Sarah Small

I’m making a movie!: My friend and colleague, Leah Meyerhoff of Unicorn Films has decided to make a documentary about me/my work. Writing this feels rather strange I must say. Hmm… My very first gut feeling was that of excitement. Then I became apprehensive and nervous about the idea and now I am back to excited again. We will be collaborating together on the process and on the final edit and we guesstimate shooting for 5 or maybe 7 years now. I’m looking forward to directing some scenes myself, possibly scripted dream sequences- bringing some dreams of mine to life and integrating them within with the documentary footage. I want to mix up conscious and subconscious, mix up the documentary genre with fictionalized story telling, comedy, hilarity, drama, horror , animation etc… just fantasizing/brainstorming right now. We’re looking forward to seeing what unfolds. AND, look out cause we’re about to start fundraising.

Giving a Lecture at B+H: I’ve been asked to speak at the B+H Events Space on Sunday Afternoon, May 17th. I’ve decided that this time, instead of re-vamping an old lecture simply outlining biographical key-points alongside artistic progress, I will put together something a little more challenging for myself and hopefully more engaging for my listeners. I’m start the talk around the creation of one shot from start to finish, including conception, casting, production, improvising while shooting, direction of models, making mistakes, editing, post, etc… See here: The Anatomy of Tension: Exploring the Relationship Between Mechanics, Process, and Photographic Craft in Group Portraiture: It is a small space but should yield a good turnout cause they send their Newsletter out to 150,000 people in the photo community. I like that!

Thinking about process: In high-school, I used to think even cropping an image was cheating on my own process. Now, well over a decade later, I find myself patching an open eye onto one of my closed-eyed subjects. It’s an experiment and I’m still mixed about- not sure I want to acceptably allow this into my process. I’ll think on it. If you pick up the current copy of Photo District News, you will see several images illustrating a retouching story about Retoucher Tzveta Stamatova, who worked with me on the 10-year anniversary Surface Magazine Avant Guardian Editorial I shot this Fall ‘08. If you don’t frequent newsstands, here’s the online link.

Daniel Cooney (of Daniel Cooney Fine Art) recommended me to Magnet Media Zoom-In Online TV to be interviewed as part of the new series called VIEWFINDERS, showcasing video interviews with photographers. I ended up doing an interview with Viewfinders at Cooney’s Gallery:

Viewfinders Video Interview Link

THEN, afterward, I was chosen as 1 of the 2 photographers for the ‘Viewfinder’s Challenge.’ Fellow photographer, Will Stacey, and I battled it out in front of judges David Turner and Marcel Saba, at a round table. I gotta say it was quite fun- I liked seeing the background mechanics of one of these shows being made. I wont give away the secret winner. You gotta watch this link to find out. My lips remain sealed.

Watch the Video of the Viewfinders Challenge!

I’m exhibiting photographs this Saturday, May 2nd. On display, I have 3 large mounted pieces at Stricola Contemporary from 5/2- 6/2 in a group show called Wild Things: Photography for Animal Lovers, curated by Greg Garry. I’m so happy with the other photographers on the roster (including Jill Greenburg and Chris Buck, among others). This opening, stand-alone, will be one not to miss. But, in addition, the Francesco Clemente show will be opening that same night at Deitch Projects right across the street. I cant wait for this dual line-up. See you there! Come early- It will be packed.

There were several reviews of the event. Some were in blog form and some in printed publication.

Here is a link to my favorite printed review. Hudson Valley News is a small print publication based in Rhinebeck NY:

Here is a link to the Time Out Review that was a bit of a disappointment for me as the Reviewer experienced the entire event through the lens of his boobs and booze fetish, unfortunately missing any of it’s additional offerings below the surface. Oh Well! I am glad he had a good time though; I enjoyed some of the quirky pictures taken by David Rosenzweig for Time Out. I surely thank Time Out for coming out to join the fun.

If you scroll down past the Time Out Review and photos, you can view blogged responses and reactions from other party goers- some challenging the Reviewer, some complementary, and ONE that really stood apart from the others with particularly thoughtful, revealing content. I screen-pasted it here. It is my FAVORITE overall piece of writing about the event out there right now:
Thank you Noah!

The NEXT EVENT:
Do STAY TUNED for the next Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions planned for Winter 2009. Director, David F. Chapman and I are brainstorming and grant-writing right now to fund The Delirium Constructions Meet Tableau Vivant Part II. The number of models will be doubled, maybe tippled. The space will be bigger. And the performance piece itself will be re-conceptualized to thrill all models, all viewers, and all of me and David to the core. I can’t wait.