Lens Lover

A Cautionary Tale of Hubris

2012-01-26T15:19:00.001-06:00

Here is imagery of my artist book from Emily Martin's Artist Book class from the fall. It's a very long accordion book structure. This book took minimally altered lines of text from June 5th's 2011's New York Times front page. Each page has a line of text and each panel has half of an individual letter that spells out a repeated phrase. The book is unusually long so it was quite difficult to document in full length but you can get a good idea. The traditional colors of paper and type choice is juxtaposed against the text of the book. The book is 72'long open and consists of 18 panels.

Sampler Book

2012-01-22T14:33:00.002-06:00

These images are of a drum-leaf sampler book I made in Emily Martin's Artist Book class this past fall. We spent the first month of the class learning low-rent printmaking processes. Then we were assigned a printmaking process to include in the sampler book. I did the xerox transfer, a method that works best with type (the experiences I had with images were disappointing) so I worked with writing. I wanted it to look somewhat like a stencil and switched the rr's--if you work with transfer methods, you must remember that the letters need to be reversed or else they will be wrong reading--so in homage to this, I jokingly put the r backward. We all got examples of each person's printmaking process: stencils, stamps, gelatin printing, linoleum blocks, home-made stickers, ink-transfers, etc. I bound mine book with handmade paper from an earllier papermaking class.

The Two Body Problem Artist Book

2012-01-10T13:38:00.002-06:00

The Two Body Problem Artist Book

digitally-printed artist book with post-binding, 5.25"x7", 2011

Created within Emily Martin's Artist Book Class

Artist BookDescription

“The Two Body Problem” is a digitally printedartist book with post binding. It actsas an information book on the physics (as well as the current) definition ofthe two body problem: one where a couplehas difficulty finding employment in the same geographical location andtherefore becomes a long-distance couple. The book then becomes a flip book using the physics drawing of the twobody problem to morph into speech bubbles. These speech bubbles then depict my partner and I’s text messages duringour long-distance relationship due to the two body problem. These texts eventually grow and take over thepages before the page goes blank. Thisbook relates to the idea of home in that both my partner and I were creatingour own lives and homes apart while still existing as each other’s home whileapart. We both longed for the end ofthis separation when we could be together again and create our own hometogether. This separation of locationsis depicted in both the front and back cover of the overlapping maps of IowaCity (my home) and Providence (his home) and how the two seemingly disparateplaces overlapped with us.

Artist Statement

The two body problem isa physics problem where two bodies orbit around the same point but nevermeet. This definition is now used to describea common situation where couples are failing to find employment in the samegeographic location, often leading to long-distance relationships in order forthem both to pursue their careers or education. This is a flip book depicting my own two body problem by displaying howmy relationship often used text messages in order to continue. Whether it was everyday trivialities orserious statements, we used texting to stay in touch while apart. We both looked forward to the day when ourseparate homes, locations and lives came together and became one and thesame. The thoughts were always presentfor the day in which we no longer had to describe our lives through texting butcould do it in person again.

"Transmission" is included in a review of the year's arts events

2012-01-03T09:11:00.001-06:00

http://easterniowalife.com/2012/01/01/an-incomplete-and-highly-biased-review-of-recent-visual-art-events-2/

My new work Transmission, is given a positive review in a review of arts events in Eastern Iowa in the last six months.Along with a review of the UICB's open house, the reviewer mentions my project:
"Lindsey Beal crafted cyanotypes in petri dishes of enlarged microscopic images of organisms that cause sexually-transmitted diseases to accompany booklet providing more medicinal information. (Far more elegant and lyrical and redemptive than you might think!)"

My work is mentioned in the Washington Post

2011-12-23T11:09:00.002-06:00

My piece "Gonorrhea" got mentioned in today's Washington Post. In the review of the show (which early the Post had named art opening of the week), my print is mentioned. Take a look.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/petri-dish-exhibit-riffs-on-scientific-themes-with-diverse-media/2011/12/21/gIQAwdQGCP_story.html

University of Iowa Center for the Book Final Project Exhibition

2011-12-06T10:30:00.001-06:00

My final project "Transmission" for my 24 hour certificate at the University of Iowa Center for the Book will be on display this Thursday from 5-7 pm at the University of Iowa's Natural History Museum in Mammal Hall. If you're in the area, please stop by. Here's the information:

Type Specimens: An Exhibition for Final Projects at the UICB
December 8, 5-7 PM
Mammal Hall, University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, Corner of Jefferson and Clinton St, in MacBride Hall, South Entrance, 3rd Floor, Iowa City, IA
Description
You are most cordially invited to an evening of defaced library books, exploding sharks and cyanide-laced STDs.
The final project exhibition includes:
Lindsey Beal's Petri Dishes filled with cyanotypes of STD bacteria
Amelia Bird's Book of Walden marginalia
and Kendra Green's Broadsides about museums
In a Sympathetic setting.

Illusion and Chemistry: The Alternative Process

2011-12-06T10:29:00.001-06:00

One of my wet plates from The Venus Series has been chosen to be on display at the Kiernan Gallery in Lexington, Virginia. The show was juried by Christopher James, who wrote The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, the book on the subject and one that I used religiously for my new project, Transmission. I'm very excited to be a part of the show. Here's the link, I'm number 21.
http://kiernangallery.com/3/Gallery.asp?GalleryID=103686&AKey=8JMSW35S
The show will be at the gallery January 10-February 4.

My work is a part of "Petri Dish"

2011-12-06T10:27:00.001-06:00

Petri Dish
Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center
Exhibition Dates: December 1 - 31
Reception: December 8, 6-8pm; juror talk @7pm

My current in-process body of work is a part of "Petri Dish" at the Target Gallery. If you're in Alexandria, VA stop by and take a look.
My work can also be seen on the postcard:
http://thetargetgallery.blogspot.com/2011/11/petri-dish-workshop-december-9-2-4pm.htmlas well as on the online slideshow:
http://thetargetgallery.blogspot.com/2011/11/petri-dish-opens-december-1-with.html

Poetry of Shadows Installation Images

2011-10-10T11:14:00.002-05:00

http://www.vtphotoworkplace.com/id128.html

These are installation images from The Poetry of Shadow's show I was in at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. My plate can be seen at the 5th from the bottom image. Looked like a great show!

