The 51st Communication Arts Photography Annual looks at the best photography of the year, choosing 147 winning projects from the 6,075 entries. Among those to catch the jurors’ eyes are Jamie Chung, Michael Schnabel, and Stephen Wilkes. Says juror Jane Perovich of Getty Images, “Original, authentically inspiring images that are emotionally accessible will continue to be the foundation for what informs us, makes us think and ultimately captivates us.”
Pictured above: Michael Schnabel’s advertising campaign for O2, one of the largest leading mobile telecommunications provider.
The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling unit exploded on April 20th, spilling millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and resulting in the deaths of 11 platform workers. Operated by BP, the company continues its efforts to halt the spill, drilling a relief well to intersect the original well. The relief well must strike a specific target that is more than 3 miles beneath the surface of the ocean; sensors and magnetometers direct the path of its construction. Once the relief well is finished, mud, cement, and other materials will be pumped into the original well to restrict the flow of oil.
The relief well is meant to be the final solution after several short-term attempts such as the containment dome and top kill failed. Stephen Wilkes embarked on an oil rig for Time magazine, capturing the latest events surrounding the aftermath of the explosion. Arriving via helicopter, Wilkes took aerial shots of the operation. Once on board, Wilkes chronicled the workers trying to stanch the spill, attending to the drill of the relief well and monitoring activity from the rig control room.
SPREAD|Artculture magazine brings you the latest in art, culture, design, and more in its 5th annual issue. M.I.A. graces the cover in conjunction with the release of her third album /\/\/\Y/\. Tracey Emin discusses her polarizing personality, uterus, and life during menopause. Visit Anish Kapoor’s studio and learn about Temenos, Kapoor’s sculpture in Middlesbrough, England. Get an eye-opening look at the freshly built Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa for the FIFA World Cup. These are among the many features and stories in the 2010 issue of SPREAD|Artculture magazine. Look for it at a newsstand, Barnes & Noble, or Borders near you.
Stephen Wilkes works with Our Man in Havana on the Bronx Zoo campaign for The Wildlife Conservation Society. The campaign blankets New York City, displayed on special inserts in magazines, bus shelters, subway cars, platform posters, and even wrapping the entirety of the Shuttle train that takes passengers back and forth from Penn Station to Grand Central.
The spectacular subway car wrap will remain for a month. Says Creative Director Andrew Golomb, “When you see Stephen’s images life-size on the subway car, the amount of detail is just unbelievable. He has done an amazing job bringing the zoo to life in such an artful way.” Comments Wilkes, “I hope people will look up from their cellular phones and Blackberries along their busy commute and see the train filled with crocodiles, fish, and more animals and feel as though they are really looking into a window at the zoo.”
Photo District News announces “the innovators who made the year in photography.” Erwin Olaf and Michael Schnabel were recognized for their advertising work, Stephen Wilkes was honored for three of his editorial pieces, and Stewart Cohen’s and Joel Meyerowitz’s photo books were lauded. Pictured above is Olaf’s “Voltaren” campaign with agency Saatchi & Saatchi. The campaign illustrates that with Voltaren gel, the elderly can become flexible as flexible as a ballerina, dancer, or yoga instructor. Creative Director: Magnus Olsson. Art Directors: Alexander Lagoet, Rick Coolegem.
Stephen Wilkes took a photo every 10 seconds of the day for a time-lapse video inside Walmart for Fortunemagazine. All in all, 8,640 frames were taken (1,800 that are actually used) and the entire 24 hours is compressed into two minutes. The shoot took place on April 6-7, 2010 in New Brunswick, New Jersey from 9:14pm to 9:14pm. Says Photo Editor Lauren Winfield, “The inspiration was to show that Walmart never sleeps… open 24 hours with no real daylight, you have no sense of what time of day it is. We wanted to see what the traffic flow of people coming in and out of the store looks like as a day in the life.”
On the closing night of the international ANDY Awards, a charity art auction was held with all of the proceeds benefiting Brad Pitt’s Make it Right foundation. The foundation is dedicated to rebuilding lives and homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward with sustainable means. Bernstein & Andriulli artists generously donated many fine pieces of art for the auction.
Bill Schwab states, “The American dream is a powerful force and it’s not just a dream – it is a reality for those of us who decide to participate in it.” Schwab is creative director/art director at The Gate Worldwide. He and David Bernstein, ECD/writer, created the latest campaign for State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), the investment management business of State Street Corporation. Stephen Wilkes photographed the accompanying images of the campaign.
On and around 12/12/2009, photographers around the world such as Stephen Wilkes donated their time, equipment, and expertise to take pictures of people who otherwise would not have the finances for professional portraits. Founded by Jeremy Cowart, 2009 was the debut year of the “Help-Portrait” movement.
Initially faced with cynics, Cowart counters on the Help-Portrait website: ”I love seeing a 53-year-old man dance in front of the camera because he’s never had his photo taken. I love taking the very first photo of a 5-year-old child and being able to give that to his mother. Lastly, I love knowing that photographers are getting to experience all of these moments themselves.”
Help-Portrait is an open movement where anyone can become involved. In New York, Heart Art co-founders Celeste Holt-Waters and Audrie Lawrence spearheaded ten city-wide events. The duo reached out to numerous photographers, producers, photo assistants, studios, equipment rental houses and charitable organizations to ensure that Help-Portrait reached as many people as possible. ”[Help-Portrait] is meant to unite and benefit the community by joining people together in the spirit of giving back to the community and a love of photography,” said Holt-Waters.
Steuben Glass has made functional and fine art glass products for over 100 years in New York. Their involvement in the arts has lead them to collaborate with artists such as Isamu Noguchi, Miro, and Georgia O’Keefe. The Madison Avenue flagship store houses an expansive gallery that is now showing the work of Stephen Wilkes.
For five years, Wilkes photographed the hospital complex on Ellis Island where immigrants with questionable health and contagious diseases were kept. Some eventually joined their families across the Hudson River, while others perished before they could reach their new life.
Wilkes’ photographs are of abandoned rooms with peeling paint and empty hallways overtaken by plant growth. Since his time on the island, the hospital buildings have been renovated and the signs of the past have been removed. Visit the exhibit Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom to get an eye-opening look into what was once the gateway to America, captured in time.
Stephen Wilkes, Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom
The Steuben Gallery
667 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Showing now until January 4th, 2009
Robert Nachman, Creative Director of Steuben Glass, talks about the impact of Stephen Wilkes’ work, the importance of history, and more.
For more than two decades Stephen Wilkes has been widely recognized for his fine art and commercial photography. With numerous awards and honors, as well as five major exhibitions in the last five years, Wilkes is a leading contemporary photographer. His latest retrospective exhibition featuring documentary projects opens at the Monroe Gallery in Santa Fe this Friday. Pictured above is a photograph from his time spent traveling in China capturing images of the rapidly transforming nation.
Stephen Wilkes Retrospective
October 2 – November 22, 2009
Monroe Gallery
112 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 992-0800
Discussion with Stephen Wilkes on Friday, October 2nd from 5-6pm
Opening Reception Friday October 2nd from 6-7:30pm
