three days ago i moved most of my belongings out of “the Kibbutz’, my New York home for the last four years….certainly one of THE buildings in NYC among the photography crowd and a few other crowds as well….more than a few iconic photographers live there , along with some internationally known artists of all types..jazz musicians, sculptors, painters, the like…the Kibbutz is an ugly building…..but it has high ceilings and lots of light and a rooftop to die for…nobody doesn’t like the view from my rooftop…the East River takes a hard left northern turn going up right at the point where the Kibbutz sits near the Williamsburg Bridge…so this small piece of geography is a unique vantage point in New York where you can look all the way down to Wall Street and all the way up to Harlem…yup, the whole island up and down, all in one glance…
the view from my loft is a view that normally only millionaires have in New York…yet i pay little, for the Kibbutz is an unimproved artists loft… there are many writers here on BURN who well know that i live a spartan existence…it is too late in my professional life now for me to make “big money”…for whatever reasons (divorce did not help), i have done everything in my power to avoid ever having too much cash…yet, i have never been out of work…but, i have consistently rejected some commercial work in favor of “doing my own thing”…and, i have not regretted this lifetime decision for one second….i would rather have the pictures than the money…as simple as that…time spent in producing books does not reap financial rewards, nor does all of the personal shooting i do…whatever magazine assignments i have done (40 stories for Natgeo alone), and even the best ad jobs, have all pretty much been tailored in the long run to whatever personal project i was doing at the time…simply put, i worked for the magazines, the magazines worked for me…
well, you may be asking, if this Kibbutz is so damn cool and you love it, why in hell would you move out??? answer: as many of you know, i found an old historic beach cottage down on the Carolina shore that is just, well, just just ME…i had sold my small apartment in Washington which i had owned for 20 yrs….sold it before the financial crises and bought the little beach cottage after the crises…so i was lucky, not smart…so now i own, by luck, my dream house…with the smells and feel of where i grew up and started making my first photographs…the sea, the sea, and the sea…so so sustaining for me my whole life… this house will always need repair….and the old kitchen will probably stay the old kitchen…but the fireplace draws well in winter and the wrap around porch lets you sit outside anytime, and away from wind, because there is always a leeward side…most importantly, this house is very near my two sons, a fathers dream… it fronts a 40,000 acre state park…nobody can ever build in front of me or in back of me…water to left, water to the right, dunes straight ahead…nobody can see me standing on my front porch, even though a tourist area is not far away in reality..yup, t-shirt shops etc are somewhere out there over the dune line…but, never mind, i am in my own little world…as usual…
creating “my own world” has been my lifelong pursuit…as a kid i played in the dunes not far from here and made prints in my humble darkroom and dreamed of using my camera as a tool for exploration and expression…i refused to let anything interfere with that original dream…it was too powerful a dream to deny….
so, here i am right back where i started…with the same damn dream…it will not go away even if i wanted it to…so yes yes a lot of hard work blah blah blah, but i sure feel just plain old lucky…so lucky that i feel compelled to share with others what i think are the ways to get lucky….to make photography a life, not just a means of technical recording…hence BURN….as i sit in my mostly broken down beach cottage right now, it totally amazes me that i am right this second communicating with so many of you…you are “out there” somewhere just over the dune line…you are not just in my imagination, you are very real…
communicating online was never a dream per se..how could it have been??…that just happened…and after all it is just a part of what i do anyway…BURN is some kind of reflection of my personal life, so it is actually a personal project of sorts, only with your work instead of mine, but it is somehow my work too…so, we are in this together…BURN is just simply what goes on in my loft at the Kibbutz all the time…official workshops yes, but general hang spot for photographers more often than not…as i said, one of THE photo spots in New York…many of you have experienced this first hand at various photo projections and events …and more than a few of you have even slept on my floor (ode to Koudelka)…
ok, back to the point…all my stuff is now out of the Kibbutz…i simply cannot afford to stay there any longer because my primary expense is now the beach house (by the way, the beach place will soon become a place for you to visit…a bit of a trip, but worth it…and i plan to have some limited photo events here as well). anyway, i have just enough money to keep the Kibbutz loft through May…it now sits largely empty…and as i was pulling away from the Kibbutz three days ago, i thought “damn i just cannot let this place go…it is just too too perfect for a NYC space…”
so, the van was packed and it just hit me just as Mike and Tony Skater and i turned on to the highway….my thoughts raced to the obvious…so obvious…..
i thought: why not turn the Kibbutz loft into a BURN gallery for the photographers here??…sell your prints from selected work….
figure out some fair percentage for both of us (galleries usually have a 50/50 split) so that when Tom Hyde sells his tumbleweed photograph for $1000. he keeps half, and BURN keeps half (or whatever we work out)…to pay for the gallery, the office, and Anton, therefore financing BURN and YOU with an infrastructure we already have in place…sell your self published books too…BURN would not be an agency, but BURN could be your agent…there is a difference…and nobody has anything to lose that i can imagine…IF you sell a print, you help yourself, you help Burn…maybe help me to finance shooting some more families for my long term Off For a Family Drive…i mean, i wanna play too!!