My work on display tommorow at Minnesota Center for Book Arts

2011-10-10T11:08:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow at MCBA

"Reproduction(s): A Comprehensive Guide to Contraceptives" and "Reproduction(s) To-Go: A Pocket Guide to Contraceptives" are both being featured (along with great national & international artists) at An Evening of Fine Wine and Fine Books at the The Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Tomorrow: 10/11 at 6-8:30. Stop on by to check out my books and have a glass of wine!

Transferred: Alternative Processes in Photography at the Target Gallery

2011-10-10T11:08:00.003-05:00

http://www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/target2011/Transferred_Artwork.htm

I will have two alumitypes from The Venus Series on display at the Torpedo Factory Art Center's Target Gallery. The show is titled "Transferred: Alternative Processes in Photography" and will be on display November 5-27, coinciding with FOTOWEEK DC. A reception will be held on November 10th, so if you're around Alexandria, Virginia around that time, please stop by and see the show.

Petri Dishes

2011-09-14T12:51:00.002-05:00

This is a work in process of what I'm hoping to do for my final project at the University of Iowa's Center for the Book. I started the work at Penland and am hoping to finalize/complete it here at Iowa. I'm working with bacteria printing on handmade paper somehow displayed in a petri dish so that viewers can interact with the pieces. The prints are cyanotypes. Wish me luck!

Show & Tell

2011-09-14T12:48:00.001-05:00

That being said, here are examples of what other people made at Penland during Session 5. For a lot of this work, I'm unfamiliar with how it was made but the final product is beautiful. My work is at the top, then paper marbling, green wood sculpture, then natural dyes, natural dyes & weaving, stained glass and tool making. Very inspiring to see what everyone was up to!

Working Images at Penland

2011-09-14T12:45:00.002-05:00

Here's some examples of work done in the studios at Penland. The top ones are letterpress and printmaking. The middle is a demo by Steve Pittelkow demoing papermarbling (amazing!). The last are images of pulling a sheet of paper. It's fun to see some action shots of making art work. We usually always see the final product and the making of is this mysterious, often secretive thing. There's beauty in the making and understanding how something is made too so I thought I'd share these images with you.

Photo Prints on Handmade Paper

2011-09-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

Besides the discs I posted earlier, these are the pieces I created at Penland. All are Van Dyke (brown) or cyanotype (blue). All are on handmade paper, either of cotton, abaca or (very few) kozo. You can see that I worked with very few images but really experimented with those few. The first image was a print on top of a water mark that popped out in the wash bath--a very fortunate mistake that made the image better. The next three are van dykes and cyanotypes of wet plate collodion images of my Venus Series. A finger print. A van dyke on abaca and cyanotype on cotton of an STI bacteria. The leaves are the first cyanotypes I did ever. I like the idea of not coating the paper entirely but creating a Victorian window. The leaf cyanotype with the letterpress type on top of it is a collaboration with Jori Ketten http://thedesignoffice.org/jori/, check out her work! The cyanotype of the pepper should be familiar to you--I wanted an alternate way of printing it. Then I did many prints of my profile that I can't seem to stay away from: Van Dyke on abaca, Van Dyke on cotton with a shaped deckle (two separate sheets), shaped sheet of two colors of cotton, a watermarked sheet of my profile, Van Dyke on kozo. The last three images are of handmade paper balloons I made with Van Dyke prints of viruses and my "Colony" piece.

Van Dyke Printed Asian Screen

2011-09-11T23:38:00.000-05:00

These are images of my Penland class' group project. We all created Van Dyke prints on abaca paper. The images were stretched over hand-made balsa wood minature Japanese screens that Helen Hiebert designed. Each person is represented by their individual screen and then all were attached on hinges. The piece was sold at Penland's work study auction, the proceeds went to support the program that got me to Penland, a very good cause! My photographs of the piece are very rough but it gives you an idea of the piece.

Penland Campus Photos

2011-09-11T23:26:00.000-05:00

Cyanotype Discs

2011-09-09T17:21:00.001-05:00

These are examples of what I was testing at Penland for my UICB final project. The project has altered slightly (pictures will be coming!) but you can see that I stretch the wet-pressed sheets of abaca (shown above) across lamp rings and let it dry taut. It is then coated in gelatin, then cyanotype, then exposed to a digital negative and washed clean. The results are above. Helen Hiebert and Alyssa Solomon researched and discovered this method. It works better with cotton and Van Dyke, not cyanotype and abaca, but I was trying to achieve transparency and a petridish-like effect. The images on the discs are of a STI and the "Colony" installation I did in the winter.

Handmade Cyanotype Lamp

2011-09-05T01:25:00.000-05:00

Images of my handmade lampshade. The image is a cyanotype on cotton. The image is of my abaca wall installation "Colony". The image was original a document of the piece but I warped and changed it up so that it could be become it's own piece. The light really makes a difference...

Kite Flying At Penland

2011-09-05T01:21:00.000-05:00

Images (in addition to the ones already posted from the Penland blog) of our class flying our handmade kites. I'm posing with my kite and my friend Jaime (our studio assistant for paper, a brand new printmaking student at U of Iowa!) is flying his kite. Pretty idyllic no?

Penland: First Day Cyanotypes on Handmade Paper

2011-09-05T00:48:00.001-05:00

Here are images from my first week at Penland in Alyssa C Saloman and Helen Hiebert's Pulp to Print class. The images are from my experimentations with my torsos on hand-coated cyanotypes (on Strathmore 500). The crystallization on the edges was amazing but not sustaining--it was due to heat and humidity. I would love to replicate it on my new project. The state images is a handmade kite (from scratch--paper, imagery, built) with the states filled in (some blend together) and locations I've lived (can you tell all the moving around this summer was still on my mind??). The images are of some members of my class looking at our work from the first few days. There are also two pictures of coating the paper in gelatin and the coated paper hanging up on the line outside of the studio to dry which are really beautiful to see.

