Sculptures bridge BRI cultural ties

By in Sculpture

Sculptures bridge BRI cultural ties
In recent years, many artists have taken active part in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cultural exchanges and cooperation, strengthened artistic innovation, and made further efforts to promote Chinese art around the world. As part of the BRI international art project organized by the China National Academy of Painting, more than 100 artists from over 30 countries and regions conducted studies and paintings in countries along the BRI for five consecutive years, and completed a batch of high-quality artworks with distinctive features.

At the Photographic Resource Center: Shanghai, Missouri, and points between

By in Photography

At the Photographic Resource Center: Shanghai, Missouri, and points between

CAMBRIDGE — “Exposure” has a specific meaning in photography. It’s what happens when a lens opens and film (or the digital equivalent) is exposed to light, producing an image. Among the word’s other meanings is giving visibility to someone or something. Both meanings relate to “EXPOSURE 2023: The 27th Annual PRC Juried Members Exhibition.”

Since PRC stands for Photographic Resource Center, the relevance of the first meaning is a given. The second meaning pertains because the idea is to give the 10 PRC members whose work is on display a higher profile, and deservedly so.

The participants were chosen by juror Shana Lopes, assistant curator of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The show runs through Sept. 17 at Lesley University, in Porter Square. Note that the VanDernoot Gallery, where the show is hung, is open Friday-Sunday only.

Jimmie Allen, “Keith and Drake, Louisiana, Missouri,” 2022.Jimmie Allen

It’s in the nature of juried shows to be diverse, and “EXPOSURE 2023″ certainly is. No one would mistake Jimmie Allen’s small-town Missouri with Lei Han’s Shanghai. But there’s a general sense throughout of interiority, contemplativeness, or both. It’s more condition than theme. Also notable is that the work of six of the photographers is in black and white, not something much seen these days. Finally, almost no faces appear in the 39 works on display. (Allen’s photos, with their quasi-sociological intent, is the big exception.) It’s only when seeing a face becomes the exception rather than the rule that you realize how rare that absence is.

Kathryn Rodrigues, “Mend Myself,” 2022.Kathryn Rodrigues

Sometimes a face is there but concealed, as in Kathryn Rodrigues’s “Mend Myself,” a self-portrait where a small rake comes between the photographer’s face and her camera. It’s a striking image. Or it can be because a person is seen from behind, as in Amy Broderick’s “Frailty.” Broderick is one of the photographers whose work here is in color, which adds to the snapshot-like look of her images.

Yuang Li, “In the WTC,” 2023.Yuang Li

The richness of that color differs considerably from the drained, subdued, almost spectral hues in the three images each from Han and Yuang Li. The former show Shanghai during lockdown, a year ago. “Seemingly tranquil” the photographer calls them. That tension between adverb and adjective conveys a subtlety and disquiet reflected in the images. Those qualities are no less evident in what Li calls “hollow, eerie scenes”: urban landscapes emptied of people, spaces where the pursuit of public security can induce personal insecurity.

Joetta Maue, “Sky Bed,” 2022.Joetta Maue

You could argue that the remaining photographer who uses color, Joetta Maue, may not primarily be a photographer. Her two works in the show are irregularly shaped assemblages, joining photos, drawings, and embroidery. One is large, with four combined pieces, and the other is very large, with 19. Unframed and unmatted, both works are a kind of zone, made up of varying sizes, shapes, textures, subjects, and media.

Denise Laurinaitis, “In Flight,” 2020.Denise Laurinaitis

Denise Laurinaitis has six photographs in “EXPOSURE.” They have the feel of everyday family moments. Yet there’s also a sense of disorientation. Why is the girl in “Hair Donation” turned away from the camera? Why is the girl, presumably the same one, striking an abracadabra pose in “Hose Spray”? What’s that toy plane, in “In Flight,” doing hovering just over the ground? A strong sense of hovering can be felt throughout “EXPOSURE.”

Nicholas Gaffney, “Summer (Beach),” 2021.Nicholas Gaffney

Nicholas Gaffney also has a half-dozen photos, and they’re also about family. But they’re the family on the road — taking trips around New England, in 2021 — not around the house. So there’s a balance between the familiar and unfamiliar. It’s a shaky balance, as Gaffney intends. These are often photographs, he writes, where “the image is taken after the ‘decisive moment’ has seemingly come and gone.”

