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Getting to know Jess Hough, Community Artist in the Park – The Times-Independent
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Best Hybrid Cameras for Photography and Video in 2023
We don’t often extensively cover video gear here at PetaPixel, but we thought it might be helpful to cover some of the best hybrid cameras out there — those cameras geared toward both photographers and videographers.
With the nearly industry-wide move away from DSLRs and over to mirrorless have also come significant advancements in video technology and performance in camera bodies that are traditionally stills oriented. More and more people are interested in shooting video — whether it’s vlogging or filmmaking or something else — and more and more professionals are juggling jobs as both photographers and videographers.
As such, we wanted to put together a list of cameras that best suit the needs of such users.
What We’re Looking For
There are a number of things to consider in a list like this, which is always inherently quite subjective. First, we have approached this list from the perspective of users who do a relatively even balance of photography and video work — the choices need to excel fairly equally as stills cameras and as video cameras. Therefore, while some cameras are technically hybrid, like the Panasonic Lumix S1H or Canon R5C, these were disqualified because they are overwhelmingly geared more toward video users than photographers.
So, we are looking at just about every aspect you want in a good hybrid camera for each category. For video, we want cameras that excel in image quality, bit-depth, bitrate, codecs, inputs and outputs, filmmaking tools like shutter angle or false color, autofocus, rolling shutter, etc. For stills, we are looking for things like dynamic range and overall image quality, autofocus performance, build and ergonomics, frame rates, and all the other features that we shutterbugs love. And naturally, price and other factors like the native lens ecosystem play a considerable role.
So, here are our picks for the best hybrid cameras currently on the market, broken down into seven categories.
At a Glance
Best Overall Hybrid Camera: Fujifilm X-H2s
Fujifilm’s flagship APS-C camera and long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s X-H1 was released last year to much acclaim. The Fujifilm X-H2s sports a stacked sensor design — the first for an APS-C camera — with 26.1MP of resolution, and Fujifilm’s proprietary X-Trans array, the X-H2s is a powerhouse camera. Thanks to the extraordinarily fast readout speed of the stacked sensor (1/180 of a second) and the new X-Processor 5, it can shoot 40 uncompressed RAW frames per second with continuous autofocus and without any EVF blackout for up to 140 RAW frames.
The X-H2s’s body features a considerable grip, a PASM dial with seven custom modes, a 5.76m-dot OLED viewfinder with 0.8x (equivalent) magnification, vari-angle 1.62m-dot, 3.0” rear LCD, 1.28” top panel LCD, 5-axis IBIS rated for seven stops, dual card slots (one CFexpress Type B and one UHS-II SD), full-size HDMI Type-A port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a large NP-W325 battery that is CIPA rated for 720 shots in Economy Mode. An optional VG-XH Vertical Grip is available, as is the Fujifilm FAN-001 Cooling Fan, which helps cool the camera body to extend video recording time.
The camera’s video capabilities are as impressive as its photo features, placing the X-H2s firmly in the hybrid category. Internal 10-bit 4:2:2 recording in DCI 4K at up to 120 fps (1080 HD at up to 240 fps), as well as 6.2K open-gate recording at up to 30 fps. The latter is a rather unique feature — Panasonic is the only other company that allows for open gate recording in its hybrid models. The X-H2s offers not only H.265 recording but also internal ProRes 422 HQ in both DCI 4K and open gate 6.2K. The camera’s full-size HDMI port allows for external ProRes RAW and Blackmagic RAW (with appropriate recorder) output at various resolutions up to 6.2K. Fujifilm also debuted its new F-Log2 gamma curve in the X-H2s, which supports higher dynamic range and is particularly conducive to filmmaking and HDR video.
Uniquely, the X-H2s allows users to select either 14-bit or 12-bit readout when shooting video (F-Log2 is only available with 14-bit). And thanks to the camera’s stacked sensor, DCI 4K reads out at an astonishing 9.5ms in 14-bit mode and an even better 5.5ms in 12-bit, while open gate 6.2K is around 11.5ms in 14-bit mode. These are among the best rolling shutter values of any camera — hybrid or otherwise.
The Fujifilm X-H2s has it all – excellent image quality, robust build, excellent ergonomics, superb autofocus tracking and shooting speeds, and some of the best video specifications of any hybrid camera. While it isn’t full-frame, Fujifilm does have the best line-up of APS-C lenses – both Fuji branded and third-party – and its APS-C sensor closely mirrors the Super 35 film/sensor size traditionally used in filmmaking. It is also significantly cheaper than any stacked-sensor full-frame camera, making it the best all-around option for most users.
PetaPixel’s review of the Fujifilm X-H2s can be found here.