i am soon to be looking for major subsidies for BURN…not advertising…i am talking major support to be able to finance photographers work…the EPF is only the beginning…taking large amounts of funding with minimal strings attached is of course the goal…impossible?? not really…we do it at Magnum with some regularity…
as of last week , i have been charged with helping to develop an online “channel system” for Magnum…Magnet….BURN will become a Magnum channel via Magnet…other Magnum photographers may or may not have their own channel…Magnet can develop its own funding as a larger “brand” and/or BURN can secure its own funding or both… or, perhaps we become a “column” or “channel” on other major sites as well…we are in uncharted waters…this will keep us viable here and help to keep you growing and producing out there just over the dune line…
i will be announcing soonest the new Advisory Board for BURN…an “A” listing of folks respected in our business and who will draw sponsorship and/or donations….i will be announcing soonest the entire list of staff from our audience here…up until last week, i had Anton Kusters and yours truly doing everything…Bob Black has volunteered, at my request, to be Editor at Large (seeking new talent, writing special essays, and well, just being Bob Black)…Kerry Payne has worked hours and hours on a viable business plan (she does that professionally), and Chris Bradley, Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather has volunteered his services outside of his agency, to study the whole “branding” bit…i am talking with several others of you who have expressed interest in helping us with BURN…you know who you are…
all of this sounds a bit daunting, but all of this will allow us to do exactly what we are doing only about 10 times better…right now we are “one dimensional”…i can see much more “depth” with each photographer whose work is presented on BURN….
i will not go into details of what we will do now, but believe me the possibilities are revolutionary…let’s face it, it is time for a revolution…throughout history whenever there has been confusion and floundering (which certainly describes our business/craft now) is exactly when something comes along and changes the “face” of everything…
the large publishing companies, with debilitating overheads, cannot move with stealth in this new economic environment…they have now to fire half their staffs…they have big buildings with big monthly expenses…at BURN we have my humble loft ….and we are in close touch with all of the same photographers that many magazines and agencies now cannot afford to hire…and they have to “over please” their readers so that they can attract a circulation which attracts advertising revenue….hmmmmm.…we could build, at a fraction of the cost, a better mousetrap…we have low overhead and a circulation that produces itself…
the audience is the action…
to point, we have YOU….the new breed…the new generation…the next bunch to rip it up…and WE are already gathered…we are not making stuff up here, i am telling you all of this already exists….hmmmmm, so put two and two together…timing, timing, and timing…and Chris Bradley’s concept of “co-opetition” is so true in the online community…we are not competing in the old fashioned sense of it….we will not take one dollar away from the established media companies…..we actually will help them…they will help us…funding is going to be shared by many….we just have to be in the game…
these are ideas anyone can have….so, why would it work for us?? because we already have totally in place a whole combination of things that nobody else has…but even if it does not work, what the hell?? nothing lost at all…forget one possible fear right off…my close attachment to all of you is germane to this whole issue….i ain’t going anywhere…and you know damn well i cannot get rich, because it would blow my whole image…survival sounds attractive however…
ok, well sorry, this was a way too long winded comment…but,i am in full thinking mode, so forgive please…and besides, the whole point of this is that i need your thoughts…but just on the ONE ISSUE, the gallery issue, for the moment…a BURN based gallery to sell your prints (curated shows…say, monthly events to do so)…i can hang 30-40 prints at a time…we can have print storage shelves etc etc…you provide the print or work out a deal with Mike to print for you (Mike has very long list of known photographers for whom he has been their primary gallery printer before he came to work with me)…
as with everything with BURN , we are a community with arbiter…just as in the submissions here for publication on BURN, the EPF (recipient to be announced at Look3) , etc etc. not everyone can participate in everything, but everyone sure as hell has a chance…do exemplary work , and you are “on it”…
again, just one more way to turn our online experience into a reality…
your thoughts???
rock
n’
roll…
burn
baby
burn….
all of it…
post a photo of your view..
the dunes
the water
the surf…
or
your kitchen…
we all want to see..
xo
*
ALL… i think i may have just done the worst job of cut and paste of all time…just tried pulling the comments from “coming home ” over to this new Dialogue post…i thought some would miss it as a comment only…
23 marcin luczkowski
April 28, 2009 at 1:04 am Edit
great idea. :)
and… hmmmm… I am jealous… your beach house…ehhh… but you know that :)
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24 jared iorio
April 28, 2009 at 1:13 am Edit
One question:
Can we still sleep on the floor when in New York? Of course we’d agree to be out before the gallery opened…
Seriously, I have no idea if it’s a viable option. It seems like it is, I would love it to be, and anything I could do (I couldn’t imagine what) — I would be glad to pitch in, the idea is just so exciting.
