120 Ingraham St.

Brooklyn NY 11237

www.temporarystorage.brooklynfireproof.com

+1 718 456 7570

December 13- 17

Reception Thursday, December 16 6 to 9pm

PANORAMIC BIRD’S-EYE VIEW

Curated by Yasmina Khan

New work by

JACK HENRY

YASMINA KHAN
ANDREW ROSS

SARAH LAING

Untitled, Jack Henry, 2010

December 12-17, 2010

RECEPTION  December 16^th, 2010 6 – 9pm

Through this exhibition we hope to explore the art object as it describes physical spaces. The artists in this exhibition are working towards a space that is both natural and constructed. To this end, they are marking anthropomorphic objects, topographical visions, accretions of debris, mechanical organic forms, and conversing between the intimate scale of biological units and the immense scale of the universe. Some of the works contain abstract forms at model size, which may seem shrunken from a monumental to human scale, therefore appearing subject to the work of the human hand. Their weight in a way measured by the evidence of labor, even proportionally, as in how much hand covers this object?

Untitled, Andrew Ross, 2010

Untitled, Yasmina Khan, 2010

Untitled, Yasmina Khan, 2010

TEMPORARY STORAGE
SCENE UNSEEN
Stephen Lipuma
November 12-December 12, 2010
Opening reception: Friday, November 12, 8-10 pm
Gallery Hours: Weekdays (by appointment only), Saturday + Sunday 12-5 pm
120 Ingraham St. Brooklyn, NY 11237

Temporary Storage is proud to present its first exhibition of photographs and video by Stephen Lipuma. “Scene Unseen” is comprised of several series of color photographs documenting his travels through Catalonia, the American west coast, and the quiet margins of South Brooklyn. Sightseeing with a contemplative approach, Lipuma’s subtle investigations into the details of the everyday, the local, reveal the gestures in between acts. The series examines the moments in which unsuspecting subjects feel liberated from the attention of the casual observer.

The artist’s recent travels through Catalonia broadcast scenes from a town that is accustomed to catering to the tourist industry. The stands at the market overflow with remnants of a provincial lifestyle, awaiting the arrival of the next wave of visitors in pursuit of a token of authenticity. More images reveal the empty landmarks and scenic postcard views as shells of bustling seasonal activity, photographed by busloads of passersby for decades. The photos in “Catalonia” were taken after the tourists have left, when these tableaus are desolate before the next tour group arrives to discover it all over again.

The “West Coast” series documents the landscapes of small towns dotting the American west coast. The landscapes, either with a single person or devoid of people entirely, highlights the barren landscapes of the California deserts. The midday sun is brutal and isolating, a realist perspective of the sunny California skies. The mythic American west is recalled by the painterly feel of the images’ skies, trapping the images somewhere halfway between documentary photos and daydream.

Lipuma’s images of an aging Brooklyn neighborhood serve as portraits of abandoned storefronts and longtime residents, dignifying them without sentimentality. The weathered neighborhoods document another side of an otherwise quickly gentrifying part of New York City; they resemble a beach town or seasonal destination. The vacant scenes in the photographs and Lipuma’s short film, “Chinese Clothesline”, characterize the last outskirts
of Brooklyn that have yet to be gentrified.

Stephen Lipuma is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His photography has been featured in numerous publications and periodicals. He is based in Brooklyn.

Temporary Storage is a gallery and project space within Brooklyn Fire Proof, an arts complex in East Williamsburg/ Bushwick.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT INFO@BROOKLYNFIREPROOF.COM

"Plum Beach, Brooklyn", 2009 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Red Dog, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Dad's Hideaway, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Crab Girl, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Full Cable, Brooklyn", 2009 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Standard Garage, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Stolen Car, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Paper Cuts, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Coney Swamp, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Coyote Ugly (West Coast 1), Hollywood", 2005 (11 x 14) Chromogenic C- Print

"Eureka Man, (West Coast 2), Northern California", 2005 (11 x 14) Chromogenic C- Print

"Mowing, (West Coast 3) Northern California", 2005 (11 x 14) Chromogenic C- Print

"Standard Garage, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Something for a Long Drive (West Coast 5), Washington", 2005 (11 x 14) Chromogenic C- Print

"Camp Espanol, Catalonia", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Road Warrior, Catalonia", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Draped in Gold, Barcelona", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Chicken Roasted, Barcelona", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Thai Bikes, Bangkok", 2008 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Hand in Bus, Bangkok", 2008 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

"Birdwatcher Now!, Barcelona", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

Photography is a way to shake off social inhibitions and cross boundaries; many photographers say they feel emboldened when holding a camera.  Do you agree with that sentiment?

It’s funny, I have never used my camera as a way to connect with people. I am a pretty social person and often can speak to complete strangers as if I’ve known them for years. Both my grandfathers were like this, but in very different ways. My Irish grandfather could have sold snake oil, he was so charming and affable. He spent his younger days chasing Nazis through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. He was handsome, charming and had a gift for the gab. My Italian grandfather was much more of an observer. He carried himself with class and dignity, but spoke very few words.

