Photoshoot with Laura and Erica

Images from photoshoot with Laura Lima and Erica Famojure. Taken on August 13, 2011. Data recovery rocks, btw.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Happy Valentines Day from Nicole Craine!

Nicole Craine= Me

That's right. No posts for nearly 6 months and this is what you get. A penis with a red bow.

Above image by: yours truly.

Whiter is better. No?

So if I haven't already consumed at least 20 seconds of your life this morning by posting this photo on my facebook, I'm about to consume a few minutes more to elaborate on an interesting trend in advertising and media. But we will start with this Dove VisibleCare advertisement, because... let's face it, it's kinda, well, f*cked up... and an excellent example of what not to do in the 21st century.

I'm certainly no biomedical engineer (nice switch-up from rocket scientist), but the plus size black model appears to begin the Dove VisibleCare regimen as seen under the word "before" and after her transition from a Latina woman, finishes off as a blonde, skinny white woman as seen under the word "after."As a photographer, I would find it very difficult to completely overlook all the details in the above photo. It's almost like a road map to fitness, lightness, and smooth skin. And despite how boring the overall ad really is, in exactly 5 seconds an eyebrow went up. How many designers and art directors had to look over this thing? I'm talking about the people who are hired to give these ads the evil-eye.

Galvon Laessig from Buzzfeed says, "Dove vehemently denies this ad was intended to be racist. Unintended racism isn't much better."

I agree.

Now, to expand on the black to white transition... I'm looking at you, Michael...(dead people jokes=bad).  No, seriously. What's going on with Beyonce? Black in real life. White on paper. I was walking through the subway the other day when I noticed what appeared to be a white Beyonce ad. Actually, that's exactly what it was. I couldn't find the subway ad I saw, but I'll use Loreal as the guinea pig here:

Anyone?

Ranting

Over the last couple of weeks, I've found myself at a stand-still with my photography. So I have done the unthinkable and decided to "take a break" from my male nudes series and pursue photographing the women in my family for the time being. Although I rarely discuss my family history, current situations and so on, documenting some of my folks actually has much to do with my interest in photographing men in the first place. For the most part, relationships with men have been rocky ones and have influenced every woman in my family on various levels. In retrospect, I strongly connect my male nudes series to the roots of my southern family and how women are expected to act or be treated around the household.

This past weekend, I decided to take a trip to Alabama to spend some time with my great grandmother and relatives out in the middle of nowhereville. So, I come to document my family and as I'm sitting in the living room, something runs into the house! Well, luckily I was present because apparently no one thought anything of what sounded like a crater landing in the front yard. So... one of the joys of being a photographer....

What landed on the front porch? Oh, that was a car. And then there was the guy wedged into it. Well, I did call 911. And then? I snapped some photos. I have never been this up close to someone nearly dead! I hope the guy lived because that was one hell of a scary sight. After a couple of hours and a team of about 40 people, the guy was lifeflown to the Birmingham hospital.

So I went to Alabama to photograph family and I came back with this:

I'm not sure it really goes with the family series, but it has to count for something!

Illegal Immigration and The Power of Art

Illegal Immigration is one of those topics up there with Gay Marriage and Health Care when it comes to debatable issues going on in politics right now. As a result of my previous post on political and economic chaos, I would like to go on to say that photography, or any kind of art for that matter, truly can have an impact when it comes to political movements or revolutions. While there are many examples of art changing stuff, I'm here to mention a particular current-day project that has been planted in my mind for quite some time.

While I am rather biased when it comes to illegal immigration, I know many people, friends and family members (ahem, hi mom) that would argue for days, weeks, months, and/or years that immigration hurts Americans and our money. We have gangs, less job opportunities, unpaid taxes, and ah... what's the word? Terrorism. All because of illegal immigrants coming into the US chasing that American dream. Unless, of course, they are wanting to destroy it with bombs and so on. Although, I'm partially convinced we can take care of that part ourselves with the help of fabulous leaders such as George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

Personally, I have lost, or at least become greatly distanced from one of my best friends due to these wacky, senseless, yet logical(?) laws. It's not only painful for his family and friends here in the US with consideration that he has been here since childhood, but he is now (basically) alone wavering between Ukraine and Russia. I get to frequently hear the battle he's been living through and the pain and confusion that comes along with it. I've even shed a few, hell, a lot of tears myself. But I will say that while he was here, he was an extremely hard worker and union member. He even helped build Hotlanta's very own Atlantic Station. He even paid taxes(!), that crazy immigrant.