Bruce Myren, “American Elm [Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA],” 2017/2023.Bruce Myren

For a number of years, Bruce Myren has been photographing American elm trees: “to observe natural history in relation to cultural history,” as he writes. The three examples here are handsome and moving, which is to say worthy of their subject. One of them shows an elm framed between two buildings on Massachusetts Avenue, in Cambridge. Its just-so placement between the two structures is mirrored by Myren’s just-so placement of it within the frame.

Anh-Thuy Nguyen, “Taste of a Memory: Nha Trang #31,” 2022.Anh-Thuy Nguyen

The one other photographer who has an image in which a face appears is Anh-Thuy Nguyen. Her five pictures here are gold-toned salt prints. The format may not register with viewers, but their appearance will. The images, which show Nguyen’s native Vietnam, are delicate, poetic, and evocative. She used Vietnam sea salt in their making, noting that both “salt and photography are for preservation.” What a marvelous observation — marvelous observation being, in general, the goal of any photographer.

EXPOSURE 2023: The 27th Annual PRC Juried Members Exhibition

At VanDernoot Gallery, University Hall, Lesley University, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, through Sept. 17. 617-975-0600, www.prcboston.org

Mark Feeney can be reached at mark.feeney@globe.com.

Sandra Bullock’s late partner Bryan Randall seen in his modeling days

By in Photography

Sandra Bullock’s late partner Bryan Randall seen in his modeling days

EXCLUSIVE: Sandra Bullock’s late partner Bryan Randall is seen posing as a young model in France in rare, unearthed photos

  • Rare photos obtained by DailyMail.com show late Bryan Randall in his early modeling days in France 
  • The budding young model, then 28, can be seen posing in a series of glamour shots taken for his portfolio in Paris and a magazine photoshoot in Versailles
  • Randall ,57, who died August 5 after a battle with ALS, would go on to become a fulltime photographer – which led him to meet partner, Sandra Bullock, in 2015

By Karen Ruiz For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:12 EDT, 9 August 2023 | Updated: 11:21 EDT, 9 August 2023

Years before he became a full-time photographer, Sandra Bullock‘s late partner Bryan Randall was doing most of his work in front of the camera as young, hunky, model posing for shoots and magazines in France.  

The 57-year-old tragically died on August 5 after a private, three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, his family announced on Monday.  

Now, rare photos obtained by DailyMail.com show the late photographer in the early days of his career, posing as a budding young model for a magazine shoot by photographer George Kartis in 1991. 

Rare photos obtained by DailyMail.com show late Bryan Randall in his early modeling days in France

In his 20s, Randall was doing most of his work in front of the camera before ultimately switching to photography - which led him to meet his partner, Sandra Bullock

Randall would have been 28 at the time and was posing for glamour shots to include in his portfolio

The unearthed images include a set of glamour shots taken for his modeling portfolio in Paris as well as a photoshoot in Versailles for Max Magazine. Randall would have been 28 years old at the time. 

Bullock and Randall (pictured in 2018) had been together since 2015 but were very private about their relationship

While the shots are very telling of the early 90s time period – with a slick-haired Randall clad in bright colored, patterned crew necks, silk shirts, or leather pants – they showcase his timeless handsome looks. 

In one of his more risque shoots, he goes shirtless and shows off his toned physique in a series of monochrome photos. 

It’s unclear whether Randall went on to see much success in modeling or just chose to give up the profession to pursue a different line of work in the industry – which ultimately led him to meet his romantic partner, Sandra Bullock in 2015. 

The couple met when Randall was hired to take photographs at a birthday party for Bullock’s oldest child, Louis, in 2015. 

He was the first serious relationship for the actress since her split from ex-husband James, who cheated on her.

Bullock and Randall went public in October 2015 when he was on the actress’s arm at the premier of her movie ‘Our Brand is Crisis.’

In one of his more risque shoots, he goes shirtless and shows off his toned physique in a series of monochrome photos

Randall began his career as a model before becoming a photographer

The photos were taken in France by photographer George Kartis in 1991

According to those within the couple’s circle, they were all but inseparable from there on in, with Randall accompanying Bullock to press junkets, movie premieres and becoming a firm fixture on set when she was on location filming.

On their last public sighting together, in July, 2020, the former model was pictured gazing adoringly at his love as they arrived to an intimate gathering in studio city with her two children. 

‘It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,’ his family shared to PEOPLE.

‘Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.’

‘We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours,’ the family statement continued.