Best Full-Frame Hybrid Camera: Nikon Z8
Nikon is far from the first name anyone thinks of when it comes to video — until the Nikon Z6 and Z7, no one really would have thought of any of its cameras as true hybrids. And yet, the Nikon Z8 is one of the best cameras you can buy, no matter what you intend to do with it. Essentially a smaller version of the Nikon Z9 (but $1,500 cheaper and 30% smaller), it is also the most affordable camera on the market with a full-frame stacked sensor — the next non-Nikon option is $2,000 more expensive. There is almost nothing the Nikon Z8 doesn’t excel at; landscape, portraiture, sports, wildlife, you name it, it can do it. It’s also one of the most feature-rich hybrid cameras ever made for video work.
The Nikon Z8 features a 45.7MP BSI stacked sensor with the fastest readout of any interchangeable lens camera at 1/270th of a second, which allowed Nikon to do away with the mechanical shutter completely. The body features a robust grip and larger profile than many other mirrorless cameras, making it handle somewhere between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR. The Z8 also boasts a 3.2” 4-axis tilting touchscreen with 2.1m-dots, top panel status display, one CFexpress Type B and one UHS-II SD card slot, backlit buttons, a full-size HDMI Type-A port, and two USB-C ports (one for file transferring and tethering and one for battery charging and power delivery). One of the USB-C ports also supports USB-LAN connectivity when paired with a USB-C to Ethernet adapter for file transferring over FTP.
Full-resolution lossless compressed RAW is available at 20 fps — 30 fps for JPEGs — for up to 1,000 frames, giving the camera a virtually unlimited buffer, up to 60 fps in DX crop mode (19MP), and 120 fps at 11MP — all with full autofocus and autoexposure performance. The Z8 also introduces pre-release capture, which commences burst shooting when the shutter button is half-pressed, and the buffer will continuously retain up to one second’s worth of frames prior to fully pressing the shutter button — this is great for sports and wildlife shooters who are anticipating an action but don’t know when it will happen. I love the feature on my OM System OM-1 for wildlife photography.
On the video front, the Nikon Z8 does not disappoint, with video specifications unmatched by any other hybrid camera on the market. Full pixel readout allows for 8K UHD video at up to 30p, and sub-sampled 4K UHD is available up to 4K 120p, both in 10-bit 4:2:0 H.265. ProRes RAW HQ is also available (internally!) at sub-sampled 12-bit 4.1K (up to 60p) or full pixel readout 5.4K (up to 30p, APS-C crop). Finally, Nikon’s 12-bit N-RAW allows for 8.2K at up to 60p, 5.4K APS-C crop up to 60, sub-sampled 4.1K up to 120p, and UHD 4K at 120p with a 2.3x crop. N-Log gamma is available in all modes and codecs except for H.264, and Hybrid Log Gamma is available in H.265. While the Z8 can’t record RAW video for the whopping 2 hours and 5 minutes of its bigger brother, it is still capable of a very respectable 90 minutes. I suspect using the Nikon MB-N12 Vertical Grip would extend this somewhat, as might your shooting environment.
The Z8’s 493-point phase detection autofocus — which can focus down to -9 EV (with an f/1.2 lens) in Starlight mode — combined with its stacked sensor and new EXPEED 7 processor make the Z8 one of the best-performing cameras on the market for autofocus speed, tracking, and accuracy.
There just isn’t much to complain about here. Some critics complain about the 3.69m-dot EVF, which is lower resolution than the EVFs of many other high-end cameras, but Nikon’s EVFs are as good as any I’ve used. The EVF is crystal clear with a high 0.8x magnification and is always at its highest resolution and magnification no matter what — many other cameras, like the Sony Alpha 1, drop their resolution and magnification at higher frame rates, making the reported specs mostly applicable only to playback and menu.
In short, you simply can’t go wrong here. At its unbeatable price point of $3,999 (given its specifications), high resolution, low native ISO of 64, high dynamic range, exceptional performance, and unmatched video features, it is the clear pick for the best full-frame hybrid camera.
Best Budget Full-Frame Hybrid Camera: Panasonic Lumix S5 II or S5 IIx
Panasonic didn’t come to play when it released its second generation of the popular Panasonic S5 cameras. One of the highlight features of the new Panasonic S5 II was the completely revamped autofocus system, which, for the first time in a Panasonic camera, finally features phase detection autofocus. And Panasonic’s first outing with PDAF was no smaller success — it’s genuinely excellent, rivaling Canon, Sony, and the Nikon Z8/Z9 in many situations.
The Panasonic S5 II features a 24.2MP BSI full-frame sensor, 779 phase detection autofocus points, up to 30 fps full-resolution shooting with the electronic shutter, a 3.68m-dot OLED EVF with 0.78x magnification, 3.0” 1.84m-dot vari-angle touchscreen, dual UHS-II SD card slots, full-size HDMI port, and 5-axis IBIS rated for up to 6.5 stops when using Dual I.S. 2 with appropriate lenses.