With an online gallery /store and a New york gallery space, it seems you could stay afloat, if the readership here is anywhere close to what you’ve described previously…
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25 ian aitken
April 28, 2009 at 1:21 am Edit
David,
this is a huge and increadible undertaking, If you think I might be able to help out with anything, drop me a line.
Your generousity of thought and deed is quite outstanding. The vision of finding a breathing space, whether physical or web based, for an open forum for emerging and established photographers and art buyers/editors/commissioners/non photographerss/appreciators of the craft of photography to mix is grand and I wish it the best of luck.
During my short time here I have certainly been challenged and inspired.
You might want to take a look at http://www.lensmodern.com it is a photographic library, that has been set up by three top end commercial photographers as a showcase for photographers personal work, that they do not want to have tucked away in a filing cabinet nor do they want the images to be sucked into the abyss of photographers rights issues surrounding getty etc. John Hegarty of BBH is heavily involved and keen to champion the rights of photographers. The percentage rates are good as it is run by photographers for photographers.
Best of luck
Ian
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26 A civilian-mass audience
April 28, 2009 at 1:51 am Edit
It took me 45 minutes to read Mr. Harvey’s post …my eyes are still hurting BUT I AM smiling!!!
I feel so HAPPY again, so inspired…
OIME. MR. HARVEY with all the good energy that we are sending and all the love and the kisses from your family and your friends and your friends to be…YOU ARE THE “RICHEST” man ALIVE !!!!
Mr. Tom Young, his tumbleweed photograph for $1000…aaaa??? ( any discounts for civilians?)
VIVA KIBBUTZ, VIVA N.CAROLINA,VIVA DAHY, VIVA SPONSORS ( WE LOVE YOU MUCH) !!!!
BURN the place TO BE !!!!
P.S I would like to be the first CIVILIAN to donate 50 EUROS for the Kibbutz PLACE . SERIOUS .What shall I do ?
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27 ian aitken
April 28, 2009 at 2:27 am Edit
Civilian, I’m with you on the donation.
David can you set up a donations box?
Ian
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28 audrey bardou
April 28, 2009 at 2:39 am Edit
Civilian, Ian, me too !
I think that it is a good idea a donations box !
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29 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 4:01 am Edit
:-)
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30 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 4:03 am Edit
:-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) …
(better)
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31 bobblack
April 28, 2009 at 5:57 am Edit
David :)))))))))))))))
that was an essay in and of itself :)))))))))))))….and were it only possible you could write long, more often :)))))))))….there sure is something in that OBX shoreline wind that gets a mind a chumbling :)))))
i think it is a brilliant idea…cause BURN GALLERY already has more for it than most galleries have to start with: an active and interested ‘client(s)’, a strong curatorial base (you), a well-spring of ideas/creativity (Burn), a place that is reasonably inexpensive ($2000/month is pretty cheap for a ‘commerical’ space), and branding and a large cache….
a first idea: exhibit the work of the EPF winner and finalists….
the only problem i see arising is the images themselves (printing, shipping, etc)….for those who shoot digitally, this is a non-issue, for those of us who either print ourselves or are experimenting with digital prints from negative-generated files, another issue….BUT….this should not stop the train…
those are details to work out…but for now, seeing what i saw during the October show at Kibbutz and the prints generated, i’d say it’d be a brilliant gallery, a brilliant venture and, why the hell hasnt’ it been thought of up to now?…
think APERTURE, ONLY younger ;))))))))
got to get me some of that sweet-salt carolina sky….
running
hugs
b
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32 bobblack
April 28, 2009 at 6:02 am Edit
Kathie:
for me, though i fail at them miserably all the time, those are the 2 big ones for me: awareness and kindness…what better diet is needed? ;)))…
anyway, those 4 Noble Truths, here they are:
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html
running
cheers
bob
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33 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 6:09 am Edit
BOB
check your email please :)
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34 katharina
April 28, 2009 at 6:25 am Edit
David,
great idea..
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35 Sam
April 28, 2009 at 6:50 am Edit
DAH
what else can I say that hasn’t already been expressed above…
Inspirational… Great idea.
your energy is so infectious, i love it! – energy, idea(s) & writing… (kinda missed a snapshot to go with though)
How about some sort of group project, seeing as Burn reaches so far and wide, something of our daily lives, postcards from home… i myself live in the Aussie bush and shoot dairy photography. I think it could be quite special, for anyone who wants to join in, something of our own individual realities. Just a passing idea…
cheers
Sam
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36 Sam
April 28, 2009 at 6:55 am Edit
ooooops… Diary photography not dairy, i’m lactose intolerant : )
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37 Imants
April 28, 2009 at 8:26 am Edit
“ooooops… Diary photography not dairy, i’m lactose intolerant : )”………. hmmmnnn that counts us out
http://etrouko.com.au/art/cow.jpg
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38 andrew sullivan
April 28, 2009 at 8:33 am Edit
David,
I love the idea. Who wouldn’t buy a print or two while under the seductive power of the view over Manhattan?