Kite Flying

2011-08-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

http://www.penland.org/blog/?p=1999
Here are some images from the Penland Blog of my class flying our homemade kites--hand-made paper, cyanotypes and hand-built. I'm not in any of them, but it gives you an idea of one of many things we did:)

Penland

2011-08-12T11:16:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all--
I just emerged from three weeks at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. I've been pretty isolated from the world, whether news, culture, phone, emails, social media, etc. so being back is a bit overwhelming! It was an exciting, crazy, stressful, experimental, inspriring, difficult, beautiful, friend-filled time and I think I will be processing it for a while.
That said, I will post pics as soon as I can get them all together of the work I made. I mostly experimented the whole time and will have something from it that will become my final project for the Center. I sold some of my Venus figurines (the paper torsos) to for both private and public (benefitting Penland's workstudy program that I was in). I studied under the great Helen Hiebert and Alyssa C. Salomon and met some very inspiring friends who I know are doing and will do great things.
I re-routed to Providence to see Chris for a bit but will be back in Iowa soon to finish up my Certificate at the UICB. One last semester and I'll be in Providence permanently, so if you know of anyone out here you think is great or have any leads on jobs...

MFA Boston Chihuly Show

2011-07-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

I went to the free day at the MFA in Boston. It was really great to see how many people were there and all the art events they had during it. I would wait to go see the MFA when the contemporary wing opens up since there was a lot of construction and closed wings going on (also the Jewelry wing is opening up this month which looks pretty!). Chihuly had a huge show going on; here are my images of the installations.

PhotoPlace Gallery

2011-07-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

http://www.vtphotoworkplace.com/id116.html
I got a alumitype from The Venus Series into a show called The Poetry of Shadows, at a gallery called PhotoPlace in Middlebury, Vermont! Here's a link to the rest of the work in the show.

New Website

2011-07-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

My new website has been up almost a week, please check it out and tell me what you think!
It contains my most recent body of work, The Venus Series, as well as my hand-made paper installation, Colony. Make sure you go to lindseybeal.net, not .com!

www.lindseybeal.net

My Site on University of Iowa's Graduate Student Page

2011-07-06T13:32:00.002-05:00

http://www.art.uiowa.edu/gradimages/gradarchive.php?artist=Beal%2C+Lindsey&program=&gradyear=

Boston Paper Collective

2011-07-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

http://bostonpapercollective.wordpress.com/
For those of you interested in paper making, letterpress and book arts, check out the Boston Paper Collective! I got a tour last week from Melinda Cross, director. If you're in the Boston area, be sure and check out their facility, as well as the rest of the artist's studios in the building.

AS220 Photo Lottery

2011-07-05T09:46:00.001-05:00

http://www.as220.org/photolottery_2011/index.htm

AS220 in Providence is an amazing organization and does a lot of outreach and makes great work. They have cheap live/work studios and public printing facilities, photo labs, fab labs and galleries. They are having a photography auction for the public darkroom and digital lab and are taking photography donations so if you have something you want to add, please check out the link above! It goes to a great organization and will get your work into someone's life!

Mass MoCA

2011-06-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

I drove from Providence to North Adams Mass MoCA this week. It is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful part of the country--bordering of the Massachusetts and Vermont mountains--on the entry way of the Berkshires--it's countryside but woods and Northampton, MA is a great town half way through. Mass MoCA had just finished their three-day festival Solid Sound with Wilco so it was pretty quiet except for tear down. The building is in a former factory (this area of the country was hit really hard in the 80s and 90s and many people lost jobs and factories shut down). The site is for large-scale work and has an amazing summer roster of musical performances and events. The building itself is amazing and it's filled with wonderful art. I can't recommend it more highly.

Portland, Maine

2011-06-29T17:16:00.001-05:00

I was born and grew up in Maine, so it was wonderful to go back for a weekend and see how Portland has changed in the last five or so years and to see the old haunts. They have a wonderful food scene (check out Maine Mead Works), great coffee shops, food markets and of course, lobster. Their art scene is really strong, downtown has been revitalized and of course, there is the beach. I'd highly recommend it as a city. I grew up just down the street from the Portland Headlight (that iconic lighthouse) so while a little touristy, I can't not enjoy going to see it and eating fried seafood and whoopie pies at the Lobster Shack. Crescent Beach (wow, didn't realize how expensive that place is) is near The Good Table, which had one of the best (and cheap) meals I've had in a long time, and Novare Res, is probably the best bar I've ever been to, atmospherically and for the beer snob in me. So, after that unofficial tour guide, let's see some pictures, shall we?

Food

2011-06-29T17:06:00.000-05:00

I'm not the best food photographer, nor the best cook, but I wanted to do a little cooking this summer while the good food is available. I've made homemade mustard (not very good), soy milk (not very good), ginger beer (great!), ice cream (great!), spicy salted watermelon (interesting), chile-rubbed corn, brewed an imperial stout, made a few rounds of fish tacos (amazing! and very photogenic) and baked vegetables (ok, but very photogenic). Indulge me for a minute while I share some photos of the summer feast.

RISD Museum

2011-06-29T17:01:00.001-05:00

I've spent some time around Brown and RISD's campus and spent a day at the RISD museum. Here are some pics of the view and sculptures from their collection.