On the video side, open-gate 6K 10-bit 4:2:0 recording is available up to 29.97p, 6K and 4K DCI, 4K APS-C crop up to 59.94p, and 3.3K APS-C anamorphic up to 50p are available internally in H.265 and H.264. Gamma curves like V-Log, Hybrid Log Gamma, and Cinelike D2/V2 are available, with V-Log featuring dual native ISOs of 640 and 4000. Other unique video features like shutter angles, vectorscopes, waveforms, and anamorphic desqueeze are also included. The camera also offers the ability to import LUTs (Look Up Tables) in the industry standard .cube format, which can be used only for preview or applied directly to the recorded footage.
The Panasonic S5 IIx, which runs $200 more than the regular S5 II, adds RAW video output via HDMI, internal ProRes capture (422 and 422 HQ), direct recording to an external SSD via USB-C and ALL-Intra codecs. While S5 II owners can purchase an upgrade for RAW video output, the upgrade costs the same as the difference between the S5 II and S5 IIx — if you want that or any of the other features the S5 IIx offers, just buy it.
Panasonic cameras have always been a great place to look for powerhouse hybrid cameras. However, the S5 II and S5 IIx up the ante by integrating PDAF and removing the issues that Panasonic’s DFD autofocus presented.
Best Bang-For-Your-Buck Hybrid Camera: Fujifilm X-S20
Released earlier this year in March, the Fujifilm X-S20 stunned many with some rather unexpected features, particularly on the video front. The Fujifilm X-S10 was already an outstanding stills camera for its price point, so Fujifilm took things to the next level with the X-S20, making it one of the best budget cameras on the market.
The Fujifilm X-S20 features a 26MP X-Trans BSI sensor, 5-axis IBIS CIPA-rated up to 7 stops, a 3.0” fully articulating touchscreen with 1.84m-dots, 2.36m-dot OLED EVF, hybrid contrast and phase detection autofocus, a single UHS-II card slot, and a larger, upgraded battery which is CIPA-rated for 750 shots using the LCD. On the stills side, the X-S20 shoots up to 20 RAW frames per second with the electronic shutter (30 fps with a 1.25x crop). It has an excellent autofocus system thanks to the new X-Processor 5 and improved autofocus algorithm inherited from the Fujifilm X-H2s.
Video is where the X-S20 really surprises for the money. Internal H.264 ALL-Intra, H.264 Long GOP, H.265 ALL-Intra, H.265 Long GOP are all available in both 8 and 10-bit 4:2:0 and 4:2:2. DCI 4K is available up to 59.94p, along with DCI 2K and Full HD at up to 240p.
It doesn’t end there. Unique to a camera at this price point, the Fujifilm X-S20 offers 6.2K open-gate recording up to 29.97p in various codec flavors. Furthermore, ProRes RAW and Blackmagic RAW output are available via HDMI — unfortunately, the camera only has a micro-HDMI port. Still, this is quite a feature at this price level! Fujifilm also includes the new F-Log2 gamma curve for maximum dynamic range, and the camera is compatible with the Fujifilm FAN-001 to extend video recording limits.
Best Hybrid Camera for Vloggers: Sony ZV-E10
While many of the cameras on this list are focused on more serious video users — those making narrative, documentary, commercial, or other types of work — there is an ever-growing number of folks getting into vlogging. These cameras typically have different requirements from a camera like the Nikon Z8 — price and size perhaps being the two most important.
A great vlogging camera also requires excellent autofocus tracking, a flip-out LCD screen, a great selection of wider-angle lenses, and, ideally, some quality audio capabilities. In my opinion, things like a full-frame sensor and incredibly high dynamic range are of lesser concern, at least for most users.
The Sony ZV-E10 fulfills most of these requirements and, perhaps unsurprisingly, is explicitly built with vloggers in mind. Featuring a 24.2MP APS-C sensor, BIONZ X processor, and a 425-point Fast Hybrid AF system that covers 84% of the sensor field, the ZV-E10 is a vlogging powerhouse at only $698 for the body. Sony’s Real-time Eye AF and Real-time AI tracking are one of the camera’s best features, allowing users to focus on creating content without concern about whether the autofocus is keeping up. Real-time Eye AF can prioritize human and animal eyes and produce seamless, real-time focus on moving subjects.
Full pixel readout with 6K oversampling produces finely detailed 4K UHD footage with no recording limit. A special S&Q (Slow & Quick) mode lets users choose frame rates between 1 and 120 frames per second in 1080p Full HD. Both S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma curves are available, as is HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma). The ZV-E10 also offers specialized video modes such as Product Showcase, which uses AI for smooth autofocus transitions between a subject’s face and an object that’s placed in front of the lens. Face-Priority AE (Autoexposure) smoothly adjusts exposure on a subject’s face and is even able to avoid abrupt exposure changes if a subject quickly turns away from the camera. Refined color science is offered to optimize skin tones, and Soft Skin Effect can be engaged to soften and smooth wrinkles or blemishes on a subject’s face — this effect can be tweaked to the user’s preference.