Could you potentially start staffing the gallery via the volunteer efforts of burn photographers? I imagine a cooperative task would appeal to many of the people here, and you’d probably have a full roster of those willing to donate a day a week to working in the gallery. Forwarding the thought of authorship/ownership would not only save on start-up costs but would also build the business skills of a team of dedicated emerging photographers and add momentum to your idea.
Glad to hear about your cottage by the beach. Sounds idyllic. Meeting a friend at Diner today up the street from the Kibbutz. We’ll toast you.
-andrew
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39 Akaky
April 28, 2009 at 8:45 am Edit
I thought Weltanschauung was a kind of sausage…guess not.
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40 wendy
April 28, 2009 at 8:47 am Edit
David….
what a great idea..
who would be there to sell the prints?
would it be by appt. only?
In terms of $ for rent,
what about charging each photog
to hang their photos?
you know the saying
‘you gotta pay to play…’
That and sales could help with rent….
LOVE the idea…
It just needs to generate $,
to keep it viable….
And I know plenty of gallery spaces where
artists pay a monthly fee to hang their art….
I love your way of thinking,
your energy
and your creative spirit….
an inspiration
to all…..
xox
**
*
41 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 9:35 am Edit
Akaky …
it’s more the peel of the sausage. The stuffing is separate.
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42 david alan harvey
April 28, 2009 at 9:47 am Edit
ANDREW…
well my friend , i will counting on you for your ideas and support….your first thought is a good one…we will get our gang back together soonest for another meeting of the minds..the first meeting has brought us “here”, the next one will take us “there”….there are some details to be worked out, but it all sounds like fun to me….
WENDY….
i think the best way is to have the gallery event based..the Kibbutz is definitely not going to be a walk in gallery….but it would not be so difficult to have an event per month…you have not been to the space, but you may imagine the crowds we draw already…..i am so so into alternative exhibition spaces in general….this Kibbutz space is just the beginning of what we can do….start thinking old warehouse space L.A…..collectively, we can do whatever we want…..can’t we???
SAM…
sure, why not?? good idea too….
cheers, david
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43 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 9:52 am Edit
DAH …
definitively.
worldwide.
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44 young tom
April 28, 2009 at 9:56 am Edit
:))) of course. maybe an elephant too. anything i have. and no, you absolutely positively cannot let that space go but then I am a broken record on this, no? and for myself, I had envisioned this space as ultimately Burn space from the beginning but, but it wasn’t my space. How generous of you to make it all our space. Of course, Burn needs a physical nexus point too … perfect.
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45 erica mcdonald
April 28, 2009 at 9:57 am Edit
DAH
exactly..I actually have thought many times about the ability of selling work after the slideshows of the people who were featured when people are happy and excited about the work..I think event based is smart, actually, you already had the slideshow / book sale event for Trolley, that seemed to go well and I don’t think there was tons of advance notice. Your ability to bring in established photographers to talk and show work would be a huge asset if you could combine that with work for sale..What about the possibility of hosting a slideluck?
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46 erica mcdonald
April 28, 2009 at 9:58 am Edit
sorry that is grammatically garbled..it is going to be 90 here today (you on your porch with the sea side breeze!) and i’m already feeling it..
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47 wendy
April 28, 2009 at 10:03 am Edit
DAVID
oh yes,
all is possible…
what can I do
to help?
I think it is a WONDERFUL idea..
and maybe,
just maybe
all prints have to be custom,
NO giclees….
so buyers are guarenteed a custom print,
as opposed to ink jet….
not that there is anything wrong with digital prints,
but BuRN’s signature could be all custom photographs..
I’ve noticed in the gallery world
that custom prints are worth double
than an ink jet print….
just an idea…..
but maybe not,
perhaps it is too limiting..
?!?!
**
*
48 erica mcdonald
April 28, 2009 at 10:07 am Edit
DAH..
