The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between by Colin Blakely, a hot edition from 20×200.

When I started to write this post there were nine 8×10s of Colin Blakely’s The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between left for sale on 20×200. Now there are three. By the time you read this, who knows? I think you should buy it now. Buy it big; for city dwellers, here is a chance for you to surround yourself with art from the heartland. That field!

Blakely quotes Charles Baxter in his statement, “I live quietly in this midwestern city of ghosts and mutterers.” Look for them, they’re definitely in this print.

Ms. Bekman writes, in the 20×200 newsletter,

“This particular photo is one of my favorites from Somewhere in Middle America, wherein Colin manages to evoke the everywhere of our center, while never straying more than a block or two from his own home. Colin first got on my radar with this project last year, when he was selected for the Winter Edition of Hey, Hot Shot!. Since then, fellow HHS! panelist Lesley Martin and I have frequently commiserated about the lyrical qualities of both the images and titles of the series. (There was, in fact, some back room lobbying from Ms. Martin to be sure to include a piece from Colin on 20×200.) While it’s wonderful to have a woman of such impeccable credentials as a champion of his work, hers is just one voice in a chorus of admirers. His skills, both photographic and titular, are held in high esteem by other photographers, and yours truly too, but of course!”

Read a Hey, Hot Shot! blog interview with Colin too.

Please join me in congratulating the 2007 Hey, Hot Shot! Ultras:

Nina Berman
Karolina Karlic
Brad Moore
Birthe Piontek

Browse the links below and you’ll get an idea of how hard it is to choose just four people from the forty talented photographers who have exhibited in this year’s editions of Hey, Hot Shot!:

Fall 2007
Jennifer Boomer * Scott Eiden * Todd Forsgren * Shauna Frischkorn * Georg Parthen * Birthe Piontek * Marie Sauvaitre * Ross Sawyers * Ian van Coller * Carlo Van de Roer

Summer 2007
Dan Boardman * Afshin Dehkordi * Rachael Dunville * Jonathan Gitelson * Shuli Hallak * Beth Herzhaft * Gregory Krum * Kalpesh Lathigra * Ari Salomon * Willamain Somma

Spring 2007
Clint Baclawski * Nina Berman * Michael Julius * Karolina Karlic * Mark Marchesi * Casey Orr * Justin James Reed * Pavel Romaniko * Kelly Shimoda * Daniel Traub

Winter 2007
Holly Andres * Colin Blakely * Jeffrey Krolick * Juho Kuva * Molly Landreth * Brad Moore * Kirby Pilcher * Ben Roberts * Mickey Smith * Ka-Man Tse

Nina, Karolina, Brad and Birthe are now represented by Jen Bekman Gallery and will all participate in the upcoming exhibition Ne Plus Ultra, the Hey, Hot Shot! Annual, which opens on Friday February 8th, 2008.

2007 was a great year for Hey, Hot Shot! We had an amazing array of international talent exhibiting at the gallery, and getting involved in all kinds of other gallery related programs: art fairs, jen@joe and 20×200 among them.

2008 is shaping up to be extra super great. We’re making big changes to the competition as it enters it’s fourth year: there’s a site redesign in the works, there will be some significant (and awesome!) changes to the competition’s format and we’re cooking up an amazing array of opportunities for Hot Shots past, present and future.

We’ll start accepting entries for the Spring edition in a few short weeks, and will be sharing all the juicy details with you then.

For now, be on the lookout for 20×200 editions from the Ultras, and from many of the other talented Hey, Hot Shot! alumni.

Ne Plus Ultra, the Hey, Hot Shot! Annual, opens @ Jen Bekman Gallery on Friday February 8th and will remain on view through Saturday March 15th, 2008.

Image Credit: Ahern Rentals, Westminster, California (2006) by Brad Moore

Last but not least Hot Shot Kirby Pilcher offers up his interview––what a round! As for the jb, Benjamin Donaldson is up next. His show Summerland opens Friday. Stay tuned!