We Continue with Our Regular Scheduled Programming

2011-06-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

So Sorry! I'm back! It's been about a month since I lasted posted. In that time, I took a three-week paper making intensive with Mary Hark. I worked on natural fiber papers with plants I found on my walk to North Hall from my apartment. I also learned a lot about walnut and indigo dye. I was not able to take pictures of my work before I left but will as soon as I get back to Iowa.
I moved from Iowa to Providence immediately following the end of the class and drove through a part of the country I've never seen, which is always wonderful. Massachusetts (as I will talk about later) is a beautiful state as is New York. We arrived in Providence in a truck and moved into our apartment which is on the third floor of a house (thus the steep ceilings!) and Chris has started his residency at Brown. I decided to stay on longer so I could get a bit of a break before going back to school and Penland, so I've been catching up here, looking around the city, traveling and relaxing. It's hard because I'm not going to be here permanently but will be moving out here in January, so I'm sort of scouting out the city but not being able to start much, instead I'm trying to give myself some time before going back to finish my last semester. I've been to the beach a few times, traveled to Newport, around Providence, went into Boston a few times, drove out to Mass MoCA (the most beautiful drive I've ever taken), and spent a weekend in Portland, Maine where I grew up. I've been doing a lot of reading, cooking some fun meals, running, sending my work out to locations and just hanging out. It's been really nice.
But! Now it's time to get back to work and I'm starting to get anxious to do so. So the next few postings will be pictures I've taken while out east. It's been great to be so close to everything (Boston=45 minutes, NYC, Vermont and Maine=3 hours). I love the mid-west, but three hours of driving doesn't get you out of your own state usually. So anyways, here are some photos I've taken while out here. Happy Summer!

Feed 2011 Semi-Finalist

2011-05-22T16:40:00.001-05:00

I am a semi-finalist for the 1708 Gallery's Feed 2011! The 1708 Gallery is out of Richmond, Virginia, check out their website:
http://www.1708gallery.org/blog/2011/05/feed2011-semi-finalists-announced/They are holding a competition to exhibit 5 artists' work in the fall and an honorarium. There were 338 entries and its been narrowed down to 31 semi-finalist ad then will narrow down to five. I don't expect to make it to the final round but am really happy to make it this far.

MFA Graduation

2011-05-16T11:12:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all. I officially graduated on Saturday with my MFA in Photography at the University of Iowa! Yea! Chris graduated on Friday with his Doctor of Medicine too! We're done!
To complicate things, I'm still finishing my Certificate at the Center for the Book, so I'm not quite done, but I'm done with my Masters! Woo Hoo! Watch out Little Rhody, here we come...

Kiinsey Institute Juried Show 2011

2011-05-16T10:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery/jeas/2011/index.php

http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery/jeas/2011/artworks.php

http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery/jeas/2011/img.php?i=71

http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery/jeas/2011/img.php?i=70

Here are links to the Kinsey Institute Juried Show 2011. Mine is in the middle. There are two pages with two of my Reproduction(s) wallpaper--the ring and the pill. Show opens this Friday until July 30th. Please stop by and support the show if you can!

Kinsey Institute

2011-04-28T22:54:00.003-05:00

I got two pieces of my wallpaper into a juried show at the Kinsey Institute! I think this location is perfect for Reproduction(s). I didn't know that the Kinsey Institute has a art gallery, but they have a collection including an artist book's collection. What a good fit!

Press for Photo Alchemy

2011-04-16T17:26:00.002-05:00

http://www.oregonlive.com/art/index.ssf/2011/04/exhibit_at_portlands_23_sandy.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/art/index.ssf/2011/04/portland_celebrates_photo_mont.html
http://photos.oregonlive.com/4450/gallery/photo_alchemy_exhibit_at_23_sandy/index.html
http://www.23sandy.com/photoalchemy/catalog.html

Penland for the Summer

2011-04-13T18:03:00.001-05:00

I received a work study scholarship to attend Penland for two and a half weeks this summer! I'll be working with Helen Hiebert and Alyssa Solomon (whose work can be see at the Photo Alchemy show I'm in in Portland) learning salt prints and cyanotypes on handmade paper. This class description couldn't have been more perfect for me and the way I'm working right now. Very exciting!

UICB

2011-04-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

I got accepted to the University of Iowa's Center for the Book! I'm finishing a certificate with them in the fall, so that means I'll be staying on for a semester to finish the degree. More information to come!

Sales

2011-04-01T13:12:00.001-05:00

I've been fortunate enough to sell some plates as well as some of the paper torsos the Venus Series is based off of. Thanks to RSVP for allowing people to buy the figures that were on display at their store for March Gallery Walk! The store and people are amazing, please give them your business if you're in the area.

MFA Show Installation Images

2011-04-01T13:10:00.001-05:00

Here are installation shots of my MFA thesis show from last week. The images are under wet plate collodion images within this blog. I'm really happy with the show, hope you enjoy it too.

My work at 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR

2011-03-22T20:17:00.001-05:00

I got a Venus piece into a juried show at 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, OR for the show "Photo Alchemy." Here's the e-card invite about the show & onlineshow & work info. If you're in the area, please stop by and see the show, the work looked really great!

http://www.23sandy.com/photoalchemy/catalog.html

MFA Show

2011-03-19T12:15:00.001-05:00

Here's my postcard and info for my MFA show. If you're in the area, the show will be up at Studio Arts all week in the 3-D area, in the print staging space. I'm really excited about how it turned out and looks so stop on by!

Match Day Photos

2011-03-18T09:42:00.001-05:00

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D5&Dato=20110317&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=103170801&Ref=PH
Here's a slide show of Match Day at the University of Iowa from the Press Citizen. A lot of our friends and my husband are scattered throughout. If you go through the whole slideshow, Chris and his mom areat the end.

Relocating to...

2011-03-17T15:38:00.001-05:00

And now, a big announcement. My husband and I are relocating to Providence, RI. Iowa City has been wonderful and has treated us both very well for education, opportunities,community and friendships. We both have gained our advanced degrees here, got married here. He's decided to become a family practice doctor and I've been working on a art career. We have both grown a lot here while here and look at our time here with a lot of love and care for Iowa. We have been proud to declare that we're "from" Iowa on our trips around the country for interviews and conferences. His residency program is taking us out to Providence which I think will benefit us both a lot. Rest assured, although Lens Lover began here in Iowa City, it will continue as we move out to the East Coast. Wish us luck and stay tuned!