With that said, he had all of my brothers hitting proper in the backyard, tossing us baseballs. Both men were both New Yorkers and both worked for the city indirectly. My Irish grandfather was a New York City bus driver and my Italian grandfather was a New York City cab driver. So, I think connecting with people, conversation, was something that I was born with.  I think my camera is just an extra appendage. If anything, it’s a tool I use to share things with family and friends. For example, when I get back from traveling I Iike to tell stories. I am fortunate enough to travel with a camera most of the time, so my photos help to illustrate my anecdotes.

"Draped in Gold, Barcelona", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

Do you feel any sort of, perhaps not direct relationship, but maybe responsibility, to someone when you are photographing them?  Is there a difference in style when you’re photographing someone that you know as opposed to a stranger?

I think all photographers have a responsibility to their subjects to portray them honestly, whether that means they are shown in either a positive or negative light, but you have to show them as they truly are. I think trying to make beauty out of something that is not beautiful is wrong. With that said, it is important for me to allow my subjects to feel comfortable, which is the most important factor in creating a good portrait.

Personally, I feel more comfortable shooting strangers. There is that immediate rush of the new when someone allows you to photograph them.  It’s a sign that you’ve earned their trust, that they’re willing to take the risk with you.  If I am photographing friends or family, I find it harder to get them to relax in front of me.

"Red Dog, Brooklyn", 2010 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

Would you agree that photography is a way of representing someone in a way that they would never see themselves?

I am not sure I agree with this. Unless you are in a studio with major light control, the subject should be photographed as they truly are at that exact moment. We all have bad days and if one of those days happens to be when you are photographed, then that should come across in the image. In the studio, it’s obviously a lot easier to enhance someone and make them look pretty.  You are there to manufacture a very specific type of image.

Since the very beginning, there has been a history of class consciousness in photography: working class figures tend to be photographed in “their element”, so laborers are shot outside, etc.  Is that something that you notice in your own work?  For example, you’ve taken many shots of strangers outside, specifically in your “Brooklyn” series.  Do they strike you any differently?

I think there is good reason for class consciousness in photography.  The portable camera is the greatest tool for that level of heightened awareness, and it rarely lies. This type of photography is what originally peaked my interest in photography. In recent years, though, it appeals to me less because I think it’s less challenging.  I have debated this exact subject for years. I have done many projects on the working class, but it’s an easy way to tell a story: hard times on someone’s face tells a story.  It tells the same story. Today, I am more into telling a story by showing less. Paul Graham is a major influence on me right now.  A lot of his photographs come off as being simple, but the more I look at them, the more I’m able to see into them.

"Hand in Bus, Bangkok", 2008 (20 x 24) Digital C- Print

Your work shows traces of influence by Stephen Shore and William Eggleston.  What do you empathize with in their styles?  They rely on many classical elements of composition and style, yet they are both considered pioneers of contemporary photography.

The superficial answer would be to say that they both shoot mostly in color.  Shore is the master of composition, and I can imagine he works incredibly slowly. Not only does he use large format cameras, which are clunky and slow, but every inch of his composition is intentional. His landscapes are not only perfect because of his choice of subject matter, but because of the precision of his composition.  I love this about his work.  However, for me I need to be working faster then that.  I rarely spend more than 30 minutes in front of one scene. I think Eggleston works in the same way, shooting 35mm chromes rapidly, but thoroughly. His attention to colors and details always registers at the highest level. I think both play a role in my aesthetics.

“U.S. 97, South Klamath Falls, Oregon, July 21, 1973”, from “Uncommon Places: The Complete Works”, by Stephen Shore

Are there any photographers you identify as modern, or working in a most contemporary style?

Two words: Paul Graham! I can’t elaborate enough on his recent contributions to photography. I think every few years the photography world throws someone new into the fire, and for me Graham has carried the torch in the last decade.

What is it about travel photography that appeals to you?

As a photographer, there is no better way to spend time than exploring a foreign place. I love the new faces and the new terrain. I like the challenge of not speaking a language and trying to communicate through hands and expressions with people. My father packed 5 kids all under the age of 12 on a cross country trip. That created a bug in me that has never left. I like to travel at least once a year. Without that, I go a little stir crazy.

"Television Portrait (Cathy, London)", 1989 (Paul Graham)

All images by Stephen Lipuma unless otherwise noted.

November 6 – 21, 2010

Temporary Storage
120 Ingraham Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11237

Opening reception: Saturday, November 6, 6-10 pm
Closing party (featuring a performance by Tao Lin): November 21, 6-9 pm
Gallery Hours

Temporary Storage Projects kicks off its programming at Brooklyn Fire Proof with AFTER WE MET, a multi-disciplinary exhibition organized by guest curator Claudia Eve Beauchesne, and featuring works by local and international artists.

These days, most relationships are formed and/or maintained online, but our mediated exchanges are still shaped by memories of face to face meetings, and sustained by the prospect of future encounters. AFTER WE MET is an exploration of the ties that can bind two people on a personal level or in an artistic context. Some of the works were made by two artists working in collaboration; others are formal or conceptual representations of interpersonal relationships made by a single artist; others still are remnants of past affiliations, or salvaged fragments of virtual exchanges. The participating artists live in different cities and work in diverse mediums, but their artistic practices and this exhibition are the products of true connections. Shown side by side, the works form a dialogue and become part of a larger conversation. After we met, this is what we made.

