Heard today from a contact at Kodak that the 400NC film will be discontinued in 8×10. The new Kodak 400 film will be available in 4×5 but no longer an 8×10 size. That leaves Kodak 160 as the only commercially made 8×10 color negative film left.
“And yes, for the new PORTRA 400 film, we will not be offering an 8X10 format…..the decision for doing this was based on sales of the current 400NC 8X10 product, which were very low. However, this being said, if a dealer wanted to special order 8X10 format of the new Portra 400 film , we would certainly fulfill that special order.”
Anyone want to help sponsor the purchase of remaining 400 8×10 and a freezer? 
The largest showing of the work from Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls opens today at Galerie f5,6 in Munich. About 25 photographs, including very many from the last year and a rescued neon sign will be on view until November 6th. I’m hoping to visit my pictures and Munich next month and catch up on my lederhosen und bier stube. There is still more under the covers and in the works but happy to see the work having more context of the found objects, portraits and ghost facades.
Brian Ulrich
Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls
Opens Friday, September 10th from 6-9
September 11th – November 6th, 2010
Galerie f5,6
Ludwigstr. 7
80539
Germany
Piece of Cake North America, Chicago Workshop, May 2010. Photo by Justin James Reed with shutter release by Jon Gitelson. Top Row from L: Timothy Briner, John Mann, Ofer Wolberger, Justin James Reed, Mathieu Bernard-Reymond. Bottom Row: Brian Ulrich, Kelli Connell, Amy Stein, Birthe Piontek, Cara Phillips, Matthew Gamber, Bill Sullivan. Not Pictured: Christian Patterson, Will Steacy, William Lamson, Stefan Ruiz
This October will mark the first year of the U.S. collaboration of friends and artists called Piece of Cake. Piece of Cake has been a European collective of artists since 2002. Begun by Charles Fréger, the group’s raison d’être is ‘to enable the artists to interact as they create, produce and distribute their works’.
In 2009, Cara Phillips approached me about the possibility of creating a North America faction of Piece of Cake. Charles and the Euro members has initiated the idea with her and she became the organizer of testing the waters to see if artists here in the states felt like a POC collective would be beneficial. Honestly my early reaction was based on the fact that I often operate this way regardless, without the strong community and network of artists and comrades I wouldn’t have had half the luck navigating the difficult sea of making my work a full time job. An email call for submissions was put forth and the Europeans POC’s made the votes on who would be the first US members.
The group has so far had 2 workshops, where all the US members (+ two Euro members) gather for a intense weekend of sharing work, crits, meetings with local professionals and general art debauchery (i.e. booze). I can’t write how wonderful it’s been to get to know all these talented people and feel their strong commitment to each other and their own work. We’ll define our antics as we move along.
This week marks one of our first outings. We’ll all be guest blogging on Laurel Ptak’s I Heart Photograph blog from Aug. 30th until Sept. 6th. My post is the first, check it here.
Making the symbolic and triumphant journey from the hospital to our home is one evey parent will warn you of. “you’ll never look at the world the same again”, “you’ll drive slower and more careful than drivers education class”.
Ours was the usual excitement and careful driving. Looking past the city storefronts and bus stops, things do seem somewhat clearer. The messy roads, streets littered with down and outs, trash and all too familiar boarded up windows (should I be surprised?).
When we stop at the traffic light to make the turn 1 block away from our home, it’s not the new found perspective that is shocking but the woman sitting in a doorway speaking to an elderly man in a wheelchair. The woman procedes to lift her shirt up for the man to gaze upon potential merchandise of boob sandwich in a cheesy gold bra. She notices my dumbfoundedness at her reveal in full view at 6pm on a busy Chicago street and giggles. Perhaps as a way to secure a potential client or sugar daddy she begins to grab the wheelchair mans crotch. All the while smirking at the car full of newborn family.
In the backseat is my uncorrupted, fresh and angelic daughter, cooing to mom in her newly installed baby seat.