The ZV-E10 also features a 3-capsule directional mic integrated into its top plate, which is specifically designed for recording audio in front of the camera. The camera comes supplied with a windscreen for cleaner outdoor audio. A traditional 3.5mm mic jack and a headphone jack are also available for users who require more serious audio recording. The camera also sports Sony’s Multi Interface Shoe, which supports certain digital audio devices for superior audio recording, such as the Sony ECM-M1 Compact Digital Shotgun Microphone.
A front tally light to let the user know they’re recording and a USB-C port, which allows for live-streaming and tethering, round out most of the camera’s main features.
On the stills side, the camera lacks nothing except an EVF — so all image preview and review must be done with the rear LCD. But the ZV-E10’s 24.2MP APS-C sensor is a stellar performer, and the camera is capable of up to 11 fps in RAW. All of the features available for video, such as Real-time Eye AF, are also available when shooting stills.
Sony also offers a quite robust selection of APS-C lenses — the best outside of Fujifilm — especially with the many third-party offerings. The Tamron 11-20/2.8 Di III-A RXD (16-25mm FF-equivalent) is an excellent option for vloggers needing a fast wide-angle lens, and the Sigma 18-50/2.8 DC DN Contemporary (27-75mm FF-equivalent) is a fantastic, lightweight normal range zoom for Sony APS-C cameras.
Best Hybrid Camera for Low Light: Sony Alpha 7S III
Sony’s Alpha 7S line has always been geared toward video users, with the low-light capabilities being touted in particular. The Sony Alpha 7S III followed in the footsteps of its predecessors with a 12MP full-frame sensor, though this time, it uses a 48MP BSI quad-Bayer sensor with 2×2 binning for improved dynamic range. 12 megapixels may not seem great these days for stills shooters, but it is enough for those who only post online or don’t need super large prints with ultra-fine detail. I still have and occasionally use my Nikon D700 and Nikon D3 (also 12MP), and I have taken some of my best photos with that camera.
The lower megapixel count has several advantages, most notably the sensor’s extremely fast readout speed, which allows for 4K at up to 120 frames per second, making this the only full-frame hybrid camera to shoot 4K at 120fps without a crop. The fast readout also enables the camera to produce the lowest rolling shutter of any full-frame hybrid camera on the market at under 9ms, and the large pixels also make the camera a low-light beast. The Alpha 7S III, like many of today’s cameras, features a dual gain sensor, with the first base ISO at 640 and the second base ISO sitting at a staggering ISO 12,800 in S-Log2 / S-Log 3; in Hybrid Log Gamma, those values are ISO 100 and ISO 2000. As far as stills photography goes, the camera has a base ISO of 80 with a second gain at ISO 1600.
Most excitingly, the dynamic range at ISO 12,800 is virtually the same as the dynamic range at ISO 640. Though some of this is undoubtedly due to internal noise reduction, the Alpha 7S III still produces very detailed footage.
Rounding out some of the best features for both video and stills users are dual card slots — both supporting UHS-II SD or CFexpress Type-A, a full-size HDMI Type-A port, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, Multi Interface Shoe, extensive weather-sealing, and a speedy hybrid AF system with Real-time AF Tracking and 759 phase-detection points that cover 92% of the sensor. It also features Sony’s unmatched 9.44m-dot EVF with an enormous 0.9x magnification and a high 25mm eye point.
Best Hybrid Drone: DJI Mavic 3 Pro and DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine
DJI dominates the consumer and prosumer drone industry, and there’s a reason for that: it makes damn good drones. I own the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, which is an exceptional piece of equipment, but I can’t lie and say I don’t yearn for its successor, the fantastic DJI Mavic 3 Pro, and its slightly upgraded sibling, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine. The Mavic 3 Pro brings tons of new and great features to the table, and most notable are its advancements in photography and videography features.
Up from the Type-1 size sensor in the Mavic 2 Pro, the Mavic 3 Pro’s primary camera sports a 4/3 size sensor with 20MP of resolution. A 24mm full-frame equivalent lens sits in front of the sensor, with an aperture adjustable from f/2.8 to f/11. Like the Mavic 2 Pro, this camera is Hasselblad branded and offers the phenomenal Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS). The Hasselblad branding isn’t just a marketing point — the HNCS produces the same natural and highly accurate colors in the company’s medium format cameras.
In addition to the much larger sensor, the Mavic 3 Pro adds two new cameras: a 70mm (equivalent) f/2.8 lens paired with a 48MP Type-1/1.3 and a 166mm (equivalent) f/3.4 lens mated with a 12MP Type-1/2 sensor.
