Hello Sun

I spent part of the weekend editing down The Stories from This Chinese Life on the site after talking to several smart friends about how I should present such a broad project. Their advice? Less is more for the website.

I also added some images from Breathing In which has never made an appearance on previous versions of the site because it looked too different, and in my mind, a separate project. Breathing In and Ann (my late collaborator) are both near and dear to me so why not share it? I'd love to bring it to a larger audience at some point so that's still a goal.

The editing work is ongoing, but that's my job. And I'm happy to be thinking about such things.

Today I'm heading down to Florida, where I met Ann and my husband Ross nearly six years ago. After such a dark winter, Ross and I are looking forward to meeting each other there, some sun, and seeing our sweet family from London, CA, and PA. Fun times coming up. Catch you later.

On the Mountain

The Monks, Lijiang, Yunnan, China.

Part of our plan last summer was to try to travel to western Sichuan province, where there are Tibet Autonomous Regions. Alas, it wasn't meant to be as these area were closed to foreigners since an incident of self immolation occurred earlier last year. However, we did join a gathering of monks who traveled from all over China to Wenbi Monastery in Lijiang and communed with them. This was a magical moment of old, young, and a little girl laying on the roof, on top of the mountain.

Missing NYC

Mian (noodles), Flushing, NY.

It may be a case of the winter blues or maybe something more. I was scheduled to head back to this city at the end of Jan. and now the plans have been postponed.  There were people and shows I was planning to catch like Stacy Mehrfar's exhibit at Clamp Art of Tall Poppy Syndrome with Amy Stein. Spending Chinese New Year with my family was also on my agenda. I'm bummed out but there's not much I can do to change the situation. If you are in NY this Sat. (Jan. 19th), the Choices Thrift Store hosted at Momenta Art by fellow Cooper Alum Carmelle Safdie looks like fun.

Artist Quotes

The Gang, Zhaoxing, Guizhou, China.

Andy Adams of Flak Photo has been posting some great quotes on fb that are resonating with me. I've been in the organizing state of mind with my images for months now and feel the Baltz quote in every part of my work day. I'm reposting them to share with you and also to keep them on file here.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliot Erwitt

“Anyone can take pictures. What’s difficult is thinking about them, organizing them, and trying to use them in some way so that some meaning can be constructed out of them. That’s really where the work of the artist begins” – Lewis Baltz

And here are some updates to add to the dialogue: 1. Obama's plan to reduce gun violence and 2. NY passes strictest gun control laws in the Nation via Nina.

The Lion in My Room

Here's a little corner of my work space. I picked up the photo by Huang Qingjun and Ma Hongjie at 798 Photo Gallery in Beijing over the summer. The duo photographs people with their possessions outside of their dwellings. The concept is one that is so engaging on many levels. I saw their work at AIPAD earlier this year and was completely fascinated by it so I was happy to find their gallery while walking around the 798 art zone. The lion container is something that caught my eye at an antique shop down the street that was closed. We contacted the owner about a chair we saw in the window and he let us in to buy the chair and pick through everything that was left. I was drawn to it but didn't know if it fit "me." Since the owner gave us a great deal on a bunch of things, I took this guy home and have no regrets. I love looking at him everyday.

The New Year

Happy new year to you!

I've been away for the better part of the last four weeks in Mass. for work so I'm a bit out of touch to say the least. We even missed the Christmas snow storm in the city because we waited it out in Pittsburgh. Though I am semi-proud to say that I drove through the minor "storm" yesterday to get home and made it in one piece. (You have to understand that I hate driving, and driving alone.) There was barely a hint of it in the city but it was rough driving through parts of NYS and CT at 20-35 mph.

For those who are photo lovers at heart, I recommend the Stieglitz, Steichen, and Strand exhibit at the Met, on view until April 10th. I went to the opening back in Nov. and have gone back once since. It's a wonderful study of the three photographers' work and the Met's collection is astoundingly gorgeous to say the least. A quote that accompanied Strand's "Winter, Central Park, NY" 1913-14 really struck me as a perfect description to the way I'm currently working.

Strand often framed his view from a somewhat distant, elevated perspective and waited for passerby to be ensnared in his camera's trap.

