A New York Rep

Jim Bastardo + Self

Jim Bastardo has another great story for Self magazine out in the July issue. The subject is chef Anita Lo, co-owner of Annisa, Bar Q and Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, all in New York City.
Her Squid and Pork Noodle Salad is on my menu this holiday weekend - yum yum.

Hello

At Edge advertising news

At Edge, the source book published by Serbin Communications five times a year, has revved up their
advertising page online. Click here to take a look at what the photographers that advertise in this neat little publication have been up to. Susanne Walstrom shows three jobs, the above from a shoot for Sampo Bank with Bob Helsinki.

Slideluckpotshow New York

Slideluckpotshow.com just posted their information on the event coming up in New York on August 2.

It is being held at McCarren Park Pool, deadline for submissions are July 14, and the theme is Change.

Slideluckpotshow is a potluck event where photographers and multimedia artists submit a sequence of images for a "slide show" and then bring food to the event. Seems like they are going international, a Mexico City event is taking place June 21. Yay.

A New Breed

If you like photojournalism and you would like to drench yourself in some really good work, check out Geoffrey Hiller's Verve Photo blogg. It has a lot of work by a new breed of documentary photographers. Among them is fellow Swede Chris Maluszynski, acclaimed photo journalist and member of Moment Agency in Stockholm. No need for words about how great this vast collection of work is. Just look.

"Verve: endurance, fire, force, gumption, gusto, intensity, moxie, passion, spunk, stamina, strength, toughness, vigor

Photographer and photo editor Geoffrey Hiller has created Verve to feature photos and interviews by the finest young image makers today. Verve is a reminder of the power of the still image. Verve will also point you to new photo agencies, publications and inspiring multimedia projects."

Veni Vidi Viggo! Q&A with Kristín Hauksdottír

Kristin Hauksdottir, Head of Collections
at Reykjavik Museum of Photography
First off, when was the Museum founded and by what initiative?
The Museum was founded in 1981 by 12 people with interest in photography and history. In the beginning it was a photo bank but in 1987 the Museum was bought by Reykjavik city.
Tell me about the show “Skovbo” (that means "home in the forest" in Danish?) that just opened at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography.
Correct, it is a exhibition of 110 photographs where Viggo has been concentrating on photographing trees and forest. He uses different kinds of film formats and cameras. He uses Hasselblad, Leica, Diana, old 4x5 and all kinds of camera, both high quality and low quality. All the photographs are for sale and actually they are almost all sold. The opening of the show was quite crazy where people where almost fighting for them. The price is very good, 30.000 - 40.000 Icelandic kronur which is around $ 500. All the money that comes in goes to Iceland Nature Conservation Association

Viggo Mortensen at the show

Viggo has had many solo exhibits in various countries before, but this seems really large and prestigious. How did it happen that you are exhibiting his work? 
We just contacted him and invited him to show here. Viggo had been here few times in Iceland and actually done a beautiful book about Icelandic painter Georg Gudni. The name of the book is Strange Familiar.
Viggo famously wear many hats - actor, publisher, artist, activist. What is your impression of the photographer and most of all, his work?
He is a very nice man, polite, quiet, humorous and friendly. His photographs show well his interest in photography and nature. They are beautiful and honest.
Is his work part of the collection at the Museum now?
No, it has been almost all sold.
How was the show received in Iceland? Many visitors at the opening?
It was very well received, the media showed a lot of interest. Three or four months ago people started to contact us about the show, it was especially German women that were interested. It was very interesting because the Icelanders started to contact us two days before the opening. Most people were checking whether Viggo would be at the opening and whether everybody could attend it. The opening was open to everybody and I think it was like 5 times more than usually. All wine finished right away and a lot of loyal fans stayed for 3 hours. It was interesting because people where either crazy buying his photographs or watching him.

Anything unusual happen when Viggo was visiting?
When we were hanging the show there was a big earthquake, 6.3 on Richter, the biggest one I have experienced. Viggo had the correct reaction, he ran to the doorway but we the staff just stood in the middle of the gallery and shouted “wow it's a big one!” When he was leaving then there was a polar bear running around in the north, that happens once every 20 year or so, so it was a bit bizarre time.
I think Viggo is (or was at least, before Lord Of the Rings made him look his real age with the 18-month shooting schedule) the most beautiful man on the planet. So, is he as handsome and charming in real life as he is in interviews and on the screen?
I think he is even more charming and he treated us with fancy chocolate and red vine every day.
What is up next on the schedule at the Museum?
Next exhibition will be in beginning of September and it is photographs
of refugees that have come to Iceland in the last 50 years. The photographer is Katrin Elvarsdottir and the historian is Sigrun Sigurdardottir.
Thank you so much, Kristin! Check out link to Viggos publishing company Perceval Press under I Like, where you can find the many photo books he has published. His latest is "Skovbo".

Calling all Swedes! - part two

This is mainly for my Swedish readers (hej pa er Fotofeber.se!) obviusly.

"Are you sick of little red cottages and the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi?"

That is a quote from the home page on the new initiative called Fotoboken om Sverige, an open competition where people under 30 are encouraged to submit their own images of life in Sweden.

Funding is initially from a youth fund at the EU, while private sponsors are being sought.

While Sweden hardly needs any more positive PR, what with Robyn, Mamma Mia and the mandatory 4 week vacation, it sound like it can be a great project.

The deadline is June 30, so no time to waste.

http://fotobokenomsverige.se/

Viggo Mortensen in Iceland

I will be posting an exclusive Q & A with Kristín Hauksdóttir at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography about the opening of Viggo Mortensen photography Exhibit "Skovbo" last week. Look for it in the days to come, it will have pictures from the opening.
My friends know I have a huge celebrity crush on Viggo, but I have always been a fan of his photography. Not kidding! I am very excited.
Maybe I will have a party tonight and watch some of Viggo's old B-movies, like "The Crew" (Viggo is hysterically funny as a captain of a boat that gets highjacked by a transexual madman played by Jeremy Sisto of Six Feet Under-fame) or "Prison" (Viggo is a badass prisoner battling an evil warden and supernatural forces in his tighty whiteys). You've come a long way my man!

Hampus Ericstam, illustrator extra ordinaire

Hampus Ericstam did this illustration riffing on the theme Spring of '68. More work on Hampus' site http://www.hampusericstam.com

Calling all Swedes!

Photo Thomas Nilsson

I am putting out a call for Swedish photographers living in the US.

I have been asked to curate a photo exhibit and am interested in coming in contact with Swedish photographers that have something to say about living in America.

Submissions will be in the form of an email containing a link to relevant work. Selection process will then take place. Email to snyderandtheswedes@earthlink.net. Click here for pdf. with project statement.