Images from Mpls Photo Center & East Carolina University

2011-03-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-studentaffairs/samarketing/photogallery.cfm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surlygrrrl/5523242261/

Wedding Images Online

2011-03-13T17:12:00.001-05:00

http://www.jillbrownphotography.com/#/page/7d3a/client-login/
http://www.jillbrownphotography.com/#/page/80b6/home/

http://www.jillbrownphotography.com/#/page/7d7d/weddings/

I took a look at our wedding photographer's (Jill Brown) new website. Chris and I were included in quite a few plus a thank you note under the Love Letters section. Take a look, maybe you'll recognize yourself! There are a lot of family and friends included!

Press about Woman as Photographer with more to come

2011-03-13T17:09:00.001-05:00

http://www.mspmag.com/entertainment/museumsgalleries/182014.asp

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/art/117743653.html

So this past Friday was the opening to the Mpls Photo Center's Woman as Photographer show I was included in. Apparently it was a big event with over 500 people attending! Sad I missed it but there should be pictures of the show and opening to come. Here are two press announcements about the show.

RSVP installation pics

2011-03-07T17:44:00.001-06:00

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=294849&id=78118337457&l=2c87c4a175

Take a look at my work on RSVP's facebook page--my torsos were in the case/desk where a reading took place. They were very present at the reading:) Take a look and you can see the set up.

Minneapolis Photo Center

2011-03-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

I have a wet plate on display at the Minneapolis Photo Center. The show is on now, with an opening next Friday, if anyone is in Minneapolis, I'd encourage you to check it out. The show is Woman as Photographer: Documenting Life as a Woman. Women from all over are represented in the show, mostly with photos of women. March 11-April 17 with an opening on March 11.

Wet Plate Collodion Movie

2011-03-04T14:31:00.000-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI3WAEXJXDk

Hey everyone! Check out this movie that comes out this year! All the big names in wet plate and other historical processes are interviewed here and show the great process! I'm excited!

Also, here's a link to Heather Wetzel's blog on an upcoming project she's working on. Heather has been teaching me wet plate since the summer. She really knows what she's doing in all the historical processes plus well trained in papermaking, bookmaking and sculpture. I feel so thankful she's taught me this process.

http://thelaboratorium.blogspot.com/

I guess what ties these two links together is promoting these photographic processes to everyone, teaching them and reminding people they still exist. Democratization is what photography has always been about and I think whether it's digital, film or historical photography, this should continue.

Colony Installation

2011-03-04T14:09:00.001-06:00

These are images (mostly close ups but I tried to get the entire piece too) from my handmade paper installation at the end of January. Each sculpture is attached to the wall and create a form that I think recalls a lot of different type of forms. The shape can easily change to the suit the space and was something that was pretty loose: I had a general idea of how it would go, but kept it pretty open, which is a different thing for me, but keeps it looser. One thing I was surprised by were the sinister looking shadows underneath the piece which changes the piece quite differently, but I think follows a lot of my work, where it is beautiful but rather dark too. I've had a few comments lately about how dark my work is, which is funny if you know me. But I like that my works follows this balance between the two: beautiful and dark. I've really enjoyed working with sculptures and installations lately; although I love photography and photo installations, it's nice to change it up and just work with 3-D forms.

Anatomy Pages Installation

2011-03-04T14:02:00.001-06:00

These images are from a juried group show I was a part of a month ago. I haven't been able to show you the images lately, but here are the handmade paper pages with added inclusions of anatomy diagrams that I embroidered into. Each diagram (breast, uterus, breast) are in medical file folders on the right and the light box is an xray viewer on loan. The participants interact with the view by selecting the pieces from the folders and put it up to the x ray viewer.

Iowa City's Gallery Walk Tonight 5-8

2011-03-04T13:37:00.001-06:00

Tonight is Iowa City's Gallery Walk. If you're in the area, there's a lot of exciting shows and openings tonight. I have a few of my paper torsos and Reproduction(s) To Go at RSVP. Please go and check it out. 5-8 downtown

Final Ambrotypes

2011-02-18T21:11:00.001-06:00

Final Alumitypes for "The Venus Series"

2011-02-15T23:34:00.001-06:00

2nd Annual Juried Show, Graduate Art Congress

2011-01-30T23:49:00.000-06:00

My work was accepted into the Graduate Art Congress's Second Annual Juried Show. The Anatomy Pages, most of which can be found on my website under "Prints & Paper" will be on display at the Market-Dubuque Space this week. This piece relies on viewer interaction. A reception will be held this Friday evening at the space, please come by if you're in the area!

This week at the Porch Gallery

2011-01-30T23:47:00.001-06:00

My hand-made paper installation "Colony" will be up all week at the Porch Gallery at Studio Arts. If you are in the area, please come by and see it. If not, I will post images of the piece as soon as possible.

My work is written up in the Minnesota Post

2011-01-27T22:31:00.002-06:00

http://www.minnpost.com/maxsparber/2011/01/19/25000/on_responding_to_art_--_and_in_particular_the_national_student_show_at_the_nash_gallery

I got my (to my knowledge) first review/shout out in the press. The show's I've been a part of have been mentioned, but never me, so this is the first time my work is specifically mentioned. I can't tell if it's positive or negative, but it stood out to the reviewer, so go figure!

Iowa City Art Events

2011-01-25T10:01:00.002-06:00

If you live in the Iowa City area, go check out PS 1's art auction/fundraiser. Great work showcased and you can take it home! Auction ends Friday night at 8 pm. You can take home one of my pieces if you'd like.
This Saturday, there is a group show reception from 6-8 at Studio Arts. "We Never Fall Together, We Never Fall Apart." Should promise to be an interesting variety. I have work in this one, come check out my new alumitypes.
Sunday, there is a faculty show opening at the Figge in Davenport from 3-5, go see what U of Iowa faculty have been up to.