With that, I'm off to photograph for my grant.

En Foco New Works Fellowship

The Reds, Oaxaca, Mexico © Rona Chang

I'm happy to share that I was chosen by Andy Adams of Flak Photo to be one of En Foco's New Works #14 Fellows along with Alex Leme. Of course, I'm already madly preparing for the show at Skylight Gallery in Brooklyn which will take place in the Spring of 2011. I will post more info next year as I learn the details.

Opening Friday: Alison Rossiter

My dear friend Alison Rossiter will be showing at Yossi Milo from September 24 - October 30. The opening is this Friday 6-8pm. Reproductions do not do her work one bit of justice, in person, her work is drop dead gorgeous. Do go and see the show, it'll take your breath away.

Laura Letinsky talk tonight!

I am definitely going to this! If you are planning to go, call or email me.

from Dear Dave Magazine:

DEAR DAVE, Presents:
Laura Letinsky with Lynne Tillman

Wednesday, September 15, 7pm

SVA Theatre

333 West 23rd Street, New York

Free and open to the public

On the eve of her upcoming show at Yancey Richardson Gallery, Laura Letinsky will sit down for a conversation with Lynne Tillman about her past and present work. Letinsky's show, "After All" will be on exhibit at Yancey Richardson Gallery from September 16 - October 30.

Critical Mass Finalist

Bathers, Trondheim, Norway © Rona Chang

Meant to mention that I am among 175 of the Critical Mass Finalists this year. I've uploaded some new images to Moving Forward, Standing Still. And I am currently planning a Queens based edition to Moving Forward, Standing Still. More to come in the coming months.

Bedside Mexico

By my bedside is this beautiful Tina Modotti and Edward Weston's book, The Mexico Years that I received for my birthday. I am still thinking about Mexico, and my interactions with it. Thank you Doug and Toddy!

My Prints available on The Feature Shoot Shop right now!

Three of my prints (shown below) are available on the Feature Shoot Shop including one of my all time favorites, Balls, from the Lofoten Islands in Norway. Thanks Alison!



Balls, Lofoten Islands, Norway Rona Chang



Stuck, Huacachina Oasis, Peru Rona Chang



Ring Toss, Wuhan, China Rona Chang

The One Week Countdown

Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Mickey Smith

ONE MORE WEEK. One more week, until I close on THE Apartment. I'm crossing my fingers that it will go smoothly. It has taken FOREVER for this to go through. In the meantime, I've bought some art from 20x200 to decorate my walls. I'm really excited about the Mickey Smith diptych, which may go in the kitchen. I think it will go nicely with the colors I have in mind. I have been a fan of Mickey's for about a year or two now and am so glad I can afford these two prints!!!



Howan Hosang Park

I've been saving Howan and Logging Camp in my inbox since they were both released (along with Collocation). I'm glad they were all still available when I was ready to buy them. Sometimes these things sell like hotcakes and I take too long to figure out that I want them. Now I just need to get my act together to matte & frame them. So pumped to decorate!



Logging Camp, Kham Raul Gutierrez

The Searchers & more

American Shiva Devotee, High on Ritual Hash During the Night of Shiva Festival Sasha Bezzubov and Jessica Sucher

I am very much looking forward to the opening of The Searchers this Saturday by my friend Sasha Bezzubov and his wife Jessica Sucher at Daniel Cooney.

The Searchers, at Daniel Cooney Fine Art this Saturday, November 7 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.

Daniel Cooney Fine Art
511 West 25th Street Suite 506
New York, NY 10001

Other shows that I want to catch are:

Richard Serra
Gagosian Gallery
522 West 21st Street
thru 12/23

Nick Maus
303 Gallery
547 W. 21st St.
thru 12/5

William Cordova, "Laberintos"
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
530 W. 22nd St.
thru 12/5

Melanie Schiff, "Mirror & Mastodon"
Horton & Liu Gallery
504 W. 22nd St., Parlor level
thru 11/14

Andrew Moore, "Detroit"
Yancey Richardson Gallery
535 W. 22nd St., 3rd fl.
thru 1/9

Sarah Anne Johnson, "House on Fire"
Julie Saul Gallery
535 W. 22nd St.
thru 11/14

Edward Burtynsky
Hasted Hunt Kraeutler
537 W. 24th St.
thru 11/28

Robert Frank
Robert Mann Gallery
210 11th Ave., 10th Fl. (@25th St.)
thru 1/9

Bill Viola, "Bodies of Light"
James Cohan Gallery
533 W. 26th St.
thru 12/19

Michael Wolf, "The Transparent City"
Aperture Gallery
547 W. 27th St., 4th fl.
thru 1/7

If there is something missing on my list, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. Oh, if someone wants to be my walkaround pal, let me know. I'm going solo, for now.