Participating Artists:

Bittertang (Michael Loverich & Antonio Torres)

Peter Giang

Shawn Kuruneru

Kristin Loekegaard & Ingvill Sunnby (NOR)

Blaze McKenzie & Jeffrey McKenzie

Dexter Miranda

Must Burn Books (Greem Jellyfish & Diana Ro)

Eduardo Paulo

Bill Sullivan

Dang Trinh & Thanh Truc Trinh (CAN)

Greg Wasserstrom

Hours:

Weekends, 12-6pm, or by appointment (347-262-4135)
*open until 7pm on November 14th for the BETA Spaces festival

For more information, press requests or images,
contact Claudia Eve Beauchesne
at maxellcdr@hotmail.com or 347-262-4135

Bittertang is a Brooklyn-based design farm run by Antonio Torres and Michael Loverich, who strive to bring happiness and pleasure into the built world by referencing that pleasurable world which surrounds us. Bittertang’s work has been published in architectural magazines, and has recently received the Young Architects Prize from the Architectural League. Last October, Bittertang was selected to build their inflatable sukkah in Union Square, New York. (www.bittertang.com)

Peter Giang is a lifestyle photographer based in Queens, NY. His work has been shown in several group exhibitions in New York. A surfer and skateboarder, he wants his photographs to show that, despite all the seriousness and sadness that life may throw your way, the world can still bask in the sunlight of excitement, and an all-around good time can be had by all. (http://petergiang.tumblr.com)

Shawn Kuruneru is a Canadian artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Earlier this year, Kuruneru had a solo exhibition at Night Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. This December, he will be part of the selection show at The Drawing Center in New York. (http://sitekreator.com/shawnkuruneru/shawn_kuruneru_cover.html)

Kristin Loekegaard is a Norwegian artist based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her current work is inspired by low-budget horror films, DIY special effects, Scandinavian esotericism, drone music and soundscapes. Her frequent collaborator, Ingvill Sunnby, is an Oslo-based photographer working in television and video production. This is the first time that their work is shown in New York.

Jeffrey McKenzie is a professional printer based in Oklahoma City, OK. His son, Blaze McKenzie, is a musician and sound engineer in Brooklyn, NY, who has played with several local bands and is about to release the first album by his self-produced music project, The Can’t Tells. This is their first collaboration. (www.myspace.com/canttells)

Dexter Miranda is a graphic designer and artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He coordinates figure drawing and painting sessions at the Brooklyn Artists’ Gym, and was co-curator of the group show The Figure and Other Drawings, held at B.A.G. in the spring of 2010. His multi-disciplinary project, The Face We Make, was part of the exhibition PUBLISHED/SELF-PUBLISHED at Galerie Yves Laroche during the Art POP 2010 festival in Montreal, Canada. (http://drawings.dxtr.com)

Must Burn Books is Diana Ro and Greem Jellyfish, an artist duo creating books, installations, photos and videos. Past collaborations include DRY VAGINA and The Start of Something New. They live and work in New York. (http://werestickingwithyou.com)

Eduardo Paulo is an artist currently based in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and his paintings have been shown in group and solo exhibitions in San Francisco, CA, and in New York. He is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshield Foundation Award. (www.eduardopaulo.com)

Bill Sullivan lives and works in New York. His work has been exhibited and published internationally. Many of his recent works employ various types of re-photography to create new kinds of optical texture. (www.billsullivanworks.com)

Dang Trinh and Thanh Truc Trinh are siblings based in Montreal, Canada. Thanh Truc is a graphic designer, a photographer, and the co-editor of the design magazine Pica. He recently curated the exhibition PUBLISHED/SELF-PUBLISHED at Galerie Yves Laroche during the Art Pop 2010 festival. Dang Trinh is a fashion stylist and consultant for clients including Denis Gagnon, Boutique U&I and Commissaires. Dang and Thanh Truc collaborate frequently on projects combining fashion and fine art photography. (http://thanhtructrinh.blogspot.com)

Greg Wasserstrom is a Brooklyn-based writer, photographer and social critic. He has written for Gawker, Raw Story, and Wonkette, and was awarded the National Mark of Excellence for editorial writing by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2005. (http://gregwasserstrom.com)

Romulus and Remus, 2010, Bittertang

Two Local Kids, Costa Rica, 2010, Peter Giang

Leather, 2010, Shawn Kuruneru

Acidwash Rogues, 2008, Shawn Kuruneru

Untitled, 2010, Kristin Loekegaard & Ingvill Sunnby

Mandala, 2010, Blaze McKenzie & Jeffrey McKenzie

Bernarde and Muxtschefaire, 2009, Must Burn Books

Court #1, 2007, Bill Sullivan

Untitled, 2009, Dang Trinh & Thanh Truc Trinh

Laura’s Sisters, 2007, Greg Wasserstrom

Raj and Adam, 2007, Greg Wasserstrom