Saturday, February 11th, 5 pm
Photography Conference
in Philadelphia
A Big Thank You!
We wanted to thank everyone for their participation at the inaugural Summit— speakers, volunteers, and you, the audience. It was a magical evening, where everyone gathered under one roof and shared their love and appreciation for the medium of photography.
Presentations by keynote speakers, Todd Hido and Hiroh Kikai, as well as the In Focus portion by Zoe Strauss and Peter Barberie made for truly fantastic event. Additional presentations by ONWARD Compé ’12 Juror Award Winners, Barbara Diener and Nigel Bennet also had everyone excited. It was a great day for photography in Philadelphia, from the special Portfolio Review in the morning to the informal portfolio sharing all throughout the Summit reception and everything in between.
We wanted to extend a special thanks to Asahi for providing the beer for the event, Benrido for printing the beautiful collotypes each Summit attendee received, and a huge thank you to all of the student volunteers from Drexel University’s photography program.
Our Ears Are Open
We want to hear your thoughts on the event. Please take a few moments and fill out our online survey to help us improve for the ONWARD Summit ’13.
Images & Video Coming Soon
We’re working on editing the videos of the presentations by the Summit speakers. Be on the lookout for those very soon! In the meantime, you can take a look at all the photos from the day’s events at our online gallery. A big thanks to Ryan Collerd for shooting all the photos.
ONWARD Mementos
Want a reminder of ONWARD ’12? We are now offering a special framed edition of all eight of Hiroh Kikai’s collotype postcards printed by Benrido. There are also books still available from each of the speakers. Check out the special selections of Summit ’12 Momentos
Getting Involved for 2013?
Want to volunteer for next year’s Summit? Fill out our online form and we’ll be in touch with how you can help out.
Momentos
Did you attend the ONWARD Summit and want something to commemorate your experience? Weren’t able to attend but still wanted to pick up books by the presenters? Books from each of the speakers are still available in addition to a special limited edition of collotype prints from Hiroh Kikai. Shipping options are available upon checkout.
Tokyo Portraits
Tokyo Portraits – Kikai Hiroh
Hardcover, 10 x 7.5, 200 pages, 176 b/w reproductions [text in Japanese, captions in Japanese and English] (Crevis)
One of Japan’s most recognizable image-makers, Kikai Hiroh has been photographing in the Asakusa area of Tokyo for much of his career. His street portraits of eccentric characters on the fringes of society – who he oftentimes photographs and then photographs again after years (sometimes as many as 15) have elapsed – serve as a new topography of outlandish personas. These steadfast portraits serve as the human element to the otherwise human-less photos of empty city streets that are sprinkled throughout, making for a truly unique view through Hiroh’s eyes. Both books by Kikai Hiroh are otherwise unavailable in the US.
Asakusa Portraits
Asakusa Portraits – Hiroh Kikai
Hardcover, 11 x 9, 264 pages, 200 b/w reproductions [text in English] (ICP/Steidl)
In the same vein as Tokyo Portraits, this book simply offers up Hiroh Kikai’s unwavering style of portraiture. Stunning street portraits of Tokyo’s eccentrics, with captions that are often as important as the image. Hiroh’s unique ability to make the viewer feel a connection with the people in the photos shines through. Includes essays, an extensive interview with the artist, and journal entries, some of the only printed insight into his work available in English.
Anatolia
Anatolia – Kikai Hiroh
Hardcover, 12.25 x 12.25, 156 pages, 140 b/w reproductions [text in Japanese] (Crevis)
Japanese photographer, Kikai Hiroh’s encounters with people in the Anatolia region of Turkey offer a glimpse at a portion of the world – where east meets west – we rarely see. The photographer spent a total of 45 weeks between 1994 and 2009 capturing the people amid their surroundings, from busy streets to dirt roads. The photographs in this book are printed on thick paper and look and feel as though they are silver gelatin prints between the covers. Both books by Kikai Hiroh are otherwise unavailable in the US.
A Road Divided
A Road Divided – Todd Hido
Hardcover, 14 x 17, 64 pages, 28 four-color plates (Nazraeli Press)
California-based photographer, Todd Hido’s most recent monograph takes you on a journey from deserted rain-saturated country roads to the dawn of a new spring light. A divergence from his iconic images of suburban homes a night, Hido utilizes daylight and an often foggy windshield to create painterly landscapes in this gorgeously printed, and immaculately designed book.
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
Hardcover, 11 x 10.5, 270 pages, 250 color & 15 b/w reproductions (Philadelphia Museum of Art/Yale University Press)
Compulsory reading for those in need of a comprehensive introduction to this self-trained artist’s work, and for fans already familiar with Strauss’ “troubling portrait[s] of contemporary America.” This book serves as both exhibition catalog for her mid-career retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the feather in the cap of her decade-long project: “Under I-95″. Includes insightful essays by Sally Stein, Zoe Strauss, and editor of the book and curator of her exhibition, Peter Barberie.