‘At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.’

The statement was signed off by ‘His Loving Family.’ 

The shots are very indicative of the early 90s time period - with a slick-haired Randall clad in bright colored, patterned crew necks, silk shirts, or leather pants

Bryan Randall

In one shoot, Randall appeared to be channeling his inner bad boy, posing against a truck while puffing on a cigarette

It's unclear whether Randall went on to see much success in modeling or just chose to give up the profession to pursue a different line of work in the industry

Randall’s family have asked for donations to the ALS Association and the Massachusetts General Hospital in lieu of flowers, according to People. .

There is no cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – ALS – and the disease is fatal, but it progresses at different speeds in patients.

People with ALS are expected to live two to five years after the symptoms first manifest, although 10 percent of sufferers live at least 10 years. It is also known in some countries as motor-neurone disease. 

The disease is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease after the US baseball player when he was diagnosed in 1939 at just 36 years old. 

The couple do not have any children together, but Bullock has two adopted children — son Louis, 13, and daughter Laila, 11 — and Bryan has an adult daughter named Skylar from a previous relationship.

Sandra and Bryan began dating several months after first meeting, and even attended Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s wedding that same year.

Randall's modeling career was hired to take photographs at a birthday party for Bullock's oldest child, Louis, in 2015

The set also include of a series of photos of the hunky model from a photoshoot in Versailles for Max Magazine

The couple, who kept their relationship out of the spotlight, pictured at the world premiere of Oceans 8 in 2018

Earlier on Tuesday, DailyMail.com revealed that while the pair never officially married, they exchanged ‘vows’ on the beach in the Bahamas in an intimate ceremony witnessed by friends and family in December 2017. 

Exclusive video obtained by DailyMail.com shows the couple dancing the night away following the ceremony which was not legally binding and involved no officiant but instead saw Bullock, 59, declare herself to the man she called, ‘the love of my life’ and him profess his love in return.

It was just three years before and a world away from when Randall would receive his devastating diagnosis with ALS, the illness to which he succumbed at the weekend.

Dressed in a kaftan, her hair in braids and flip flops on her feet this was the low-key affair that Bullock, who had no desire to remarry following her divorce from Jesse James in 2010, wanted. 

For his part Randall, his white shirt open at the neck, also in flip flops, with baseball cap pulled low and in casual black pants appears entirely caught up in his ‘bride’ and the moment.

According to one friend: ‘They really did this for the children, to kind of seal the deal and show them this was a forever thing. After the ceremony Louis (13) and Laila (11) started calling Bryan dad.’

Randall was diagnosed with ALS in 2017, but the couple kept his battle with the disease a secret until his death on August 5. They are pictured above October 2017

Although the couple never married, the two exchanged 'vows' as a way to 'seal the deal' and commit themselves to each other, sources say

Sandra Bullock

The couple's two-week trip to Three Bees Villa on Harbor Island was a celebration of their union as well as Randall's birthday later that month on December 31

The ceremony marked the culmination of a 14-day trip to Arpaud Busson’s Three Bees Villa on Harbor Island.

The exclusive retreat owned by the French financier, who was once married to Elle Macpherson and later fathered a daughter by Uma Thurman, is a favorite place for Bullock and her family.

One guest who was there explained: ‘It was Bryan’s birthday on December 31 so it’s like they wanted to celebrate everything all at once.’

In recent months rumors had swirled that the couple had broken up or that their relationship was on the rocks, stories to that effect had bubbled up just days before the announcement of Randall’s passing.

Today, DailyMail.com can reveal that while Randall’s illness put a strain on their union they were ‘more together than ever’ at the time of his death.

In fact, Bullock had been secretly overseeing and funding the round the clock care required by her partner of eight years who spent his last months ‘closeted away’ in her Beverly Hills home.

Wireless Charging Teams up With Intelligent Lighting in Carousel

By in Design

Wireless Charging Teams up With Intelligent Lighting in Carousel

Ambiance and utility are one and the same in Pablo Designs’ Carousel. The two piece series – table lamp and floor lamp – combine a wireless mobile charging tray with warm, glare-free illumination. The tray’s surface features two wireless charging zones, plus a USB-C charging port, to accommodate a range of devices. Meanwhile, the table’s base is a transparent fluted acrylic cylinder diffuser that emits indirect lighting via a hidden flat panel LED control that includes full dimming capabilities.