When + where were you born?
Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 12, 1977

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
The University of South Dakota, and Visual Studies Workshop

What do you do to pay the bills?
Designer for Afterimage, Teaching, and Student Loans!

What led you to photography over other mediums?
Photography just seemed to work for me.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I’m not sure if it counts as a “tech� pleasure but my ’89 volvo 240 wagon = best car ever!

Do you have any other creative talents?
Not really. I make a good veggie roast.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Andre Kertesz’s book From my window. It is 50 or so Polaroid sx-70 images of the same glass sculpture in the window of the artist’s apartment, which serve as a metaphor for his wife whom had recently passed away. All of the memories Kertesz has of the times they had together are presented to us in these images, it is almost unbearable.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Robert Frank, Sophie Calle, Masao Yamamoto

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
The future is frightening.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
Jamesrajotte.net
lensless.net
preachersbiscuitbooks.com

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
My friend and fellow VSW graduate student James Rajotte was a Hot Shot last year.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
Probably none anyone should know of.

polaroid of a balloon inflating my head shot by hinius

When + where were you born?
Birmingham, United Kingdom in 1979

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Edinburgh College of Art and The Arts Institute, Bournemouth

What do you do to pay the bills?
Freelance Photographer

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The speed of the process; I approached photography from a drawing and painting background and was getting increasingly infuriated with my own inability and the slow creative process.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
buying cameras and film over food…

Do you have any other creative talents?
I used to sing in a pretty dreadful rock band. so i guess that’s not exactly a talent…

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Two Joels!

New York, 1975 by Joel Meyerowitz

Exhausted Renegade Elephant, Woodland, Washington, June, 1979 by Joel Sternfeld

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Todd Hido
Larry Sultan
Christoph Büchel (swiss installation artist)

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Lots of retouching! Continuing personal projects on British youth culture. Helping to publish a book with photodebut.org - a young photographers guide to the industry in London.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.toddhido.com
www.glenerler.com
riverbendblog.blogspot.com

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
A recommendation on Alec Soth’s blog.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
Just signed up to PYMCA.com - the Photographic Youth and Music Culture Archive; Up until a year ago I worked as a bartender for ten years… I love a good whisky sours… anyone who can reccomend the best place in New York for a sours.. please let me know!

When + where were you born?
I was born in 1951 and raised (mostly) in upstate New York (Buffalo & Rochester).

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
I studied sculpture and metalsmithing primarily at the State University of New York at Brockport. I picked up photography here and there, initally, to document my 3-D work.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I am an administrator for a community mental health program in Oregon.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
It was my true love through thick and thin only I did not recognize that until recently. Why do I love it? It is effortless intention and serendipitous discovery.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I am a Luddite at heart so all tech pleasures are guilt ridden, however, telecommunitng and the batch processing in Photoshop give me great satisfaction.

Do you have any other creative talents?
Maybe.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

A self-portrait by Lee Friedlander taken at Canyon de Chelly, AZ

Friedlander self portrait––It always makes me laugh.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Annette Messager, Lee Friedlander, Wim Wenders

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I will be going to a lot of high school baseball games and lugging around my view camera.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
Pictures from Mars
Tarot readings
Cosmic Baseball Association

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Ambition.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
No.

Winter Hot Shot Holly Andres comes to us from Portland, OR. The panel was drawn to the strange, almost off putting moments contrived in her work. Ultra-panelist Joe Holmes equates it with classical painting, panelist Eileen Gittens, the theatre. Her website is chock-full of things you need to see. Read her thoughts below, see more of her work here.