The 24mm camera offers 5.1K video at up to 50 fps in 10-bit 4:2:2 H.265 (H.264 is also available). The Cine version goes a step further by offering 10-bit ProRes 422 HQ (ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 LT are also available). DCI 4K is also on tap at up to 120 fps and 1080 HD at up to 200 fps. The 24mm camera also supports D-Log, D-Log M, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) for those who want to have maximum latitude in post. The 70mm and 166mm cameras offer 4K UHD recording at up to 60 fps in H.264, H.265, and the various ProRes flavors.
Both cameras are rated for 43 minutes of maximum flight time (37 minutes of hovering time), and the maximum horizontal speed of either is 46.98 miles per hour (21 meters per second). They both offer internal memory, with the Mavic 3 Pro sporting 8GB of storage, while the Cine version provides significantly more at 1TB.
For a more thorough review and details about the performance of the Mavic 3 Pro, check out PetaPixel’s review of the Cine version.
Farmer’s market to host art project on Saturday
Artist Patrick McMahon Talks Dedicating Time to His Creative Practice
The painter talks about his upcoming projects and the piece of D.C. maybe only he will miss.
We spoke with 15 innovative creators around D.C. to learn more about their work. Check out the full roundup here.
Artist Patrick McMahon, a native Washingtonian, has been painting for years, but decided this year to dedicate more time to his creative practice. We caught up with him about prioritizing art, where he goes for inspiration and how he explains the art world in D.C.
District Fray: What made you focus on prioritizing your work this year?
McMahon: What really changed for me this year was signing a lease on a studio. I’ve always made work in the margins of my life — weird hours, working out of an improvised space in my apartment or my parents’ carport — that kind of thing. A studio puts the pressure on me in a positive way; it challenges me to really make a go at this stuff, to justify taking up space. Also, it’s great to make messes in a place that is not your home. Highly recommend.
What project are you really excited about right now?
I’m in the talking stage with a client who wants me to paint his chimney (not an innuendo). I love a creative challenge, a unique or difficult space, something that makes me adapt — and this is that.
Where do you go in D.C. when you need inspiration?
The West wing of the National Gallery of Art is a special place for me; seeing Barnett Newman’s “Stations of the Cross” in the tower was one of the experiences that made me want to focus on art, and that showed me what painting was capable of. I’m also drawn to the great architecture we have here, especially — I’m sorry in advance — all the Brutalism. A late afternoon walk in the concrete and the shadows? That’s all I need. I am probably the only person in this city who will miss the Hoover Building when it’s razed.
Favorite art gallery that helped your work?
The place that launched me was live/workspace Hole in the Sky. It’s not an exaggeration to say that everything I know about being a working artist I learned there — before I first showed there in 2015, I’d never introduced myself to anyone as an artist, talked about my work in a serious way or sold anything. That all changed there. They were forced to close their doors last summer for good, and I miss them.
How would you explain the art scene in D.C. right now?
This can be a tough city to be an artist. Rent is high, studio space is hard to come by; I feel like most of my artist friends have loose or firm plans to leave at some point. That said, I also believe deeply that you owe it to yourself to try to create the scene you want to see and I’m not giving up yet. DM me your event or your open call.
Keep up with McMahon’s work by following him on Instagram @patrickmcmahon.art.
Looking for local artists and creators to follow? Join the District Fray community for exclusive access to content made and curated by some of the city’s most talented residents. Become a member and support local journalism today.
What Can Wedding Photographers Do About the Engagement Gap? |
Generally, you can expect relative stability in the amount of couples needing wedding photography services, at least across short to medium periods of time. However, the COVID pandemic was an unprecedented hit to the industry that resulted in less couples getting engaged in subsequent years, meaning that a few years later, we are seeing a drop in those couples getting married, placing strain on wedding photographers. What can wedding shooters do to weather the lull? This helpful video tutorial offers a range of great ideas and advice.
Coming to you from John Branch IV Photography, this excellent video tutorial discusses the current “engagement gap.” While there is a ton of great advice in the video, perhaps the most salient point is to remember that this is not forever. The world has largely recovered from COVID in terms of social interaction, which means we can reasonably expect dating and relationship trends to recover and engagement and wedding bookings to subsequently recover. In the meantime, photographers should absolutely take proactive steps to protect themselves, but also should not become overly discouraged, as this won’t last forever. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
If you would like to continue to learn about wedding photography, be sure to check out “How To Become A Professional Commercial Wedding Photographer With Lee Morris and Patrick Hall!”
The Armory Show, in a Back-to-School Edition
Art fairs come early, tailoring their calendars to compete with the city’s big fall gallery and museum exhibitions. A critic’s 11 favorite booths.
