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.

Urged by a friend to enter Hey, Hot Shot!, Winter winner Colin Blakely submitted three solid black and white images. Believe it or not, you send very little of such work our way. And while we don’t discriminate between the gray scale and the full spectrum, nor do we have a quota to fill when it comes to format, style, or genre, it’s always nice to see b+w photography alive in all its glory. And Colin is more than just a superb photographer and, I’m sure, professor - he has a talent I am rather envious of. For the past two weeks I have been torturing myself over titles, it can be quite the difficult task to put a name to one’s work, almost as difficult as a price tag. As for Colin, titles are his forté : The Anachronism of Basic Instinct, Confrontation with the Monster We’ve Collectively Created, or how about The Sound of Bad Blood Knocking Around? I might steal Ultra panelist Alison Grippo’s idea and bribe Colin to take a shot at my work. Well done, Mr. Blakely.

When + where were you born?
New York, NY, 04/15/73

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
BA with dual major in Math and Studio Arts from Williams College (Williamstown, MA)
MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)

What do you do to pay the bills?
Associate Professor of Photography, Eastern Michigan University. I also occasionally shoot weddings.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
I came to photography because of the unique and pliable way that the camera sees the world. There is magic for me that happens when I get my first look at negatives I have made, and that magic is every bit as powerful for me now as when I first started taking pictures. I have also discovered over the years that I am much better at creating something interesting through the process of selecting from an infinite range of possibilities than by starting from nothing. As a photographer, I start with the entire world and everything in it, and that is the “canvas” from which I can isolate what is interesting to me. I am first and foremost an observer, and photography lends itself perfectly to this method of working.

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
Too many to name! I have to work hard not to drop into “deep geekdom” where the computer is concerned. Color management and programming with PHP are at the top of the list.

Do you have any other creative talents?
I wish I could say I was one of those “all-around-blur-art-and-life creative types.” However, my creative endeavors tend to stay squarely focused on the photographic medium.

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

Sandra Bennett by Richard Avedon

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
There’s so much amazing work out there, whittling it down to just three seems an impossible task, but here goes: Alec Soth, Paul Pfeiffer, Andreas Gursky

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
For starters, the end of the school year and a much needed break from academic life. More importantly, continued work on my Somewhere in Middle America project, as well as an attempt to start to pull together a related project of color work I have been photographing for some time.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
http://www.photoeye.com
http://marketingphotos.wordpress.com

Anything about yourself - exciting news, oddball facts - or otherwise, that we should know?
I have three kids under the age of 5. Does that qualify as an oddball fact, or just an indication of my insanity??

Winter Hot Shot Mickey Smith is a busy, busy lady. After joining us in New York for the showcase on Wednesday she’s off to New Zealand, followed by a full plate of work + travel + more work in the spring––these are exciting times in the land of Mickey Smith. “I’m so blown away by this work, and how serious Mickey is about presenting it. She really seems to have things together, is a McKnight Fellow and well, damn, I’m so pleased that she’s chosen to participate in the competition,” says Jen. And she has a great website to boot––enjoy.

When + where were you born?
1972 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Where were you trained, if anywhere?
University of Minnesota Moorhead (just across the Red River from Fargo)

What do you do to pay the bills?
A little bit of everything, but mainly I’m a recovering arts administrator.

What led you to photography over other mediums?
The Kodak Disc camera, circa 1980

What is your guiltiest tech pleasure?
I’m a tech weenie. My guiltiest pleasure is simply being able to see images instantly on a camera back. Before digital I was Polaroid. My
undergraduate internship was with the Polaroid Collection in Cambridge, MA.

Do you have any other creative talents?
My man and I do a little design work on the side, I might have been a silversmith or jeweler in a former life, planning to get to it later.

What image is permanently etched into your brain and thank goodness for it?
The first image that comes to mind is by Duane Michals, a black and white image of a couple sitting on a bed, it begins “THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS MY PROOF”.

This Photograph is My Proof by Duane Michals

Who are three of your favorite living artists?
Martin Parr, Ed Ruscha, On Kawara

What does the spring and beyond have in its forecast for you?
This Friday I’m off to New Zealand for a few weeks at the beach with the in-laws… Once back in Minneapolis, I’ll hit the ground running. Editing new work from Seattle and Kansas City in preparation for the McKnight Fellowship exhibition. Driving to Art Chicago in April. Flying to New York and Los Angeles to meet with with galleries in May. Pulling together a book proposal for the Volume work in June. Working on my new Unaccompanied Minor project in between.

Share 3 of your favorite links with us.
The man’s band: www.quarteracrelifestyle.com
These crack me up, especially Jack Black:
www.ebaumsworld.com/tags/soundboards
South Park Create-A-Character:
images.southparkstudios.com/games/create

What led you to enter Hey, Hot Shot!?
Swanny recommended I check out jen bekman last fall. My new intern-turned-studio manager pushed me to enter the Winter 07 Edition.

Anything about you––exciting news, oddball facts, or otherwise––that we should know?
Exciting News: I’m waiting for a very important (possibly exciting) letter and last night my fortune cookie said, “A cheerful letter or message is on its way to you.”
Oddball Fact: I have a brother older than my mother.
Otherwise: Considering a move back to New York, so thanks to HHS for the 24 hour dose of the city!