In Gallery Installation of Photograms

2011-01-10T15:04:00.001-06:00

These are images from the U of Iowa's photo department's group show I put together in November. The work was all the photogram alumitypes I had at the time. Since then I've made a lot more, but this was sort of a practice display. I'm not happy with installation--they need something else, either installation or frames or something. Putting them directly to the wall didn't quite do it, but it was nice to show work that no one has seen yet. The work was displayed at the Market-Dubuque space in Iowa City.

New Wet-Plate Photograms/Alumitypes

2011-01-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

New Ambrotypes!

2011-01-01T16:41:00.001-06:00

Here are new ambrotypes I created last semester. I have spent more time on the alumitypes, so I have far more of those, but am finished with those that I hope to return to the ambrotypes to gain more. I tend to be more drawn to these than the others, but I think both are equally interesting, just for different reasons. I've been trying to be more open to mistakes and oyster stains, and trying to be a little less careful in rinsing the plates but without veering into dangerous territory. This gives the Prussian blue you can see in the corners.

Wood Union Case with Raw Flax sheet addition

2011-01-01T16:36:00.000-06:00

These are examples of a wood union case built to replicate traditional union cases. The black glass is on the right and a sheet of the four hour flax air-dried sheet is tipped into the left side. Traditionally the boxes were made of wood shavings added with a glue or plastic like substance to make the box, often highly decorated. The ambrotype sat on the right and a piece of embossed velvet (a design) was on the left.
In the end, I think I'll either use this method or the wet-pressed sheets wrapped around the box, then air-dried. The problem with this last idea is what to put on the left-handed side and potential shrinkage. The wood case problem is my limited knowledge and ability with wood.

Glued flax union cases

2011-01-01T16:31:00.000-06:00

These are examples of four hour flax air-dried sheets (relaxed then flattened) that were glued around the balsa wood boxes. They were glued in a manner like book binding or artist boxes (my knowledge and skill being rather limited). These method could work if I knew more about how to do this.

Example of how 4 hour air-dried flax compares and matches up to the original paper torsos.

This is an example of stack-dried paper, 1-4 hour.

Raw Flax Union Cases

2011-01-01T16:24:00.001-06:00

Wet-pressed sheets that were wrapped around the boxes and allowed to air-dry.

Wet-pressed sheets that were air-dried, cut off the mold, then glued to the box.

Air-dried sheets from the left (1 hour) to right (ending with 4 hour). Each sheet was air-dried, then spritzed with water between felts and then allowed to dry flat in a stack-dry, giving it the appearance of the torsos.

4 hour flax that when semi-dry, cut out and another sheets was added. In hope of allowing the paper to dry flat. Failed.

Flax paper without the box support--impossible to support such heavy glass.

Cast paper supporting the black glass. Didn't give the aesthetic desired.

Close-up of wet-pressed sheets that were allowed to air-dry then glued to the box.

When semi-dried, section was cut out and another wet-sheet was added in hope of drying flat across the opening. Method failed.

Wet-pressed sheets that stretched taunt across the opening of the box. Failed.

Wet-pressed sheets wrapped around the balsa wood boxes, drying. Compared to the dried pulp casted box and the balsa wood box on a rack to dry.

This images are of the wet-pressed sheet methods I used to try and get the union cases to use the same paper and method I used for the paper torsos to achieve the same look. The wet-pressed sheets wrapped in sections, as well as the same method then glued to the box (which is unnecessary since the paper dries tight enough that glue is not necessary).

Paper casting Union Cases

2011-01-01T16:05:00.000-06:00

This is the results of papercasting. I was really disappointed in the look. It was very chunky and not smooth at all, nor could it house the glass plates. There were depressions in which to house it. Funny enough, as you can see above, there was not much difference between the one hour and the four hour flax in terms of shrinkage at all, which technically, there should be--often there is a huge amount of shrinkage in four hour flax and for this project, it was recommend I use one hour. Besides bleaching it, it didn't seem to have any effect. After this outcome, not liking the results, I turned to creating boxes in the same manner I made the torsos--wrapping wet-pressed sheets.

Raw Flax for Papercasting

2011-01-01T15:47:00.001-06:00

Using the Reina beater, I beat raw flax that was soaked for 24 hours, then beaten for periods of 1-4 hours, taking samples at each hour. I knew that for casting, I needed 1 hour and to create sheets that resembled the paper torsos I had made last year, I needed 4 hour flax, so I took enough samples to do all of these. I saved pulp for casting (1 hour), and made wet-pressed sheets, air-dried sheets and stack-dried sheets. Here are images of the beater and my set-up for pulling sheets.

Moldmaking and Pouring a Plaster Cast for Union Cases

2011-01-01T13:37:00.001-06:00

For my final project for my papermaking course, I attempted to find a solution for housing my ambrotypes (the glass plates of the photographs of my paper torsos). I made replicas of the union cases that housed daguerrotypes, etc. by building balsa wood boxes. These images are of building the boxes I used to create a plaster mold. The boxes were coated in a nautical varnish that made the boxes waterproof. The boxes fit the ambrotypes tightly in order for the glass not to fall out. A wooden frame on top of a sheet of wood covered by wax paper was made and plaster was poured in. Unfortunately, air bubbles appeared because I put the boxes in after pouring the plaster. In the future, I would recommend putting the boxes in first.

Friends of Dard Hunter 2010 Gathering At Arrowmont

2011-01-01T13:17:00.001-06:00

Back in October, I received a scholarship to attend the Friends of Dard Hunter National Gathering/Meeting at Arrowmont School of Craft in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. For an extended weekend, papermakers from all over the country attended to demonstrate, exchange ideas and learn from each other. The Friends brings in a variety of people who are all interested in papermaking in some form, whether science, archival, art, bookbinders, printers, photographers, etc. These are the pictures I took of Gatlinburg the town/strip, such as the weapon stores and the wedding rentals, Arrowmont's campus, the demonstrations by various prominent figures in the papermaking community (such as spraying pulp into a surface), and beater that was built from scratch by the braintrust of papermakers over the weekend (you can see it being built early on and then completed and christened in the last few images).