When + where were you born?
1977, Missoula MT

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Portland State University, MFA
University of Montana, BFA
Art Institute of Seattle
I’ve also learned a lot from my husband, who’s worked as a commercial photographer and continues to collaborate with me on my projects.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I am a college professor, teaching video/film and foundation art classes at Portland State University and the Art Institute of Portland. My husband and I also have a wedding photo business that generates quite a bit of money during the summer and is an excellent opportunity to refine our craft and get a creative workout.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
My undergrad is in painting and drawing. I consider myself a conceptual artist who is now working in photography and video/film. I am specifically drawn to photography because it seems to be the best way to visually represent some of the concepts and themes in my work. I love the idea of capturing/creating a “decisive moment” and building a narrative with in a single image.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Most of my images have some digital enhancements/alterations such as cloning areas in or out or isolating a color and changing it. I guess it’s the
painter in me.

Do you have any other creative talents?
film/video, drawing, painting

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

99 Cent by Andreas Gursky

Seeing Andreas Gursky’s 99 Cent in person really elicited a powerful response in me and changed my perception of photography.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Joel Sternfeld, Gregory Crewdson, Anna Gaskell

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I’m in the post-production phase of a collaborative short narrative film––loosely influenced by the eminent shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho. Our rendition proves to be more empowering for the female protagonist, however.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.urbanhonking.com
www.tjnorris.net/blog
www.portlandart.net

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
www.portlandart.net––a fabulous resource for Portland based artists.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
Just a little fun fact… I have really bad travel anxiety and despite the fact that I projectile vomited the last time I was in an airport, I’m still coming to NYC for the Hey, Hot Shot! Show!!!

[And that she did! The opening was a smash success. We were so happy to have all 10 Hot Shots in one space. Thanks to all who attended––see you next time!]

For your PM pleasure, some words from Hot Shot Brad Moore.

When + where were you born?
1958, La Jolla, California

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
I received a Bachelor of Science degree in art (I know that doesn’t that make since) with an emphasis in photography from Loma Linda University in Riverside, California. Afterward I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

What do you do to pay the bills?
In 1984, I started a company called Aperion, Inc. that manufactured and distributed color calibration systems for photo labs. I sold the company in 2005, now I’m focusing my attention on fine art photography full time (at least for now).

What led you to photography over other mediums?
I loved photography since I was 12, plus I can’t draw worth a damn.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Getting good and lost then finding my way back with my GPS. (Better than bread crumbs).

Do you have any other creative talents?
Still dabble a little in art direction and graphic design. I also like wrapping presents.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

From Richard Avedon’s The Sixties

Frozen Foods with String Beans by Irving Penn

There seems to be more images floating around in my head, than I can keep straight these days - confusing at times. A couple of images I think of are Avedon’s napalm victim and Penn’s frozen food still life. I like the emotional power of the one, and pure compositional beauty of the other.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
I have long admired Penn, Avedon, Witkin, and Gursky, as well as many more recent talents - I love seeing new ideas.

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
I was just in a APA show at the Pacific Design Center in L.A. last month, and I’ll be in shows at the Los Angeles Center For Digital Art, downtown L.A. and The Barrett Art Center, NY and of course Jen Bekman this month. I just found out I’ll be participating in The Art Of Photography Show next month in San Diego, and I’m heading to San Francisco this Friday for a portfolio review at the Photo Alliance. So, I hope for more of the same for the rest of the year, shooting, shooting, shooting, and a road trip.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.jeffkoegel.com/
http://alecsoth.com/blog/
http://www.sigalert.com/

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
I came across
Jen Bekman on the web, which lead to Hey, Hot Shot. I liked the work I saw, so hoped they’d like mine.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
I use an electric bike to run errands when I can. And soon to be outfitted to carry a tripod and some equipment.

If you’re in Sweden this spring you will have many opportunities to see the work of Winter Hot Shot Juho Kuva. However, if Sweden is not in your forecast and you happen to be in New York today, tomorrow, or this weekend––the time is now!