I should also say that I used to work at Vision Gallery, which was one of the most amazing photography-only galleries ever..it was in San Fran..a total philanthropic endeavor by the owner Joe Folberg, he ran it for a handful of years because of his love for photography, we showed many of the masters (that was my real photo education, handling and hanging all those prints)..and I ran the gallery at Maine Photo Workshops for a summer, so I have a few skillz :) I’d be happy to try to unearth if we need them…
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49 A Civilian- mass audience
April 28, 2009 at 10:14 am Edit
AND we DoASHarvey:
:”ON A ROLL” again
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50 Lassal
April 28, 2009 at 10:16 am Edit
ERICA
you are full of nice surprises …
:-)
ERICA…
as you know, Casey from Slideluck has come to all of our functions….and maybe we could do something..we have talked about some kind of coop event….but Slideluck is a different animal…a bit too big for my taste actually…i like smaller , more boutique operations…the danger for BURN is in getting too big….we will have to fight that one…we need to be prominent enough to get funding, but we do not want to be a franchise…i honestly have always liked the Magnum model, which is obviously why i pursued Magnum…
since BURN will be a part of MAGNET, we will have that more “boutique” sensibility built right in….i do not think we should do anything to lose that…..
cheers, david
.CUT AND PASTED FROM “coming home”
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17 Gracie
April 28, 2009 at 12:28 am Edit
i thought it was those damned crickets pushing underneath my door that were making all that noise.
i realized it was the wheels in your head turning….
been too moribund to do anything else other than talk serious…
dah… seriously… you just made me smile :)))))))))
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18 Joe
April 28, 2009 at 12:42 am Edit
Cool.
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19 bodo
April 28, 2009 at 12:48 am Edit
David…
I am ALL FOR IT! Honestly, I can at least tell you on behalf of the (emerging) photographers from this part of the world how much this means to us! It is one thing to continue photography to satisfy one’s creative self and urge, and it is altogether a different matter to make photography a self-sustaining process and when an opportune moment comes, to be able adopt it for life! I think your ideas will help everybody. Many thanks for creating these REAL opportunities for us in this way…Burn was already a great great opportunity for many of us and I am amazed to know that it was just the beginning!!!
Long Live Burn :)
cheers,
bodo
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20 audrey bardou
April 28, 2009 at 12:50 am Edit
It would be absolutely formidable, I smile too :)))
If I can make me useful, I’ll be very happy…
Going to need to fix up that space, just a little, especially lighting. And a magnetic paint wall, maybe with whiteboard paint on top, with peel off magnetic strips so people can hang their own little 4 x 6 prints … and a wall with memorable burn quotes painted on it … and a widescreen tv for slideshows … and … and … keep it simple ;-))
corona or wine, corona and wine? and negra modelo and white rabbits.
Very exciting ideas coming out of this transition. I think I may have been more attached to David living in the kibbutz than he was! The new house sounds perfect. I can relate, just settling in myself in New Mexico.
Just wanted to quickly share this email I just received from the Natural Resources Defense Council regarding CARLAN TAPP, whose essay was presented on burn:
Rob Perks let me know that he has been in touch with Carlan on coal ash. They are planning to use his slide show, hope to post it on their website at some point and blog it.
Thought many here would be happy to know that. I will post this also under Carlan’s essay.
David, count me in. I have a photographic lifetime that few have seen.
In addition to event based sales, would it be possible to have a virtual gallery here at Burn? It will increase sales and allow prints to be made only when they have been purchased.
let me know where and when you want digital files sent: I’d be happy for Michael C to print for me.
In my 33 years as a photographer I have never seen anything like this. Yes, we needed the technology but we also needed someone ‘over the dunes” to pull it all together. Thanks.
I’m in the U.K. but anything that I can do please let me know. As for you up-and-coming photographers out there; I hope you realize what an opportunity – a potential career-making opportunity this is!!!!
Best wishes,
Mike.
david,
I have a 20×24 matted print of the women in the hot springs that you published on bUrn in February.
It is at my mom’s apartment in nyc….it is now yours to help raise some $$ for any of your bUrning endeavors, whichever way the wind blows. I will frame it and give it to you whenever you want it to do whatever you want with it. just a small gesture to say thank you for your encouragement and inspiration…peace and love…hillary
Cathy, that’s great news about Carlan. Synergy happens and the flywheel is in motion now.
DAH
about slideluck, I agree..I was imaging a smaller event too, something more like what Casey does once a year in his apartment, the best of the best of the slideluck year (but with a better name :))
boutique is good..
what is MAGNET?
hillary is too cool … :))
Good idea, David. I have started to work on something similar about a month ago :o)
David — I think that this is a great idea.
I see an online virtual store as a natural progression of this idea: It would make sense if photographers that were selected to submit on burn were encouraged to provide prints, books, magazines, cards etc… and those became available for sale through the online store once the work was published.
In a previous life I created a product called Penguin Caffeintated Mints. We distributed our product online and in stores through distributors and retailers. In my experience selling inventory through different channels (and I would see burn ultimately selling art through different channels – both physical and online) can create a whole host of operational logistical complexities.
When setting this up it is so important to make sure that the way you handle and track the inventory, take orders, ship orders, invoice, process payments, provide customer service, etc… remains as consistent as possible across channels so that it is scalable and efficient. Not exciting stuff…but it’s necessary and requires thought and consideration.
I’d be happy to chat with you more about what I’ve learned from my experience if you think that would help.