Step By Step Wet Plate Process

2010-12-27T09:58:00.000-06:00

http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/videoDetails?cat=2&segid=1726

For something more in-depth, this video by the Getty is good--it's got some weird filming, but if you want to know the process step by step and see what I'm doing, this is a good one to look at. I'm not making negatives for printing currently, just direct images on glass and aluminum through the darkroom and through the camera, but you get the idea of all the steps involved.

How to (Wet Plate Collodion)

2010-12-27T09:46:00.000-06:00

I've had a hard time easily describing the wet-plate collodion process to people who have never worked in the darkroom at one point or have no photography experience. I think this video will help to describe it and to visually to see it, something I can't really document since it's in the dark half the time! I hope this helps describe it better than I can. I've had people ask people what kind of commercial work this gets me--it's not about the commercial value, it's the aesthetic and personal and artistic satisfaction you get from it. You can sell the products or get paid to shoot a portrait in this process but it's not exactly a marketable skill (so far for me at least). I'm just really satisfied doing it, despite it's difficulties.

NAGAS 2011

2010-12-01T22:57:00.001-06:00

I was accepted into NAGAS 2011 show! The North American Graduate Art Survey is a show displaying work by graduate students in North America. Two of my pieces, Diaphraghm and Cervical Cap from my Reproduction(s) series will be displayed at the Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota in January, so if you're from around the area or will be in Minneapolis around then, please stop by to see two of my full-sized wallpaper panels! 52 pieces were selected out of 725! The show is up from January 18-February 16, opening receptin on January 21 from 6-8:30pm. The gallery is open on Tuesday-Saturday from 11-7 and is in the West Bank Arts Quarter.

Iowa's Graduate Program in Photography Gallery

2010-10-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.art.uiowa.edu/art_studio/photo/index.html?nav=gallery_grad

Here's a link to my graduate program's gallery of graduate student work. If you want to see what some of my classmates are doing, here's a great to do so. Guess who's first?!

Friends of Dard Hunter This Weekend

2010-10-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

I'm off to the mountains of Knoxville this weekend to Arrowmont School of Craft for the Friends of Dard Hunter Conference. I'm excited to go and see what other papermakers are up to and just take it in. It'll be great to see a community of papermakers instead of feeling like it's just me working away. I'm curious if after this weekend, I'll feel like I'm a papermaker or if paper is just another medium I work within. I don't think about what I am too much--I've finally accepted the fact and feel comfortable calling myself an artist, not a photographer, or wincing when I call myself an artist. I feel like I am one now for some reason, maybe because I work across mediums? Or how much I feel like I've grown within grad school? Anyway, I'm looking forward to having fun this weekend and seeing a close friend and being away for a bit. I'm also hoping maybe it'll help decide if I should stay on for another semester or year to get a certificate at the Center for the Book or not, something I've been weighing in my mind since school has started. Each month I feel differently about it and am not sure what I'll decide.

New Wetplate Photograms and Portraits

2010-10-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Summer WetPlates (Or How I spent my summer)

2010-10-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

The first image in this series is my first plate I shot over the summer-- I wanted to show the progression of my improvement:) These are all my images (plus the earlier dress dummies outside) from the summer. From here I've moved to my paper torso photograms and portraits which is what I'm spending most of my time on right now.

(five): New Works by St Olaf's Class of '05

2010-09-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

If anyone is in Northfield, MN this weekend, please stop by the ArtonWater Gallery on Water St to check out new work by former Studio Art graduates of the Class of '05. Artists represented: Christina Osheim, Lewis Colburn, Tory Pence, Andrew Webber, Nick Wakem, Jordan Kammer & Lindsey Beal.

New Take on Old Work

2010-09-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

This is my new take on an old project. The images are of my paper torsos shot with a 4x5 camera in a light box with studio lights with wet-plate collodian. So in complete antithesis of my last body of work, this is as hands-on and hand-made as you can get! it also combines all the different methods I'm interested in. The other more abstract images are photogram wet-plate collodians. I think this is the direction I'm going for my MFA project. All of the images are ambrotypes (on glass) except the first which is an alumnatype (on oxidized aluminum).

New Paper/Colonies

2010-09-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

Wet-Plate Collodian

2010-09-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my wet-plate collodian images plus darkroom. I'm not sure if scanning is the best way to show you the images, but photographing photographs doesn't work either. These are 4x5 glass plates (ambrotypes) on black and darkblue/blackish glass, using a workbook collodian mixture and cyanide developer--look at the book corners of the top image and you can see it. It makes me nervous to work with, but I'm trying to develop a cautious but not terrified approach to it--the images are truely better than my earlier images in a regular developer and that were on clear glass. Can't go back to either! I'll add the other images I've shot later but they're not nearly as good as these two--it's almost embarassing, but then you'll get a better feel for the variety.

Artist Talk at the Des Moines Art Center

2010-09-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

This Sunday at 1pm, I will be giving an artist talk on "Reproduction(s)" at the Des Moines Art Center's Print Club. This will be the last day to see the show "Kill Them Before They Multiply" and my print in that show. The show also features Fred Tomaselli, Tara Donovan and Pablo Picasso, among others. As you walk into the museum, the Print Gallery is on your immediate left. Please stop by to see it in its last week or to see my talk on Sunday.

Arrowmount: Friends of Dard Hunter Conference

2010-09-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

I received notice today that I won a scholarship to attend the papermaking conference of the year at Tenneessee's Arrowmount! I'll get to go and be with other paper artists and makers and observe demos, etc. It'll be nice to know what other people are doing out there and that I'm not just working by myself in this medium.

