’s a great way to discover some very exciting new art and artists. Many of the artists are willing to sell directly to art collectors at special prices during this 2-hour event.

Meet the Artists Night is organized in partnership with Paris Photo. Julien Frydman, director of Paris Photo, said: “Lens Culture FotoFest Paris is a perfect complement to Paris Photo, and we are proud to be partners in this important global cultural event since it’s inception in 2010.”

Don’t miss it – even if you just want to look at some great photography from around the world. Free admission.

Metro: Charonne
Date and Time: Tuesday 8 November, 18:30 to 20:30
See the event on facebook

Agrandir le plan

For more information, contact Jim Casper, Co-founder, Lens Culture FotoFest Paris: contact@fotofest-paris.com

Lens Culture FotoFest Paris, la nuit photographique “Rencontrez les artistes.”

Lens Culture propose aux collectionneurs d’art et amoureux de la photographie une rencontre avec 110 photographes internationaux au cour d’une soirée spéciale — pendant deux heures seulement — à Spéos Paris Photographic Institute, 8 rue Jules Vallès, 75011 Paris le mardi 8 novembre, de 18h30 à 20h30.

Ces photographes très talentueux, de 36 nationalités différentes, sont présent à Paris afin de participer aux trois jours de conférence du second Lens Culture FotoFest annuel.

La soirée “Rencontrez les artistes” est la seule partie de la conférence ouverte au public.

C’est une très bonne occasion de découvrir des arts innovants et des artistes. La plus part des artistes présents souhaitent vendre directement leurs oeuvres à des collectionneurs d’art, à des prix spéciaux, durant les deux heures de cette rencontre.

“Rencontrez les artistes” est organisé en partenariat avec Paris Photo. Julien Frydman, directeur de Paris Photo dit à ce sujet: “Lens Culture Fotofest Paris est un complément parfait à Paris Photo, et nous sommes fiers d’être partenaires de cet événement global et culturel depuis sa création en 2010.”

Venez nombreux! Même si vous souhaitez seulement voir de la bonne photographie venue du monde entier. Entrée libre.

Metro: Charonne
Date et horaire: Mardi 8 Novembre, de 18h30 à 20h30
RSVP sur facebook

Agrandir le plan

Pour plus d’informations, contactez Jim Casper, Co-fondateur, Lens Culture FotoFest Paris: contact@fotofest-paris.com

The Paris show, which was already featured at Gallery 291 in San Francisco and VII Gallery in New York, marks the conclusion of the tour, but its end could not have been a greater success.

A special thank you to our partners and friends, Spéos Paris International Institute of Photography, which helped tremendously in making the evening so lovely, and Pictopia for the prints.

Be sure to watch a slideshow of snapshots from last night’s event.

Five photographers will work with nude models in the studio and in nature, and each participant will print his or her own museum-quality silver-gelatin photomural from work performed in this masterclass. This is an intense workshop (marathon might be a better description) for serious photographers who want to master the best of black-and-white film techniques — and experience the magic of making large mural prints from your own negatives in a custom large-format darkroom specifically designed by Jeff Cowen. Lessons and assignments will include: portraiture, the nude (in studio and in nature), still-life, and street photography in Berlin.

Moana, 183 x 247 cm, © 2007 Jeff Cowen

When: August 6-10, 2011
Where: Private studio and custom darkroom of Jeff Cowen, in Berlin
Included: Models, film processing, work print paper, archival mural-size paper
Who: Participation limited to 5 pre-selected photographers
Fee: 1,850 euros

Because we have the luxury of only 5 students and 3 instructors (including Jeff’s darkroom assistant), the class will be tailored onsite to work on the specific issues of the class members.

At the end of 5 days, each participant will have several work prints in various genres, plus one archival, museum-quality “master” print (mural size) of one of your images that you will make in the darkroom with Jeff Cowen and his longtime darkroom assistant, Csilla Szabó. Jim Casper will conduct one-on-one portfolio reviews with each photographer, and offer advice about career development, publicity and promotion, international markets, and more.

Anonymous Berlin, 83 x 118 cm, © 2007 Jeff Cowen

The masterclass includes lectures and demonstrations on:

• working with natural and studio lighting
• creative collaboration with models
• aesthetic choices while shooting, editing and printing
• developing a personal photographic signature and visual voice in your photography.

Each photographer’s masterclass work will be discussed as part of a group process as well as private sessions regarding editing, shooting, printing and presentation techniques. Each participating photographer is encouraged to bring a portfolio of current work to be reviewed and critiqued, as well.

Jeff Cowen in his Berlin studio. Photo © Bálint Meggyesi

In addition to shooting, evaluating and printing your own photographs, each day will involve formal and informal talks on various subjects such as:

• photography as a career
• marketing, PR, and international exposure
• developing fruitful relationships with collectors and galleries
• working with book and magazine publishers
• how to break through creative blocks

Developing onsite will be provided for 35mm and 120 film (film to be provided by each photographer). All other darkroom supplies, including chemicals, and paper for test prints and one final mural-size museum quality print are included in the cost of the masterclass.
Alice, 188 x 127 cm, © 2001 Jeff Cowen

Here is a short demo video featuring some of Cowen’s work:

Interested photographers should send a brief email summarizing your experience, plus 6-10 examples of photographs (JPEGs) and/or links to your work on a website. Photographers who are accepted will pay a non-refundable 50% deposit in advance, with the balance payment due one week before the masterclass.

Please contact us via the form in the right column with your contact information, samples of your work, and any questions you may have. You can also email masterclass@lensculture.com.

Jeff Cowen’s artwork is in the collections of instutions and private art collectors around the world. He is reperesented throughout Europe by several leading art galleries. He is shown in many of the major art fairs around the world, including Art Basel, Art Cologne, Art Miaimi, The LA Art Fair, Photo Espana, Art Carrousel du Louvre, ARCO Madrid, and Art Bologna. His next show will be in Paris in the Fall of 2011. He has published 5 books of his work, including one monograph produced by the prestigious publishing house, Paris Musées. He has just completed the maquette of his second monograph which will be a 250 page survery of his new work from 2005-2011.

On rare occasion, he accepts commercial assignments, such as a 22-plus page feature in the French fashion magazine, L’Officiel. His reportage and documentary work has covered subjects as widespread as the pictures from inside the Romanian revolution, to prostitution in the meat district of New York City. Cowen also lectures and conducts workshops and seminars with advanced photography students from universities in Europe and the United States.

Cowen’s work has been described as “photo murals that float in space and time.” He has over 25 years of darkroom experience, including his early work as an assistant for Larry Clark and Ralph Gibson. Visit Jeff Cowen’s website for more information about him and his work: jeffcowen.eu.

Jeff Cowen in his Berlin studio. Photo © Bálint Meggyesi

Jeff Cowen in his Berlin studio. Photo © Bálint Meggyesi

Jeff Cowen in his Berlin studio. Photo © Bálint Meggyesi

Jim Casper (center), founder and director of Lens Culture.
Photo taken during international portfolio reviews in Stockholm, May 2011.