Thank you Mr. Roy DeCarava

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Roy DeCarava from the NYTimes. Mr. DeCarava was a photographer whose work touched me when MOMA held his retrospective in 1996, when I was a senior in High School. It was perfect timing- I had two years of H.S. black & white photography classes and was going onto Art School, the same one Mr. DeCarava went to about 50 years prior. I remember walking through the exhibition and feeling the jazz and the beat of uptown and everyday life in his images. The prints were gorgeous- the tones were subtle and rich. I was ooh-ing and aah-ing, left and right. I couldn't get enough. It was one of the best exhibitions I had ever been to. Thank you Mr. DeCarava for bringing to light your world, it opened up my young eyes.

A Conversation with Nadia Sablin on Nymphoto

Still Life with Yellow Hummer from Alehovshchina Nadia Sablin


Yanush with a Pregnant Cat from From the Mountains and to the Sea Nadia Sablin

My Conversation with Nadia Sablin is on the Nymphoto Blog today. The glimmer of light she captures in her low-light interiors are gorgeous as are the textures and layers.

Swimming Away

My friend Liu has been making really great images since he moved back to Taiwan a couple of months ago. I've been thinking about my uncle who is sick there, missing him and my cousins (and of course, my favorite foods). My memories and these photos make me nostalgic.











All images by Tzu Cheng Liu

And in case you're wondering, what I was mumbling about yesterday was a no go. So I am not going to expand on it.

A List

In case you didn't realize from the last post, I like making to-do lists. I have an agenda book which I keep filled up with everything I need to do. Sometimes it's a bit jumbled and really maybe a digital device might keep things neater but I really like checking things off and crossing things out. I get a keen sense of accomplishment. The photo was taken on the top of Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point on the Inca Trail at 4200m. It really wasn't as daunting as they made it seem and I was really proud to be the first in my group to make it up. (It was so that I could take my time going down!)

I've put together a list of photo deadlines, in case you somehow read my blog and not the others out there who are way more on top of it than I am.

Burn Magazine's Emerging Photographer Grant 2009, due April 1.
Nymphoto's call for entries for a group show at Sasha Wolf Gallery, due April 3. We've been hard at work to make this happen. Please check it out.
WIPNYC's Lightside Grant, due May 1.
Hey Hot Shot, due May 1.
PCNW's 14th Annual Photographic Competition Exhibition, Photo-Op, due May 15.

Kensico Dam

Kensico Dam Rona Chang

I finally caught the Eggleston show at the Whitney this past weekend. It was the last weekend. Seeing the show helped me think about a project I've been considering in a new perspective so I'm glad I went. I also got to see Calder: the Paris Years. I'm a recent big fan of Calder. This Paris show was great and put me in a great mood. If you have not seen his circus, you must. I insist! His jewelry is currently showing at the Met. I'd love to have my name hammered out Calder style on a bracelet. I love the handwritten typography aspect to the jewelry.

+++ The shop has been updated with a bunch of the botanical images.

What Remains

I spent several days watching the documentary, What Remains, about the life and work of photographer Sally Mann. Sally Mann was the first photographer I was introduced to in my High School photography class. We had a copy of her Immediate Family book in the classroom. After all these years, I find her work even more compelling and intriguing. I had not seen her series, What Remains. This opportunity to see the work and hear her talk about it is inspirational. The theme of life and death is something I've been dealing with in my own series, Inventory of Mortality. Her ability to verbalize what she has gone through in her career, the influence of her father over her life, with her family exposes her completely as a vulnerable, successful artist. I highly recommend this film!