It’s back to school in the art world. The fall season, historically characterized by a deluge of new exhibitions, now includes art fairs that have tailored their schedules to coincide with the first wave of gallery and museum openings. The Armory Show, the mega-fair making its third fall appearance at the Javits Center, offers 225 galleries from 35 countries, a far cry from its humble beginnings in 1994 with art works propped on the beds at the Gramercy Hotel. (But even mega-fairs can be absorbed by larger entities: In July, London-based Frieze acquired the Armory Show and Expo Chicago.)
The current Armory Show also boasts a curriculum of live talks, offsite installations and even a curatorial leadership summit that gives the impression of an academic conference. The purpose of the fairs remains commerce and bolstering market values, though. So there is a lot of painting, that perennially sellable commodity. Surrealism and Cubism are touchstones here and figurative painting dominates. Amid the sea of purchasable wares, however, are some extraordinary stories, histories and insights. While last year’s fair skewed toward Latin America, this year Indigenous artists are everywhere, and the overview is global. Here are a handful among the many booths that deserve mention, even if you’re only window shopping.
Jean Shin (Platform, 11)
Platform is a lozenge-shaped area in the middle of the fair given over to projects organized by the curator Eva Respini under the theme “Rewriting Histories.” A standout here, presented by Boston’s Praise Shadows Art Gallery, is Jean Shin’s “Huddled Masses” (2020), which features three outcroppings inspired by scholar’s rocks in Zen gardens. Look closer though and the rock-forms are encrusted with mobile phones from the last 20 years, surrounded by a mangle of computer cables. Where traditional scholar’s rocks and Zen gardens promoted mental and spiritual clarity, here your mind wanders to e-waste (which is what Shin’s materials actually are) and what it means to meditate in an age of endless distraction.
Artists Space (Booth N10)
Over at the nonprofit Artists Space, Drake Carr will be drawing friends and family in a booth outfitted to resemble a cozy capsule-size New York apartment. Carr’s work customarily involves what he calls “Housecalls”: drawing and painting his subjects in their habitats. Here, his invited portrait sitters will bring personal items to include in the drawings. Since Carr is inspired by fashion illustration and many of his subjects are in the fashion industry, a common thread running through his work concerns what people wear and how that shapes identity and community.
56 Henry (Booth P36)
Nearby is another local artist and gallery, LaKela Brown at 56 Henry, with sculptures and wall reliefs that use sly humor to celebrate and memorialize African American history and hip-hop culture. Stark white plaster and resin are used to cast corn, okra, collard greens and jewelry like rope chains and chunky “door knocker” earrings. When Brown titles them “African/American Still Life,” the allusion to art history is solidified but the unpainted white plaster sculptures also have a deadpan delivery, as if the life were sucked out of the vegetables.
Patel Brown (Booth F12)
It’s hard to miss the giant earth-colored figure crawling out of the Canadian gallery Patel Brown’s booth. Made of polymer clay, synthetic hair and other materials, the humanoid creature wears a mask — or perhaps its face is a mask. Made by Marigold Santos and Rajni Perera, the sculpture suggests deities and mythological figures from the artists’ cultures (Santos is from the Philippines and Perera from Sri Lanka), as well as life-changing experiences like motherhood. In their hands, art also becomes a place to create hybrids or new “Indigenous” sprites and spirits, drawing from imagined, imperiled or lost ones.
Zielinsky (Booth F28)
Among the solid historical presentations this fall are the performance photographs of a Brazilian artist, Vera Chaves Barcellos, at the Barcelona gallery Zielinsky, in the Focus section of the fair curated by Candice Hopkins. Barcellos’s “On ice” (1978) series captures the artists Flávio Pons and Cláudio Goulart whirling around on a frozen lake in Amsterdam, while “Keep Smiling” (1977) is a grid of photographs featuring the artist and her friends with identity tags hung around their necks. Residing somewhere between portraits and mug shots, the project commented on how to survive under the military dictatorship in Brazil.
Nature Morte (Booth 218)
Nature Morte is the well-regarded New Delhi gallery started by the American artist Peter Nagy over two decades ago. The booth has a healthy roundup of his stable of artists — often a boring fair format — but which offers a window into new art in India. Of particular note is a gorgeous wall hanging by Sagarika Sundaram, “Iris” (2023), made of wool, silk and bamboo silk. Fiber arts have been in the spotlight in recent years — along with ceramics and other media historically considered “craft” — and Sundaram’s lush composition, mimicking the folds of a flower, is an excellent example of why sewn, woven, knotted and knitted objects hold such interest, particularly in an age when “software” generally means something cold and digital.
Fridman Gallery (Booth F15)
I will profess to being a Milford Graves fanatic. The late jazz percussionist, artist and Bennington professor — a native of Queens, New York — was a visionary who invented his own martial art called Yara, based on praying mantis movements, African dance and the Lindy Hop. His assemblage at Fridman Gallery, “Bikongo-Ifá: Spirit of the Being” (2020) includes tabla drums, an acupuncture model, an African Nkondi figure, computer monitors showing heart readings — and a whole lot of other curious stuff. Graves is paired with Remy Jungerman, whose collage-paintings mix patterns drawn from Surinamese Maroon culture with 20th-century modernist planes and grids.