However, when referring to "Illegal Immigrants", I believe it's safe to say that what most Americans actually mean is Hispanics, generally in reference to Mexicans.

                                                                          Backpack Scars, 2009 

All that being said, photographer David Taylor might give us a bit of insight into illegal immigration and all that entails from the United States Border. Taylor has taken his camera down to the US/Mexican border to document the area between El Paso/Juarez and Tijuana/San Diego in developing his series Working the Line. While Taylor's project began as an effort to document monuments that mark the international boundary west of the Rio Grande, the series has since extended to include his encounters with migrants, smugglers, Border Patrol, minutemen and residences of the borderlands.  All of which, 99% of Americans have never and will never see. I would agree with Taylor in saying that these are locations and situations that most people have not accessed and, therefore, do not consider when debating and ranting about those "border jumpers".

                                                                             Apprehension, 2008

In retrospect, these images are extremely powerful to those of us who don't really know and understand the personal struggles, journeys, and risks these people take when they decide that America is where they want/need to be. Taylor gives us a first-hand look into the world of immigrants and border patrol, allowing us to have an impersonal connection to these people and what the hell is actually going on. The journey is a long one and very few actually make it across. Not to mention, most of these men and women are coming here to help their families back home. I don't know if you've ever taken a family road trip in a car, but try taking your entire family backpacking through the desert and hoping they survive. Yeah, look's like you might be traveling alone. The American Dream that most of these people are chasing are closely related to how America was founded in the first place. Don't believe me? In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931,

Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Let's not forget to mention the Native Americans annihilated along the way in order to establish this so-called American Dream (I am proud, yet saddened, to say that I personally have strong Cherokee roots).

So, the American Dream is an effort to suggest that the United States of America is a place where all men are treated equally and are endowed with inalienable Rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Oh, and by the way, the original Declaration of Independence said "life, liberty and property." And by property, Jefferson meant access to wealth, money and the right to own land. But then we decided that sounded bad (especially when we discuss slavery), so we called it happiness instead. Unless you're an illegal immigrant according to the US government, you're created equal. Even though all Americans are immigrants, which I'm certain isn't a surprise to any of you.

Is immigration an easy fix? Of course not. I would be an idiot to sit here and say we can all hold hands and sing songs of peace to make the bad times go away. As we all know, terrorism tends to be frowned upon and our secured borders are, in part, a result of that. But are we handling it the right way? Should we break apart families and destroy lives for people who are actually helping us prosper? And while I have not included supporting statistics and studies to show that there are actually benefits to having immigrants (stay tuned), you may be surprise to find out that if we were to actually deport all of the illegal immigrants from the present day, the US economy would literally crash.

                                                                           Awaiting Processing, AZ, 2007

I believe David Taylor's photographs can, at the very least, help us view the Illegal Immigration issue from a different angle. He does appear to have an unbiased approach to his photographs and presents an opportunity for us to learn.

"Who's using who? What should we do? Well, you can't be a pimp
and a prostitute too."

For fun:

Banksy, Oscars, and the Whole Fried World

First and foremost, if Justin Timberlake was really Banksy, I might give up making art altogether. Then again, it might be genius. However, I really don't want to go there because if JT really does turn out to be Banksy, I'll be continuing this conversation with a psychologist years down the road.

So, now that's out of the way and I've recovered from a minor heart attack...

In other news, I'm deciding to not write about art, Atlanta, or any other shenanigans this week and touching onto a more serious topic: The State of Things in the world right now.

Forget about art and Oscars for a minute (although both make for an entertaining distraction) and let's take a look into the titles of New York Times articles posted this past week:

As Regimes Fall in Arab World, Al Qaeda Sees History Fly By

Libya Wages Counterattack on Rebels, and Battles Rage

Oman Joins Protest Wave and 2 Die in Clashes with Police

Regulation Lax as Gas Wells' Tainted Water Hits Rivers

So, in short, I'm not completely focused on art right now because I'm not sure there is going to be a world to exhibit it in over the coming years. Besides, these events could potentially change the art market as we know it. In fact, it already has. Dramatic? Maybe. Serious? Well, kinda. It's important to get your head out of the sand for a minute and look around at other issues taking place globally and even within our very own country. Gas prices are rising due to the political unrest going on in the Middle East. Not to mention, we're still having issues from oil we spilled from here in the U.S. Yes, We: You, Me , and Everyone We know (unless you're someone that's surviving without relying on any oil at all; supply/demand). The political uprising over in the Middle East is still out of control. We even have protestors here in America! This past week in Madison, Wisconsin, over 100,000 people gathered to protest for workers rights. So many things are going on right now, that if I tried to sit here and list them all, you would have forgotten the Oscars already. And hopefully Justin Timberlake attempting to be Banksy as well.

