Zoe Wiseman Photography

Fiat Lux - Fine Art Nudes by Zoe Wiseman

I will be exhibiting 10 years of fine art nudes at A&I Photographic in Hollywood. Opening reception is February 18, 2010, 7PM to 10PM. A&I will be producing a book for the show, as well as a special limited edition book titled Fiat Lux.

50% of all proceeds will benefit The Weingart Center. They help many people here in Los Angeles transform themselves from being homeless to productive members of our community. I lived in downtown Los Angeles for a year at 4th and Main Streets directly in the midst of skid row in a refurbished artist loft. The brutal inhumanity of it all affected me. I have decided to give 50% of all proceeds to an organization which focuses on transforming these lives and helping them get off the street.

A book signing, beer and wine bar, catered food and over 30 prints from several of her series. Models on the wall include; Ida Mae, Candace Nirvana, Jazmine Dominique, Natasha Kay, Marketa, Carlotta Champagne, Madame Bink, Muse, Kat Love, Ivory Flame, Stephanie Anne, Larva X, Rebecca Lawrence, Vassanta, Rei, Pash, Niecy Moss, Rebecca Fox, Jessamyne, Zinn Star, Soph and Maria Erickson.

A&I Photographic

933 N. Highland Ave.

Hollywood, CA 90038

Please come out and celebrate! To keep up to date – please subscribe to Zoe Wiseman’s personal website feed.

A&I has posted my exhibition online on their website. You can see all of my prints here. The Weingart Center also posted a wonderful webpage about my show on their website. I’m really looking forward to helping the homeless on Skid Row.

Coma - @2008 Zoe Wiseman - model: Ivory Flame

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On February 18, 2010 I’m having a solo showing of my work at A&I Photographic in Hollywood. I think I’ve picked out a few “THESE ABSOLUTELY MUST BE ON THE WALL” images. I’m also thinking of making little series of 5×7’s in boxes to sell at the opening reception for very reasonable prices. I’ll post some of those series here as the time draws nearer. But, these are absolutes.

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Before arriving to Australia I found this amazing park online during my searches for locations. I fell in love with it 6 months before our arrival. It’s basically dilapidated ruins of a Spanish estate. Jose Paronella started building this for the public in 1929 and it is a magical feast for the eyes.

The day we arrived, the major paper in the area, The Cairns Post, did a little fluff piece on all of the photographers and models who were there in the area. They interviewed me and my friends, Candace and Cameron – Cameron took the picture for the paper. It was fun. I had picked the paper up at the local news stand on the drive out to the park and read the article and smiled about it.

Whilst in the park there was a particular park ranger who kept eyeing us, especially me, looking me in they eyes and asking what we could possibly be doing standing in one spot for so long, as he was taking a tour group to the bat cave (literally). We just smiled and said we were admiring the sound of the water. And as the tour group passed – Ivory Flame and Stephanie Anne would disrobe as one kept look out for passersby while I photographed the other. (You definitely need more than one person in a place like this.) Our code word was Spider. If people were coming, Ivory Flame or Stephanie would yell “SPIDER.” And then the other would quickly get dressed. It makes for excitement! haha.

We went round with this through the park photographing in various spots as you can see in the photographs. When I took the last frame of Ivory Flame and said that was a roll and started to wind the film… I was crushed. I had gone through the entire park making pictures (so I thought) with no film in the camera. I almost cried. Ivory Flame was so sweet and said… “Oh Zoe, it’s OK… we can just do it again. Don’t worry.” Sincerely concerned and amazingly reassuring to me. So we went round the park again (haha) yelling “Spider” and setting up and such very quickly and made the pictures you see here.

We ran into this park ranger on several more stops he made. Once in the big trees where I photographed Stephanie (with only 2 frames left on the roll, not bad Stephanie!). Ivory Flame yelled “Spider” and Stephanie barely got her dress back on as the tour group with the ranger walked up. She was putting on her blouse over her dress and the ranger said, “Nearly busted.” And Stephanie said, “But not quite!” And with three girls giggling and smiling, what could he do but smile back?

The park has a little restaurant with a beautiful porch where you can sit and overlook the grounds. We grabbed some pies and coffee and sat to rest and eat a bit before driving on back to our spot at the beach. As we were eating the park ranger came up to us with the newspaper I had my picture in and asked, “Is this you?” And I smiled giggled and said yes that it was. So he asked for all our autographs and we all signed the newspaper for him.

And that’s the backstory.

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I thought I’d blog about this because I’m sure I’m not the only photographer who has a hard time choosing what images to put in a show. I mean, it’s hard to separate ourselves from our work sometimes. Sometimes we are overtly critical with ourselves, while other times we aren’t critical enough. How do you know when you have a healthy balance? The moon is also in Scorpio (my sun sign) which probably isn’t helping all that much because we Scorps are a passionate lot.

I’m having a showing of my work in Hollywood on February – the 18th being the opening reception. So, I have to narrow down my work to about 30 images. The last time I had a show it was easy… I was teaching a Holga workshop in the gallery and the show needed to be about my Holga work obviously. No problem picking out prints for that. But, now… and 5 years rolling by since that show… I’ve shot A LOT OF WORK! And the photos that were in that last show, they probably won’t even make the cut now. Maybe one.

So I sit here with negatives up to my neck, my hair frazzled like static electricity from the negatives rubbing together then touching my hair (well pulling it out) is creating a funny image of myself.