(five): New Works by St. Olaf's Class of '05

2010-09-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

I've been curating a 5th reunion show for St. Olaf's Class of '05 for about a year now. After a few ups and downs, the show will be displayed from Sept 30-October 3rd at Northfield's ArtOnWater Gallery.
If you're in the area, please stop by. Here's a link to the events:

http://archeopaleo.com/gallery/ArtOnWater-Gallery

Here is the (for now) poster of the event:

Merit Award

2010-09-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

I've been granted a merit award for my two bodies of work in the Pulp Culture Show. Untitled and Nuclear were awarded an award for the paper works show at East Carolina University. I'll also be receiving an exhibition uncatalogued to see how the work looked and who else was involved.

Too Many Ideas...

2010-09-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you're interested in too many things? I was worried I had narrowed my focus down too much last semester and now I'm afraid it's too wide! So many things are interesting right now and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus for my MFA thesis and show. I feel like I'm really getting started again with new things and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or if now's not the time.

New Lindseybeal.net is live!

2010-09-03T15:13:00.002-05:00

My website, www.lindseybeal.net has been updated and is now live. It has recent work, more links and a newer look. Go check it out!

Megan Dirks

2010-08-31T00:26:00.000-05:00

On Friday, one of my classmates, Megan, passed away after a battle with cancer. I didn't know Megan very well and feel like I was just beginning to know her when she was diagnosed this spring. She was in my Installation class and what I can say about her is that she was sweet, kind, very thoughtful and intelligent and a brilliant artist. Her paintings are currently hanging in the Des Moines Art Center at the Iowa Artists Show and she was published in a major painting book this year. She and I texted back and forth a little bit about our work traveling in the big moving truck the Center sent to pick up our work--I liked the idea of them traveling to the Center together:) She was a first year painting grad and she was definitely going places and making strong work. Studio Arts is going to be a less-friendly place without her there and she will be missed by her peers, friends, instructors and students. I will be thinking about her tomorrow and will miss her.

Pulp Culture Posters

2010-08-29T16:01:00.000-05:00

These are the posters and info of the paperworks show I'm in in North Carolina.

Kill Them Before They Multiply at Des Moines Art Center

2010-08-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/exhibitions/Kill-Them-Before-They-Multiply.aspx

Here's a link to the description of the show I'm in at the Des Moines Art Center. I'm also giving an artist talk in September for their Print Club.

Nuclear becoming new project

2010-08-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of taking my Nuclear piece and making into a bigger wall piece that looks hive-like or colony-like. Here are the beginnings of it.

Paper Problems

2010-08-04T14:12:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to make big torsos (like my Barbie dolls but bigger) and it's not working! It's getting rather frustrating. I keep trying different methods and I'm getting closer, but nothing seems to be working once I try to get it off the mold. When it's on the model it's starting to look better, but trying to get it off, it shreds. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pulp Culture

2010-07-28T12:24:00.001-05:00

I got two pieces accepted into the show "Pulp Culture" at East Carolina University in Greenboro, North Carolina! The show is entirely paper, so my project "Nuclear" and the still unfinished, as yet untitled paper torso project also got accepted. The contracts been signed and the projects are in the mail on their way to North Carolina! Show goes up on August 10 and will come down at the end of September, reception on September 9th. This is the first paper show I submitted work to and I got two pieces in. This is also the first time Nuclear will be shown. Since making it, I've made many more forms and am thinking of doing something else to the piece, but not until the end of the show!

Chris and I's Wedding Pics

2010-07-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

Hey all--
Here's a link to Chris and I's wedding pics. They're highlights located on our photographer's (Jill Brown's) blog.
Enjoy!
http://www.jillbrownphotography.blogspot.com/

Learning Collodian

2010-07-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

I started my tutoring sessions with Heather Wetzel on Friday. She is teaching me how to do historical processing (I don't like calling it alternative since it's the basis for all photography). It's great to finally be learning how to work with it and gives you a new appreciation for the history of photography and how it began and where we're at now. I'm making ambrotypes for now (photos on clear glass essentially) and we'll see where we go from there. It's really really exciting since this is something I really wanted to learn while in graduate school--Iowa doesn't offer any courses here, but Heather and I took papermaking and photogravure together and have been talking about tutoring since last summer. She trained under the Ostermann's, went to VSW and just graduated from Iowa's Center for the Book--she's really talented and you should check out her work! http://heatherfwetzel.com/home.html

Papermaking

2010-07-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

Here are samples of paper I made in my three-week papermaking course with Ann Marie Kennedy. I experimented a lot with embedding my photographic work with the paper, trying to make it one piece. With traditional silver RC prints, it worked well with the blend of linen and cotton fibers. It was heavy enough to contain the paper. With Epson enhanced matte papers, it worked to varying degrees, depending on how got rid of the paper around the image--some of them are too opaque so I plan to put some wax across it to hopefully bring the image out a bit. I like the image's being obscured though-- I stitched into image and think the idea of having to hold the images up to a light box like an x-ray to see the image behind the paper is appropriate. The profile is an old one you'll recognize that I experimented with and added some stitching. I also played with embossing fishing line across the paper--it is pretty subtle, you have to work to see it, but there's something to it that I like. The newspaper was an ambiguous photo I found and wanted to see how the water and pulp reacted to it. I like the outcome, but you can't hold it up to the light or you'll see the backside of the image.
There is something to all of these images, but I'm not sure what to do with it or where to go from here.

Nuclear

2010-07-12T16:04:00.001-05:00

These are images of my final project I made for my 3 week papermaking intensive. The goal was to make non-figurative, or abstract feminine forms to get me to loosen up a bit from my paper torsos as well as to experiment with other types of fibers. As you can see, they become pretty figrative and non feminine--they look like dorky chess pieces in my view, but I like the 5 various sizes and I paired them up as if they were different interpretations of families. From the top, they look cellular too, so I titled it "Nuclear." I've made more just for more numbers, but we'll see if they're worth continuing or not. They're made with 1 1/2 hour beaten unbleached abaca, air-dried around the forms.