When + where were you born?
06.06.1980 HongKong

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Högskolan för Fotografi, Gothenburg, Sweden

What do you do to pay the bills?
I’m a photographer : )

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The really unique connection to reality.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I love music.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

From Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Seascapes

Sugimoto’s seascapes…so extremely beautiful pictures.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
esko männikkö
isaac julien
hiroshi sugimoto

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Exhibitions. This is my last year at högskolan för fotografi (masters degree) so lot to do.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.ypu.org
http://www.lebook.com
http://www.featured.se
lot to see on those links…

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Esa Rauhala, a good friend of mine from Finland.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
noup. Just a potrait after I almost got killed after a fire in our apartment house.Life rocks!

A nice little portrait I found of HS Ka-Man as Creative Director of dirtypop magazine

I may have been advised to delete the word beautiful from my vocabulary when it comes to describing works of art, but Hot Shot Ka-Man Tse’s work is insanely so. Take a look at her ingeniously named URL: www.TseWhat.com and brace yourself to lust after these shots. Panelist Eileen Gittens says, “This is my favorite work from the entire group. Rich, sophisticated, lots of depth. I could look at these every day and not tire…” Agreed.

When + where were you born?
Kowloon, Hong Kong 1981.

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Bard College

What do you do to pay the bills?
I work in arts education by day, and as Service Manager of a restaurant at night.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
Hey I’m not hating on other mediums at all. I just can’t paint.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
you tube. gadget? the snooze button on my multiple alarm clocks.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I draw and I cook

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?
Usually they are shots that I couldn’t make. One time in 2001 I was walking with my friends and it was the summer and we were getting out of dinner just walking around and there was a gust of wind that blew all of these styrofoam packing peanuts all over the sidewalk through our feet dancing like popcorn and then it went away so quickly like we had all imagined it.

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Kara Walker
Kiki Smith
Tsai Ming Liang

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Yo, it’s the year of the pig, so it’s a going to be a good year for me. Life changes, so way!

Share your favorite links with us.
www.chowhound.com
www.dirtypop.org

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
mad street creds

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
My name has a hyphen. I have 11 toes in the 7 and 4 combo. I was raised in the electric city.

What to say about Hot Shot Molly Landreth’s work…see my original post here. An early submission spotlight this edition, her work, and I think all of the panelists would agree, is incredibly compelling. Shortly after appearing on HHS! she popped up on Panelist Jörg Colberg’s Conscientious. And, starting tomorrow, you can see the work live at the gallery! A true west coaster, she was born in Northern California, educated in Southern, and now resides in Seattle. She complains of the rain and plans to hunt down some sun before the spring passes her by. She’ll be happy to know that rather than rain, New York has some snow in store for her tomorrow.

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
Scripps College in SoCal…then School of Visual Arts in New York.

What do you do to pay the bills?
I’m an artist’s assistant and I do freelance work…mainly for bands and local artists around Seattle.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
It just happened. I still love all that other stuff….but I’ll leave it to other kids to do it right.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Can I see what other people put on this one first?

Do you have any other creative talents?
1. animal impressions––the running spider really gets a party started.
2. rhythmic gymnastics
3. crafty time things

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?

Sick of Goodbyes by Robert Frank

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Robert Frank, Gerhard Richter, Banksy

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
Trying to finish this project. I’ve had a new, wonderful response from folks wanting to be a part of this and it’s very exciting! And roaming through California with my girlfriend and her sister, trying to find some sun. So sick of all the rain.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
www.keavylandreth.com
www.landrethriffle.blogspot.com
www.douglandreth.com

plug. plug. plug.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
I can’t ever really eat enough toast with peanut butter and apricot jam. I’m messier that I should be….messier than anyone should be. But I’m really trying to be better. I swear. I’ll be attending Review Santa Fe in May which I’m super excited about. I’ll be weeeeeezing my way through my second half marathon in April. ow! ow! ow! I can wiggle my ears. I get really red when agitated, embarrassed or intoxicated even a wee bit. You’ll see.