CThru.com Presents Tony Ward

Bamboozled

………Mikel has informed the Studio that Spike Lee’s film of the same name, inspired the creation of this piece.

07-23-1986

……….Orville Robertson follows a long tradition of street photographers whose visual passions are stirred by street life at night in New York City. It requires a certain visual acuity that takes practice, patience and technical verve, all part of the unique qualities ever present in Mr. Robertson’s photographs over the past 25 years.

03-05-01

……….He was awarded a 2002 Fellowship in Photography by the New York Foundation for the Arts and his work is included in many public institutions including; The Brooklyn Museum, Center for Creative Photography in Arizona, Bibliotheque Nationale in France, and the Museum of the City of New York.

12-11-1985

06-26-02

04-17-2007

12-11-1985

……….To learn more about Orville’s photographs, log on to www.newyorkstreetphotography.com.

……….Philadelphia native son Dean Rosensweig and several other artists will be participating in a group show in Berlin, Germany at the art gallery, Stattbad Wedding, opening on February 5th, 2010. Mr. Rosensweig has been residing in Berlin for the past five years. The other artists participating in the exhibition are Mateo, Pauline Raguin and Kyoto Motel. The Studio wishes all of these talented artists a successful opening.

Pauline Raguin

Kyoto Motel

Dean Rosensweig

……..I first came across Rachel at Flashdancer’s a popular gentleman’s club in the heart of New York City. She was dancing there and mixed in very comfortably with the other thirty or so women that were working the floor on that particular evening. . She was the prettiest woman in the place or so I thought. It was only revealed to me after several days of shooting, that at one time this beautiful woman was once a man.

Group Exhibition

……….The studio is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition entitled, “This Is Not An Invitation To Rape Me” to take place at the University of Pennsylvania on February 18th, 2010. Please join us and welcome Charles Hall, Professor VCU Brandcenter, Richmond Virginia and selected artists who contributed to this humanitarian group exhibition.

A Story Of Struggle And Successful Reform

Posted By John Grant

……….Reform comes slowly and not without a struggle. Here’s a joyous example from El Salvador. On a June trip I visited Oscar Romero University in Chalatenango province, a former rebel zone of much fighting. Now, there are kids with cell phones and laptops walking around campus. My friends Francisco and Barbara Acosta, in the photo below, founded the university 18 years ago, but for a number of years they have been in a fight with a small group of usurpers who, under the right-wing ARENA government, took over to fraudulently soak the university for their own interests. The 2009 election of President Mauricio Funes, from the FMLN Party, has meant a shift in political control to the left in El Salvador, though the current political climate is tricky. In November, the Salvadoran Ministry of Education officially recognized a new administration for the university. The old administration, however, did not agree to leave gracefully.

Group Portrait By John Grant

……….Francisco Acosta is a former seminarian and a highly-respected Salvadoran activist/diplomat. He was born and raised in the shadow of the Guazapa Volcano, which became a strong rebel zone during the war years. Many of his family members were killed before and during the war. He and his wife Barbara have been devoted to getting control of the university back into the hands of the Salvadoran people Oscar Romero fought so hard for and died for. It has not been an easy fight. After the Ministry Of Education’s November ruling, the struggle culminated in a four day standoff with the rector from the past administration who refused to leave his office and brought in armed gang members in an effort to hold onto his power. During the standoff, students demonstrated at the school’s gate. Finally the outgoing rector saw the light and left on January 28, allowing the school to be turned over to the good guys. It was a time for rejoicing and partying. 

Members Only

……….Devon called the studio to let us know that she would be working in New York for a few days and invited me to visit her at her hotel room for a photo shoot once she checked in. She was busy working the phone, upon my arrival. To see the entire sitting and more Erotica from the Tony Ward archives, log on to: tonyward.com

Hollywood And Vine, Los Angeles

……….The last time Ed and I were at the beach together, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Our mood seemed to match the calm of the sea as we enjoyed the sunshine, surf, and the beautiful women that bask in the light at the Jersey shore during the summer months. We brought our beach chairs along, some food and beverage as we positioned ourselves as close to the beauties as possible. Ed also brought along a half dozen or so empty plastic containers.

W Hotel Ground, Los Angeles

……….Besides the prolific writing on his blog, Ed’s first love (besides women) is his photography. He had been telling me about his idea of mixing in salts from the sea into his printmaking process. Somehow he claimed, he was able to distinguish the tonal effects that Atlantic Ocean water salts had on the tone of his prints, compared to printing in Pacific Ocean water for example. Thus, it was imperative for him to bring some East coast water along with him when he returned to Los Angeles, where he would resume a number of photographic projects; including the documentation of the construction of the new W hotel, that recently broke ground at the vicinity of Hollywood and Vine.

Job Site

………..The printmaking master discretely made periodic trips down to the shore line to gobble up ocean water, while the beauties were wondering what on Earth he was doing. I felt for sure everyone at the beach thought we were two weirdos, sitting there with empty bottles, and then periodically filling each of them up with the sometimes suspect ocean water, knowing full well we couldn’t drink it. Undeterred by my thought’s, Ed remained vigilant with his plan until all the containers were filled to the brim. Strangely enough the beauties started gathering around us……..

Construction

……….Ed got back to Los Angeles eager to begin the alchemystic process of printmaking the old fashioned way, in a dark room. He called from time to time to let me know that he added the Jersey shore water to his chemisty and continued to notice a difference in the distinct oceanic effects on the making of his prints. On a subsequent return trip to Philadelphia, with prints from the W Hotel project in tow, I met with Ed to see the results of our summer excursion to the Jersey shore. I was most impressed. To learn more about Ed Simmons photographs, log on to his blog at www.yeeha.org/art.

Ed Simmons: Photographer