In any case, an exciting and inspiring vision David!
All the best,
Adam
… and i pledge to buy a print from the gallery. how i will ever decide, i do not know …
WOW!!! I miss a morning of checking up on Burn & look what happens???
David, you really are a visionary. But the thing about your visions is that you make them happen in real time. So here we go…again! I sometimes feel like we’re riding the most gigantic roller coaster in the world, one that has its dips, yes, but one that keeps soaring to more and more spectacular heights. Believe me, the view from this creative coaster is breathtaking!
YES! That is my response to your latest brainstorm. I’ve been to the loft and can see it as a gallery, a beauiful gallery at that. The light is perfect, the space is nice & open, it has a bathroom & small unobtrusive kitchen, and wonderfully tall ceilings. Besides, there’s space downstars to show slideshows, an elevator to carry woork & people up six flights of stairs to the gallery, and a gorgeous roof for smokers. What more could you ask?
Well, a bit of $$$ for starters. *It is time for the DONATION BUTTON to appear on Burn.* There are LOADS of photographers and Burn readers who live too far away to volunteer at the gallery or even attend its events. But we ALL want to be part of this grand adventure. Please give us a tangible way to do so.
You’re right, of course. Everything is already in place for this to happen. You already know the people in the NYC photography world & they know you. Many of them have come to the loft more than once to see slideshows, hear speakers or just hang out.
You have an excellent & varied body of work just waiting to be shown. And you have relationships with untold numbers of emerging & established photographers who would love to show in the Burn gallery.
Regarding particulars, be sure that Burn gets enough of a percentage of the $$ from sales. You know how it goes: the higher the gallery percentage, the higher the prices set by the photogs. We know how to adjust for that. But I personally think that collectors will be MOST interested in Burn Gallery, mainly because they will be able to buy the work of tomorrow’s greats at today’s lower prices. And in NYC, no matter how the economy is tanking for the rest of the country/world, there will always be folks with LOTS of money!
I’m trusting there will be no restrictions on how the photographers want to present their work. If they want to show mimeographed images on butcher paper, that should be their perogative. We’re after quality, yes, but we also want to be open to new ways of seeing/presenting photographs. Of course, there will be a curator and/or curatorial committee to deal with issues of quality and diversity.
Please let me know how I can help. I am totally psyched about this idea and can’t wait to see how it manifests.
BRAVO to you, David Alan Harvey! You are a damn genius!!!
love
Patricia
david! what a lovely idea, and im not saying that just because you live 13 blocks away. i’m looking forward to hanging around soon, looking at photos and helping out. i expect good things.
jackie
David great idea, siiiiiiiiii
we all together can try.
:-))))))))))))
David,
As you know, I contribute very rarely, but I try and follow Burn as closely as possible.
I never made it to the Kibbutz and I missed out on some great events, there is no doubt.
I wish you all the best in your new humble abode – it sounds perfect.
Keeping the Kibbutz loft for a Burn headquarters is a great idea. You could easily imagine it becoming a place of pilgrimage for visitors to NYC who are passionate about photography, it will be the place to see the special work and those that make the effort to visit will be rewarded. Sometimes you have to get off the beaten track to find the best of something.
If it helps all concerned then selling prints and books from there can only be a good thing, and I’d love to contribute.
I see you’re going to be in the UK in a few weeks. I don’t know if I can make the portfolio reviews, but it would be good to catch up with you.
Enjoy…
Justin
Mazing.
And it’s very cool to watch this unfold in real time…
David, this is by far one of the most ispirational pieces I have read in a looong time…grazie, grazie, grazie!
If I ever get a chance to visit you, the least I can do is bring you at least a good bottle of wine..red or white? :-)
p.s. if a “donations” button appears on Burn, I will click it.
What is today with the “CUT and PASTE” Are you all dyslexics??? Are we together in this…?
Am I at the right place? Because I am just a Civilian and you keep rolling so fast that I am lost…
AND I still have my 50 euros in my pocket and you better put the famous donations box up on the screen before I give it all away and buy another gallon of magnetic paint …
THANK MR.HARVEY and All of YOU… because as my friend says
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
Buddha
Cut and paste
david
“…the Kibbutz is an ugly building…..but it has high ceilings and lots of light and a rooftop to die for…” so much for architecture..
all the best with your new home. and the BURN gallery. you’re on a roll.
Stelios
David,
this is a wonderful idea! And I am sure you and this community will make it happen!
It all sounds so exciting to me and I will do whatever it takes to help this idea come true!
Count me in.
Reimar
NO,NO way Reimar,
you have to finish the mill first, you promised !!!
First we take Manhattan then we take Berlin…
DAAAAA !!!!!!
HILLARY….
i think your print will sell…your whole underwater series is quite compelling overall…many many thanks for your support….