Ingleby Gallery (Booth 419)
And then there was more painting. How to choose between the hundreds, maybe even thousands of canvases here? Lorna Robertson’s paintings at Ingleby Gallery of Edinburgh stand out because they are bright, playful, colorful — and commandingly large. But they are also smart, taking a century and a half of revolutionary art — including Impressionist pastels and expressionist gestures and drips, Symbolist dreaminess and oddball feminist stridency (think Florine Stettheimer or Jutta Koether) — and sticking them into a blender. What comes out is bold but approachable. It draws you in, then whips you around a little bit.
Maruani Mercier (Booth 401)
The Black model in figurative painting has been one of the reigning modes of the last decade. (The Obama portraits were the tip of the iceberg.) A good example in this context is Kwesi Botchway at the Belgian gallery Maruani Mercier. Botchway’s dramatic “Flower Boy” (2023) series of paintings contrast dark skin with deep red backgrounds, lips and eyes. The young man in the paintings, holding a fragile spray of flowers, looks at turns peaceful and demonically possessed — an apt depiction of paradoxical youth perhaps, but also a potential comment on the politics of race and representation.
Charlie James Gallery (Booth S8)
Farmworkers are the primary subjects of the Oaxaca-born, California-based Narsiso Martinez’s paintings on cardboard boxes at the Los Angeles gallery Charlie James. Their humanity, individuality and warmth are particularly highlighted. Martinez plays around with art-historical references too: saints’ halos in religious paintings are echoed in golden bar codes framing the heads; a still life is served up as a fruitful offering by a smiling figure. Painted on shipping boxes for bananas, there’s also a sense of the absurd embedded within his poignant activism.
Martin Art Projects (Booth P27)
Then there is the Sudan-born, Cairo-based artist Salah Elmur, whose back story is almost as captivating as his haunting Cubo-Surrealist paintings on view at the Cape Town gallery Martin Art Projects. Elmur’s father had a photography business in Khartoum and his family possesses an archive of approximately 20,000 photographs from which he draws his subjects — often the “degraded” photos with double exposures and other flaws. Next to one painting, “Red and White Rose” (2023), is a corresponding photograph of two women. The canvas itself is an oasis of calm and gentle connection, a reminder that painting can serve this purpose in places of tumult, whether war-torn countries or commercial art fairs.
The Armory Show
Opens to the public Friday through Sunday, Javits Center, 429 11th Avenue, Manhattan, (212) 645-6440; thearmoryshow.com.
Good Medicine exhibit at Anchorage Museum features indigenous healers and medicine people
The knowledge work and art of indigenous healers and medicine people in Alaska is being featured at the Anchorage Museum. Good Medicine is a multidisciplinary exhibit and includes paintings, illustrations, a medicine wheel, a women’s house, and a men’s house–which are traditionally used for healing, teaching, and meetings.
Meda DeWitt, whose Lingít names are Khaat kłaat and Tśa Tsée Naakw, is a Lingít healer and curator of the exhibit. She said the show is both about healing and is healing in itself, holding space for traditional healers to be seen and to speak. That’s in contrast to colonization’s attempts to erase Alaska Native culture and traditional healing practices. DeWitt said healers were targeted during colonization because of the ways they protected people.
“You have to remove the medicine people, the spiritual leaders and the traditional healers,” said DeWitt. “And so, many folks were sent to insane asylums, or penitentiaries, or they were just taken out into the woods and just went missing, never came back, or out into the ocean.”
She said for decades Alaska Native people were forbidden from practicing traditional healing so people are now choosing ways to adapt the practice to contemporary life.
“We have to first fully articulate who we were pre contact and understand that to then be able to understand how to adapt it so that we are 21st century indigenous people on our own terms,” said DeWitt.
Ultimately, DeWitt said that acknowledging the trauma and pain of colonization is part of a cultural healing process that will help create a better future.
“Let’s not whitewash history,” said DeWitt. “Let’s just bring it out, talk about it, and work as a community together to seek healing and repair of those relationships and historic events. So that way, our future generations don’t have to carry on that burden any longer.”
Good Medicine will be up through spring of next year. Parts of the exhibit are fixed and there’s a rotating component that will feature new healers and artists every month or two. In March 2024, there will be a fire ceremony. People can write down their intentions for something they either want to let go or bring into their life. Those papers can be placed in a box in the exhibit to be burned in the ceremony.