Carousel Table is ideal for bedside and desktop use, while Carousel Floor continues to bring light to furniture on a larger scale – and is the winner of the 2023 AZ Awards. The base diffuser on both models is offered in clear and bronze tint options that can be paired with a spun steel tray in a matte White, Terracotta, or Black finish. The trays are available in 12-inch (30.5cm) and 16-inch (40.6cm) diameters.

three side tables with device-charging tabletops

Pablo Designs – helmed by Pablo Pardo – has been at it since 1993, with Carousel continuing to display the brand’s commitment to design-driven solutions that can last a lifetime. Through the use of technology, materials, and geometry, the studio’s human-centered design philosophy plays out to create LED lighting systems that are environmentally responsible in terms of energy consumption. The common thread that links all of Pablo Designs’ projects is the value of permanence and sustainability in today’s prevalent throwaway society.

side table with terra cotta base and device-charging tabletop

bedside table with terra cotta base and device-charging tabletop

side table with clear base and device-charging tabletop

side table with clear base and device-charging tabletop

side table with terra cotta base and device-charging tabletop

side table with clear base and device-charging tabletop

To learn more about Carousel, visit pablodesigns.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Dave Krugman’s “ROLLS”: The Convergence of Film Photography and Blockchain

By in Photography

Dave Krugman’s “ROLLS”: The Convergence of Film Photography and Blockchain

Dave Krugman, the esteemed New York-based photographer, crypto artist, and writer, is no stranger to pushing boundaries. Founder of the creative community ALLSHIPS, Dave believes in the age-old adage, “A rising tide raises all ships.” With his works like DRIVE, Drip Drop, and SPECTERS, he paints a picture of a world at the crossroads of art and technology.

His latest endeavor, “ROLLS,” is a testimony to his penchant for merging the contemporary with the classical. The project draws intriguing parallels between blockchain technology and film photography, a perspective Krugman once tweeted, viewing film photography as “a chemical blockchain.”

An Unconventional Canvas

At its core, ROLLS explores the similarities between film photography and blockchain. Krugman posits that both act as time chains and operate with proof of work mechanisms. In essence, both are record-making systems that rely on decentralized consensus mechanisms to verify relevance and truth.

Taking this concept further, Krugman sees each roll of film as a ‘block’ in a larger chain. “Photographers use a proof of work mechanic to ‘mine’ rolls,” he says, “and these rolls together form a decentralized time chain, an unchangeable record produced by a decentralized community of validators.”

Navigating ROLLS

The mechanics of ROLLS is as innovative as its concept. It starts with ten tokens being sequentially auctioned off on SuperRare, with each token symbolizing a frame on a roll of film.

Here’s the catch: Krugman sells these tokens before capturing the photographs. The artwork on the tokens is merely a placeholder.

Once sold, he will shoot the images with his Mamiya 7ii medium format film camera. The token’s metadata “develops” subsequently, updating with high-resolution film scans of the images captured.

This approach brings an element of trust into the equation. The collector is investing in an idea before its fruition. Krugman likens this process to a two-way challenge.

“This is a space of deep speculation- I wanted to give people the opportunity to buy an idea before I ever even execute it. It adds mystery, intrigue, and a two-way challenge. The collector is challenged to trust me and my ideas/process, and I’m challenged to create something worthy of that trust and investment.” Krugman stated.

“The collector is challenged to trust me and my ideas/process, and I’m challenged to deliver content worthy of that trust.”

Dave Krugman

Why Sequential Auctions and the Mamiya 7ii?

By auctioning tokens sequentially, Krugman believes he can focus on each frame individually and garner maximum bids. This tactic also piques longtail interest, drawing more attention and intrigue to the project.

“By focusing on one at a time, all bidders are concentrated on each frame as they sell. By extending the auctions over ten days, I also get the advantage of the longtail interest in the project.” Krugman shared with nft now.

His choice of the Mamiya 7ii for the ROLLS project is rooted in the camera’s quality and aesthetic. Each roll offering ten frames fits perfectly with the project’s structure. Additionally, the Mamiya 7ii holds sentimental value for Krugman, as it was procured with the profits from his DRIVE project.

The Horizon Ahead

With sales already surpassing expectations, the success of ROLLS for Krugman has been an affirmation of his innovative approach to art. While ROLLS offers myriad possibilities, Krugman clarifies he doesn’t like to set rigid expectations for his art. “It’s just art,” he states.