ERICA…
MAGNET is the new Magnum internet channel system…BURN will be one of the channels on MAGNET..i do not know how many photographers will be interested in developing channels, but this is our new area of exploration…
FRANCESCO B…
i prefer red ….thank you…. i will be in Tuscany in july…are you close by???
JUSTIN..
i do hope to see you in june…and please come to the Magnum fest on the 25th….maybe we will have time to go over the most likely photographs you have for print sales…
JACKIE…
please stop by soonest…i should be back in New York by the 10th…
PATRICIA…
sure, photographers can create whatever they want…there will have to be limitations on what the gallery can accept just because of the quantity of work that will probably roll in…the art print market is a fickle one , but i will also involve some reputable gallerists in NY who may want to set up relationships with some of the photographers here…i suppose we should also think about online sales right off of the Burn site….but, let me think on that one…i do not want to dilute the off the wall gallery sales, but i want to give as many photographers a chance as i possibly can…
YOUNG TOM…
oh yes …new lighting coming in immediately…magnetic walls, yes….wide screen for films and multi-media…….bunk beds????
CATHY…
thanks for the good word about Carlan…such a nice nice man and so committed to his causes….
REIMAR…
i keep trying to find a meeting point with you…i will be in London in June and Tuscany in July.. will you be anywhere near???
cheers, david
DAVID, sitting on my balcony in the Berlin-night with a glass of wine, reading this. SO so inspiring!! (Well, I should go finish an project application) but this rocks! I think your idea is great, I will so jump off my at the moment very fast going work-train and on the plane to NY, to volunteer for some weeks. A gallery, an event space, show room. Of course we have to be realistic, who is the audience? Who will buy the prints? The BURN crowd, other photographers, just “normal” audience. We have to think about this. But with your and our contacts, I do think it´possible. Absolute!
Congratulation with your new dream-home, by the way. I remember how the financial crisis “exploded” while in NY last fall, you were so worried about this house. Amazing you made it, I look forward to come visiting you.
Big hug Andrea (who, believe it or not, is about to finish an essay to submit here on BURN:)
And while in Europe, come to Berlin, my “kibbutz” isn´t the worst either..
Hi every body. I’ve just checked the view of the building down to Manhattan! Just awesome… for a small gallery :-) I’m definitely “IN” the project.
DAH: Even the place look gorgeous to live, sometimes we have to turn the page, and move on, being at the top of the wave…jumping from crest to crest.
Abrazos a todos!
Keep looking forward,
Patricio
ANDREA…
please come soonest…your energy would really help….yes, of course, we must be realistic….although since when was i ever realistic?? anyway, i will try …the way i see it, there is nothing to lose at all…if we sell some prints everybody comes out fine…there is no real investment here except for the preparation of material by the photographer…in any case, join us….you would be so so perfect to have on board for this….and i await your essay for Burn….you are such a fine fine photographer….
i have not been to Berlin in many years…i would love to come ..maybe after the Magnum meeting in London..can you come for that event?? the 25th is the party…
cheers, david
David;
Congratulations on your move to the beach, it sounds idyllic. As for the gallery idea, it sounds wonderful. I agree with Patricia that a “donation” button (through paypal or similar?) would be great. Imagine what you can do if only a tiny percentage of your readers/audience send $10?
Many of us (me included) would love to do more to help, but living so far away does have its limitations. But if there is any way of helping you out, you only have to ask.
Thank you.
Ross
Thank you David (smiling!!!!!!!)
Yes, maybe I can come, and then abduct you back to Berlin.. Well, maybe it´s possible to join you in London, why not I jump on and off planes in Europe all the time anyway. Let´s come back to this!!
Yes there is nothing I want more than to join you with this project. It can be a bit scary to take the step into BURN because you all seem so familiar. but I know it´s bullshit, just inside my head.
Yes I guess the thing is not to be to depending on a lot of sale, to keep the costs low, then it will be a win-win situation. But will you still be in NY sometimes?
Cheers,A
and after Berlin let’s fly back to America but let’s go down to South America this time.
LET’S send good Energy to all the “citizens” down to Mexico and especially to all the friends
in OAXACA !!! WE ARE WITH YOU !!!!
VIVA BURN ! Long live the Universe !
P.S Katie for you, we are coming…My Gracie, the muse, We miss our SPACECOWBOY.
MR. Bob Black or whoever speaks Russian please proceed to “ONE month Burning” someone needs help…
Mr Harvey, sir … please check your email – the info you’re waiting on should have hit your in-box.
Let’s connect soon to discuss… Ta!
Kerry
CIVILIAN :))))
spasibo ;))))))…I’VE ANSWERED the call…Mr. BlackSea Sailor wanted to know if he could submit his/her own work…so, i’ve had marina write him a message…hoping he/she will get it…
running
b
ooopps….that was Me (Mr. Black) that just wrote that….see what happens when you have 2 Black artists in the family ;)))
running
bob
David;
Congratulations on your move to the beach, it sounds idyllic. As for the gallery idea, it sounds wonderful. I agree with Patricia that a “donation” button (through paypal or similar?) would be great. Imagine what you can do if only a tiny percentage of your readers/audience send $10?