It's getting pretty difficult to ignore the fact that sooner or later, everyone in the world could be affected by the economical, political, and even ecological imbalance nearing its tipping point if, in fact, it hasn't already been reached. And is it just me or have you noticed more and more people finally talking about it? Okay. It’s possible that I’m really dramatizing all of these coincidental events and occurrences and everything (or everyone, shall we) will fall back into place in the near future. Me, personally? I have my doubts that all of these current issues will go away quickly and easily.

Is the end of the world as we know it finally arriving? I'm tuning in. Not that I'm opposed to a more modest number for the human population.

Who knows, maybe Justin Timberlake will reveal himself as Banksy and start some mass political movement to better the world through his art and music. No?

And so maybe I haven't fully recovered from JT's bad joke. But on a serious note, people should definitely start checking up on current issues in the world. And if you feel inspired... hey, make art. At the very least, check out some of the above links.


First Image courtesy of Lynsey Addario for The New York Times
Second image courtesy of Karim Sahib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Facebook: Curator of Online Culture?

As the debate on Facebook continues to grow and its ability to own images of work and what-have-you comes up for debate, another topic quickly surfacing is Facebook's ability to decide what's acceptable and what's not when it comes to online communication and/or "culture." Now, I'm not one to condone posting pictures of sexually loaded imagery on Facebook (...or am I?), but one thing certainly raises an eyebrow: who gets to decide what is and isn't art? And should we be able to post it online?

Well, to me this seems like an obvious answer. Personally, as a creator of nude art and especially the kind that includes the goods, I'm constantly second-guessing what I can post when it comes to Facebook, blogs, or any social media for that matter. It is my right as an artist to be able to show and discuss my work and what better way to do so than with say, Blogger or Facebook (please view previous post)? So, I choose not to put up the 18 or older warning on my blog. As a victim of censorship and a proponent of art education (even to youngsters), I choose not to censor my own work. Because it's not porn. It's art. And I believe everyone should have access to it.

However, Facebook doesn't seem to feel that way.

And the New York Academy of the Arts sets an example of what happens when Facebook decides your artwork isn't art (or at least worthy of being seen). So, this doesn't happen to everyone, but it happens to some. Which is even more questionable, if you ask me.

New York Academy of Art uploads artwork from professors and students to the college's Facebook page. The images removed include painting, drawing, and other mediums alike. Nonetheless, the school countered Facebook's actions by writing about it on their blog. According to the Academy, “As an institution of higher learning with a long tradition of upholding the art world’s ‘traditional values and skills,’ we, the Graduate School of Figurative Art, find it difficult to allow Facebook to be the final arbiter — and online curator — of the artwork we share with the world.” The college claims images of artworks have been continuously deleted from their page, leading up to a suspension of the account entirely.

So, what does Facebook have to say in response to all of this?

According to a New York Times article, Facebook claims they made a mistake. The article goes on to say that Facebook representatives affirm that "while the company bans nude photographs, the company has an unwritten policy that allows drawings or sculptures of nudes." According to Facebook spokesman, Simon Axten, "We count many amateur — and some professional — artists among our employees, and we’re thrilled that so many artists share their work on Facebook. In this case, we congratulate the artist on his lifelike portrayal that, frankly, fooled our reviewers."

Mistake? It happens all the time. The above images are pretty clearly not photographs. Needless to say, it doesn't leave much hope for the fine art photographers approaching the nude body (especially not of gentlemen). I don't feel that my personal work is sexually suggestive whatsoever and in fact, a wise man once said (I'm looking at you, Forest McMullin) that my work appears to be rather anti-sexual. However, I will personally attest to my experience with Blogger which has so far not pulled down things posted by myself or others (at least to my knowledge) and hasn't contacted me thusfar to display a warning message.

And so, the future of Facebook is still yet to be determined. Hopefully, they will realize their importance as a social media site and get their hands out of curating art. And by curating, I mean censoring.

Above drawing by Steven Assael. Above painting by Richard T. Scott.

Thanks to Claire Moynihan for forwarding the NY Times article on this. Oh, and she has a really cool blog you should check out: The Art Offensive