“What I’m most excited about is that ROLLS is just a scaffolding for so many other ideas. What if I sell a whole ROLL to one collector and then shoot something they ask for? What if I do a roll of portraits and split proceeds with subjects? What if I use a ROLL to raise money for a cause I care about? The possibilities are truly endless.”

“Supporting my work means supporting my ecosystem- an ecosystem that is driven by the desire to decouple artists from commercial interests. What’s “next” is that I will continue on this mission and do my best to add beauty to this world.” Krugman shared with nft now.

Dave Krugman’s ROLLS is more than just another project. It is a testimony to the myriad possibilities at the intersection of art and technology, pushing boundaries and challenging conventional narratives.

“What’s “next” is that I will continue on this mission and do my best to add beauty to this world.”

Dave Krugman

Photographer’s Epic Gigapixel Photo of Huge Concert Hides 3 Waldos

By in Photography

Photographer’s Epic Gigapixel Photo of Huge Concert Hides 3 Waldos
Rammstein concert
Rammstein playing at Stadspark in Groningen, Netherlands. The full gigapixel photo can be seen on Bos’s website.

A photographer has created a stunning four-gigapixel, super-high-resolution photo of a vibrant Rammstein concert featuring 55,000 revelers and three Where’s Waldos.

Roelof Bos spent 13 days shooting the gigapixel photo with the main day coming when the heavy metal rockers played. Viewers can get the full experience by heading to Bos’s website where you can zoom right in on any part of the 350-acre site and try to find the hidden Waldos.

Creating a Gigapixel Photo

Bos tells PetaPixel that he had the idea months before the heavy metal concert was due to take place in Groningen, Netherlands.

Camera rig
Bos and his multiple cameras.

After setting up on a nearby building, he rigged a Canon R5 with an RF 135mm f/1.8 on a self-modified panoramic head that captured the 80 photos needed to stitch together the gigapixel image.

“The panoramic head enables both preset horizontal as well as vertical increments,” explains Bos. “Once stitched by panoramic software, it results in a four-gigapixel image.”

zoomed in Rammstein gig
Zoomed in.
Waldo
One of the three Waldos hidden in the photo.

Bos also has a second R5 that he used to shoot close-ups and medium-range shots of moving objects emanating from the gig like fire and smoke which would otherwise be hard to stitch when shot on the panoramic head camera.

“A plume of smoke can easily cover four frames otherwise,” adds Bos.

For the Waldos, Bos tried to convince friends that were going to the gig to dress up as the cartoon character but instead settled on asking a friend to dress up a few days before the event and shot him from a similar angle of view.

Timelapse

[embedded content]

Bos had a third camera running during his mammoth photo shoot, a wide-angle shot that was there as a backup and reference tool.

Shooting the photo.
Bos shooting the gigapixel photo.

The backup camera shot 16,000 photos over a period of seven hours and so Bos thought it would be a good idea to make a timelapse from it.

“Turned out to be no easy job, both the amount of RAW images to process as well as adjusting the exposure of many images slightly to ease out pumps of changes in camera settings to adjust for the losing daylight.”

Last year, PetaPixel reported on photographer Jamen Percy who shot a mind-boggling gigapixel photo of last year’s Burning Man festival held in the Nevada desert.

More of Bos’s work can be seen on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Image credits: All photos by Roelof Bos.

4 Ideas to Get Starting With Street Photography

By in Photography

4 Ideas to Get Starting With Street Photography

Street photography is one of the most compelling genres in the craft, but it can be tricky to get started with. In this video, you’ll get some ideas and inspiration to get off the mark.

I have a bizarre relationship with street photography. It is my favorite genre to look at, my favorite photographers are all primarily street, and I have a go myself at every opportunity. However, I don’t live in a metropolitan or highly populated area and it requires a type of patience and dedication that I could give it, but it doesn’t seem worthwhile with how infrequently I can.

There is a real similarity with macro photography of wildlife in some ways. You have to narrow down the right area with the right subjects, and then you have to put in the hours. You could be the best macro photographer on earth, but you still need patience to get those great images, and that’s the same for street photography.

In my experience with street photography, there is one element that can act as almost a cheat code: the elements. Extreme weather is almost always a reason to not go out with your camera, but with street photography, heavy rain or snow make for incredible, atmospheric conditions!

What tips do you have for aspiring street photographers? Share them in the comments below.

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