Many of us (me included) would love to do more to help, but living so far away does have its limitations. But if there is any way of helping you out, you only have to ask.
Thanks.
Ross
Hey David,
I’m based in Rome but I used to live in Siena, my best friends are all there and I visit them often, so I’ll try and be in Tuscany in July…I was thinking about attending your workshop at TPW, but don’t have enough money for that at the moment, hopefully later this year or next summer…and since you’ll be in Tuscany, I’ll make sure to bring a bottle of red wine from the South, so you’ll taste something different. :-)
How about an online component to complement the gallery at the kibbutz?
For example, create a print sales link where images from the show could be sold to the global audience online. A friend of mine sold a bunch of prints through Jen Bekman’s 20×200 site.
Just saw that the Burn facebook page has over 1000 fans. We could probably get that higher. And what about twitter? The magnum twitter feed has 2900 followers.
Moving out of NYC? On the one hand that sounds great, on the other, I hope you dont get bored:) Living in NYC has always been my dream and still is a goal, so I cant quite grasp the idea of voluntarily leaving it, but then again Im a big city boy at heart. The gallery idea is awesome. I think it will take off, because you already have so much in place before even getting started: space, a NAME, promotion, tons of work for your choosing, and most of all energy and ideas. Im sure it will be a huge success. Joni is doing something similar to this actually and he already had some Magnum guys drop by to see the shows he has put on. Anyway, David, this is a fantastic, but natural extension of Burn. Make sure the two efforts are coordinated.
Count me in.
Good, energizing light to all.
a.
David Alan,
Yay to you for moving to your dream place, i don’y blame you one bit. Although it will be much harder for me to run into you in manhattan like I’ve secretly dreamed.
Regardless, I want in. I really like what you wrote – to basically rerererereiterate, it is inspiring and exciting.
I would like to help in any way I can. I live in New York and have more time on my hands skin. I located in Brooklyn and can pee on the Williamsburg bridge (albeit with a bit of strain.)
Count me in quadruple-time.
Looks like things are going to get interesting……..
I’m still all about making sleeping platforms in the back. Japanese pod style, built into the wall, curtains (blackout curtains:)) to hide them from view…could even be another revenue stream, having folks kick in for nightly stays…
The BURN collective…man, it’d be like the ’60′s all over again…
Hola Uncle , Back from the South Seas! I must be doing life backwards , I already live by the beach but crave a post modern , exposed brick ,raw concrete inner city former petrol station for my retirement .
Nice plan , I probably should get busy burning!
Cheers Glenn
DAH, just sent you an email….just sayign so here in the hope it doesn’t get lost in the flood.
Bickford – great idea! :)
ALL: LOOK3 is rapidly approaching. who’s going? Those of you in the facebook crew, I am going to try and figure out a note or such so we can trade meet-up ideas and details. for instance…I still have 2 room reservations (I only need one) in case anyone needs one and can’t find anything open….will hang on to it – just let me know.
good light to all…
a.
Andrew B, I’m not on Facebook–opted out because of the all the emails I was getting from a ton of people–so would appreciate if you would post any Look3 meet-up plans here too. I’ll be in Charlottesville for DAH & Jim’s workshop as well as for the festival weekend. Am already getting VERY excited!!!
Patricia
ROSS…
Anton created a “donate button” a long time ago, but i just never wrote the text to go with it…maybe i can do that soon…yes, i would think small donations, as you suggest, to be the very best…minimum obligation all around…keeps us all free….thanks for thinking of us…we will repay in kind as you know…
RAFAL…
me get bored?? where?? laughing…of course, i do receive a lot of the legendary stimulus from NYC…and surely, i will still spend quite a bit of time in New York…throw in a lot of world travel in general, and believe me the respite of the beach does not seem boring…frankly, i have gotten so much work done down here because there are no distractions and there is another whole kind of stimulus with nature…
wishing you and your beautiful family all best…
VASILIOS…
we can still meet in New York…at the BURN gallery opening night….or , any time you choose..you just have to stay on my case…be a little bit persistent, and i will make the time to see you….
GLENN
you been gone gone bro…it is hard for me to keep up with your travels…any more new work with the Aborigines???
cheers, david
congrats on the move, D. sounds like the perfect fit for you!
Uncle , yeah Gone Daddy Gone ,too long gone ! The year has started off well ,The Solomons , Timor and rocking around the homelands ,still shaking my head that this is actually my life ,been looking at rock art and history here …
http://www.smh.com.au/national/lost-and-found-leichhardt-was-here-20090306-8rd1.html
It’s a journey that never ends!