Collotype Prints
Special 8-Image Collotype Series by Hiroh Kikai (printed by Benrido)
14″x17″ white frame, 8-ply mat, each images measures 4″x4″
This is a very special limited collotype edition that includes eight of Hiroh Kikai’s portraits printed by Benrido in Japan. Lauded for its stunning printing capabilities, collotype is a unique printing process that pre-dates lithography. This set of portraits is an essential memento for anyone interested in street portraiture and those captivated by Hiroh Kikai’s distinctive eye.
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Tokyo Portraits
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Asakusa Portraits
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Anatolia
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A Road Divided
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Zoe Strauss: 10 Years
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Collotype Prints
Event Program
Keynote
For the Keynote each year, we will invite two of the most celebrated image-makers of our time to present their work and talk about their journeys in image-making. For the inaugural Summit, we are pleased to invite the following speakers.
Todd Hido first became recognized for “House Hunting,” a series of haunting and moody images of suburban landscapes. Photographed in the middle of the night with a warm color palette, these images of the mundane in ordinary lives become something extraordinary. Hido, who has been widely exhibited and collected, will share his continuous journey in search of his photographs. Click here for a video interview with Todd Hido.
Hiroh Kikai, a native of Yamagata, Japan, has received national recognition since the mid-’70s and international recognition since the mid-’90s. His images have been exhibited more widely since the completion of his portraiture series taken in Asakusa over two decades. The Asakusa Portrait Project is an extensive series of monochrome street portraits each with idiosyncratic individuality.
In Focus
In Focus presents work by photographers that are redefining our understanding of the medium of photography and its role in our visual culture.
Zoe Strauss: Ten Years by Zoe Strauss & Peter Barberie
Philadelphia-based photographer, Zoe Strauss and Peter Barberie, The Brodsky Curator of Photographs, Alfred Stieglitz Center at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will discuss the upcoming exhibit, Zoe Strauss: Ten Years.
For this portion of the Summit, Strauss and Barberie will speak about the process of putting together an exhibition of such magnitude, which not only includes a physical exhibition at the PMA with approximately 150 photographs, but also a special project featuring Strauss’ photos displayed on billboards throughout Philadelphia.
This large-scale, multifaceted mid-career retrospective of Strauss’ work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be up from January 14 – April 22, 2012 and features her photographs that depict an America in decline and the broader sentiments associated with that notion.
Juror’s Awards Recipients
The two Juror’s Award recipients of ONWARD Compé ’12, Project Basho’s annual international photography competition, will also present their work and speak about their current projects and directions.
The identities of the two Juror’s Award recipients will be revealed earlier that day, at the opening of the ONWARD Compé ’12 exhibition. The opening reception will take place from 2 – 4 pm at Project Basho Gallery, a few blocks from the summit location.
Portfolio Sharing
We encourage all participants to bring their own images to the conference to display and present to each other in an informal environment before the lecture program. Whether you decide to bring prints, an electronic portfolio on an iPad, a print-on-demand book, or a self-published zine, all participants will have a space to show their work and bounce ideas off one another.
Read more about Portfolio Sharing on our Blog.
Click here for a complete schedule of the evening’s events.
Portfolio Reviews
We are now offering a very special Portfolio Review the same day as part of ONWARD Summit. This is an excellent opportunity for photographers looking to get feedback on their work from some of the best photographers and photography professionals in the world! Spaces are limited to 12 seats, so sign up quick.
Schedule:
Saturday, February 11th
11 am – 1 pm (registration begins at 10:30 am)
Location:
Crane Old School, White Space
Format:
Each portfolio review participant will receive a total of four reviews, each lasting 20 minutes. Each portfolio review is 1-on-1. Participants will select their four choices from the list of reviewers and are guaranteed at least two reviews from their list of preferred reviewers.
How to present your work:
You may bring your portfolio in printed form, book, et cetera. This is up to you, just remember to bring your best work. (If presenting your work on a computer or other device, you must provide yourself).
Cost:
Sold Out
Reviewers (in alphabetical order):
- John Caperton – Curator at The Print Center
- Bill Cramer – Photographer & CEO of Wonderful Machine
- David Graham – Photographer & Educator
- Todd Hido – Photographer, ONWARD Compé ’12 Juror, & Summit Keynote Speaker
- Robert Lyons – Head of Hartford Art School MFA Program & Photographer
- Martha Madigan – Photographic Artist & Educator
- Martin McNamara – Principal at Gallery 339, Philadelphia
- Greg Miller – Photographer & Educator
- Andrea Modica – Photographer & Educator
- Corinne Tapia – Gallery Manager at Sous Les Etoiles, New York
Please note that the Portfolio Review fee does not include admission to the Summit.