My plan started with making a mock up drawing with pen and paper of the gallery space. Drawing out how many prints I could fit on the wall. Then once I looked at all the photos I wanted to include, and thought about all the models I didn’t want to disappoint if they weren’t hanging on the wall, and the economy, I thought, “Well, maybe I can make a little piece of the wall a group of 5×7’s that people could afford to take home.” But, subliminally I think it was only so I could add more photos to my show. With 16×20 pictures framed I can fit 30. With a little piece of the wall dedicated to 5×7’s or 4×4’s, I can fit 40. And if I have a couple of really BIG prints say… 36″, I can fit 36. All the things you must think of!

Then I started freaking out thinking I needed to make it all about one project. Or even all about one place or model. (I know it isn’t going to happen, but, in my head that’s what was happening)

So, this is my self doubt blog. Putting it out there and letting it fade away to the confines of cyberspace, if they are even confined.

Please tell me I’m not alone.

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I Spy With My Plastic Eye, is a group print exhibition visualized by photographer, Astor Morgan. The exhibit, brought to life by A&I, is a testament to the unique qualities of toy cameras. Each artist approached their imagery with a singular voice, using a variety of film types, techniques, and cameras.

Because the charity weSpark will benefit from proceeds of this exhibit, special arrangements have been made with the contributing artists to allow their prints so be sold at unprecedented prices. Please visit, www.weSpark.org .

Contributing Artists:
Zoe Wiseman, Aline Smithson, Anne Elliot Cutting, Monica Orozco, Erin McGuire, April Rocha, Christiane Ingenthron, Carmen Luceno, Connie Conway, Daniel Lupercio, Ellen Stone, Gal Harpaz, Maura Brennan, Nicole Cooper, Noelle Swan Gilbert, Jason Costanzo, Joshua Elliot, Liv Naesheim, Manuello Paganelli, Maura Brennan, Meg Madison, Niki Mustain, Nelson Blanton, Thomas Michael Alleman, Astor Morgan, Michael Kirchoff, Jolie Margulies, Karen Florek, Evan Walsh and Vern Evans.

Sponsored by:
A&I, HP, Fuji, Freestyle, Light Leaks Magazine, Lens Babys, and Julia Dean.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

7:00pm – 10:00pm

A&I Hollywood

933 N. Highland Avenue

Hollywood, CA

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Victim #16 Fallen Keyboard - The Fragile Tour - Nine Inch Nails

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Polaroid Type 85 went right after SX-70. It’s understandable about Type 85 really. I mean, I’m the only one I know who ever shot nudes with it. Maybe someone else is out there? If so… let me know! I want to see your work too. Holga w/Polaroid back and Type 85. I still have mass amounts of film left.

I thought I would go through 12 packs in Australia, but alas… I broke my Polaroid bucket once I got to OZ and had to use a bowl from the house I rented so trucking around in the rainforest wasn’t so optional. Improvising is fun.

One day I photographed Rei and Muse at the house we were staying in together. The quote of the day was, “Ladies! Quit talking about boys and start talking about POSES!” I was running back and forth from the bowl to the shooting spot with Polaroid goo on my fingers and the paper stuff stuck to them while trying to hold two developed positives in my mouth at times. I swear if I ever had a “diva moment” that was it. Muse and Rei continued to taunt me about it for days. I’m certain my hair MUST have been sticking out all over the place too. It wasn’t… but it ads to the drama so play along. I was acting very exasperated because I was actually upset at the sun. See, it was moving way too rapidly and I needed it to stay where it was for at least another hour. But, of course time doesn’t play that way… so exasperated I was. Here are some of the “diva moment” photographs. With Type 85 of course.

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The very first model I actually found to work with me, other than my model friends from New Orleans, was Candace Nirvana. I have more photographs of her than any other model I’ve worked with. No offense to the other amazingly talented models I’ve taken photographs of, it’s just that I’ve always worked with Candace… from day one. I know how she moves, where to follow, and how to make her look good. Of course the other models I work with I find this click too, but they aren’t retiring. My work will not be the same without her.

We can get a shot even if there are only 4 frames in which to do it in. Or in this case… I had exactly 17 frames… and I got 17 good photographs. Photographs or affirmation of friendship… or 1/60th of a second permanently captured for eternity… or is it a knowing that makes it work? I don’t know. But I’m glad it works. I’m glad I have had her in my photographic life, but more so as a friend. I’ll really miss making photos with her. I’m certain I’m not the only one who feels this way. She’s given many photographers some of their best work. I salute her!

We made these images this October in Mission Beach, Australia. Normally I wouldn’t show each and every one, but I thought you’d all like to see what she can do in 17 frames.. or what we can do. I guess I’m there too. haha.

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I had a photo published in a book. 210 Photographers 1×2 ~ click on the book to order. The photography inside is amazing. I’m honored to be surrounded by such great work. The printing is wonderful!

1x.com 1x2 210 Photographers

© 2007 Zoe Wiseman

Model: Rebecca Fox

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Jessamyn spent a few weeks with me recently and we made these images. It was so much fun. She’s such an artist in her own right, so creating with her was especially fun since she wasn’t afraid to interject her ideas into the process. It’s always wonderful to have a complete collaboration.

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A lot of the pictures we take are self portraits of ourselves – even though we may not be taking self portraits in the traditional sense. Some of these images were plucked from my subconscious and/or stuck together with the subconsciousness of the women I work with. Some only have meaning in the unchartered spaces of my mind. Others I understand more and more each day as they continue to reveal themselves to me.

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