RELATED: Kake resident finds healing by crafting traditional Lingít cedar roses
Art Beat: Straw Photography
Most of us just pick up a cell phone camera and shoot. It’s easy. But not John Shen. He built his own camera and uses a traditional dark room – remember those? Born in China, and a longtime resident of New Zealand, Shen later immigrated to Rhode Island. Shen brings an expanded view to his art as a way of finding his own identity in the world. He’ll be part of the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency program in Vicksburg, Michigan, this September.
A conversation with John Shen
Listen • 16:44
Shen says the camera he built is made with a view through 28,000 straws that creates unique images.
“It creates a 16- by 20-inch image, and it took me a year to hand-glue each one of those straws,” Shen says. “Imagine if you stack a bunch of straws and then bundle them up, that’s what it is. And that’s the only thing there in the camera to produce an image. It’s very similar to a pin-hole camera, for people who may be familiar with that process. But instead of a single hole, there are 28,000.”
Courtesy of the artist
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John Shen
He says the only way to get an image through these holes is to have the camera directly in line with the subject Shen is trying to capture.
“The reason why I built this is because we take photographs using direct-positive photo paper,” Shen says. “It’s a paper that is sensitive to light that I put behind the camera. If you imagine these straws, a huge square bundle, and you look through them, the image will pass through the whole of the straws. And then when I take the photograph—it’s normally done in a completely dark room—then I will affix the paper to one side of the straws on a wooden backing.”
Using a flash to expose the paper and developing it in a dark room, the resulting images have something of a pixelated quality, like the “pointillism” style in painting.
Another influence on Shen’s work is his multi-cultural background, having lived in different countries and different cultures.
“Being a third-culture kid, neither from here nor there, it’s a thing where, if I go back to China where I was born, people will say, ‘You’re not Chinese anymore’,” he says. “They says, ‘You’re a foreigner, you’re a New Zealander.’ Then in New Zealand, you see that you don’t necessarily don’t fully become immersed or accepted. It’s something that my work tries to explore. That’s why in my current residency, I’m doing a lot of portraiture and thinking about the ideas of subjectivity in the portrait and identity.”
Shen will be artist-in-residence at the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency in Vicksburg, Michigan, during September 2023.
Listen to WMUK’s Art Beat every Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.
Ray Matthews Photography Retrospective: Celebrating the Visionary Artist of the Outer Banks
By Submitted Story on September 7, 2023
“Late Afternoon at Nags Head Pier” By Ray Matthews
The Don and Catharine Bryan Cultural Series is honored to announce the Ray Matthews Photography Retrospective, a remarkable exhibition paying homage to the enduring legacy of one of the Outer Banks’ most celebrated photographers. Ray Matthews, who dedicated his life to capturing the coastal beauty of the Outer Banks, will be remembered through this captivating showcase of his work.
Event Details:
- Exhibition Dates: September 12 to October 7, 2023
- Opening Reception:September 12, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Gallery Hours:Tuesday – Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Friday 11: a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Location:Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery, 210 E Driftwood St, Nags Head, NC
Ray Matthews’ lens captured the heart and soul of the Outer Banks in a way that few could. His dedication to the craft of photography and his profound connection to the region resulted in breathtaking images that have left a lasting impression on all who have had the privilege of viewing his work.
The opening reception on September 12, 2023, promises to be a special evening filled with the opportunity to immerse yourself in Matthews’ masterpieces. Join us as we celebrate the life and artistry of Ray Matthews and explore the beauty of the Outer Banks through his lens. The reception runs from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and is free and open to all.
This retrospective is a free event, open to the public, and a unique chance to experience the coastal charm and natural splendor that Matthews so brilliantly captured. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of this extraordinary tribute to an artist whose work continues to inspire and resonate.
Towne Bank of Currituck, OBX Chevrolet Buick, Ramada Plaza Hotel of Kill Devil Hills, and Hilton Garden Inn of Kitty Hawk provide substantial support for this cultural offering of events.
The Bryan Cultural Series is a non-profit organization formed in 2012. The board of directors is composed of nine community leaders dedicated to offering a series of high-quality cultural events. These events will include a variety of visual, literary, and performing arts. The board strives to glean from the talent that has attained regional as well as national recognition to maintain a high standard.
Ememem Playfully Revitalizes Cracked Pavement With Vibrantly Patterned Tiles
Lyon, France. All images © Ememem, shared with permission
No crack in a wall, step, or curb is safe from Ememem’s delightful interventions. The Lyon-based artist (previously), also known as “the pavement surgeon,” continues to scout out gaps in sidewalks that he fills with colorful tiles. Akin to kintsugi, the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold to embrace the history of the object, Ememem’s technique doesn’t hide imperfections so much as highlight their possibilities. While making the surfaces safer to traverse, he adds gives new life to decaying urban walkways.
Find more of the artist’s work on his website, and keep track of new pieces on Instagram.
Corse, France
Decazeville, France
Arles, France
Marseille, France
Modena, Italy
Nantua, France
Paris, France
Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb, Croatia
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