Category Archives: Camera

Four Corners Public Arts Mural

I am ecstatic to announce the The Newark Artists Photo Documentary Project has been included in Phase II of the Four Corners Public Arts mural program. I have be working closely with curator Rebecca Jampol, on a 37′ long mural honoring the work and contributions of 6 artists from the project. The mural will be completed by the end of 2020.

“The Four Corners Public Arts partnership is thrilled to announce three new public art projects coming to Downtown Newark for Fall/Winter 2020/2021. In the upcoming weeks, FCPA phase II will commence with: The Newark Artists Photo Documentary Project by Colleen Gutwein O’Neal; Will You Be My Monument by Salamishah Tillet and Alliyah Allen of New Arts Justice at Rutgers University – Newark, designer Chantal Fischzang, photographer Scheherazade Tillet and Keary Rosen of the Form Design Studio at Express Newark; and We Are Home led by Yeimy Gamez Castillo in collaboration with the ImVisible project and artist Layqa Nuna Yawar.

This phase of the program sought proposals that directly address community building through public art. Each project includes thoughtful and intentional collaboration, engages various audiences, and brings to life narratives that are constructed through open community dialogue. “We are living in time that demands that public art represents the diversity and dynamism of the communities in which it is made,” says Salamishah Tillet, Director of New Arts Justice. “To meet this moment, Newark artists are collaborating on murals and monuments that reflect who we are and by doing so, are reimagining the vibrant possibilities of who we, as a city and nation, can be.” “

Read more about the project: fourcornerspublicarts.org/phase2

Learn about documentary photography with me in a new online course hosted through the Newark Museum of Art

Time and Tide: Battambang, Cambodia, 2018

Learn to build a narrative around  your photographs in this four-part online course led by photographer, curator, and educator Colleen Gutwein O’Neal.

Documentary photography is deeply rooted in conveying a message to an audience through a meaningful series of images. Participants will explore how photography can be used as a tool for scientific development, social change, and community engagement. Each session will explore  photographic techniques through both historic and contemporary examples. 
The course will include four one-hour zoom sessions and access to a closed Facebook Group for posting assignments, resources, and discussion. 

Students need access to a camera or camera phone for this course 

Click here to register.

*** Limited free scholarship tickets are available for this class, contact Ryan Reedell for more information: rreedell@newarkmuseumart.org 

Learn more about the Newark Museum of Art: https://www.newarkmuseumart.org

Update: “The Camera I Always Wanted” has been acquired by the MET Library, and the Newark Library

Jared Ash at the MET Library

The Camera I Always Wanted is included in a 5-book series “The Plume House of Prayer Series” a series that was thoughtfully curated by Nick, emotionally photographed by all of the artists, carefully designed by Chantal, and painstakingly printed in risograph format by Anthony with the help of Shelly and Devyn. (see previous post for more info).

A huge thank you to The Met Museum Library and the Newark Library for including this in their collections, as well as to Shine Publishing for seeing and supporting me.

“The Camera I Always Wanted” release date: Oct. 11, 2019

The Plume House of Prayer Series, 2019, is Shine’s newly published edition of books referencing a historic site in Newark, NJ. Once a ”cozy farmhouse on the outskirts of a little town on the riverside,” and rectory to The House of Prayer church, is the Plume House. Built in approximately 1725, and the second oldest home in the city  of Newark, now has its foundation visibly shaken by the vehicles driving on I-280, constructed a few feet from the house.

On this site, in 1887, Reverend Hannibal Goodwin invented celluloid photographic film in the attic. This invention was motivated by the frequent breakage of his glass lantern slides, which Goodwin used to teach children bible stories. The book covers in this series are designed to invoke a House of Prayer sermon pamphlet from 1852, on the life of statesman and slaveholder Henry Clay, delivered to “The Young Men of Newark, N.J.” 

Five books feature the work by artists: Anthony Alvarez, Dominique Duroseau, Colleen Gutwein, Nick Kline and  Scheherazade Tillet. Designed by Chantal Fischzang. 

The books published in this series vibrate with the various histories and nature of this site, including the intersection of American independence, slavery, gender, church, state, Newark’s role in the history of photography, obsolescence, and hope.

October 11, 6-8pm Book Release Event and fundraiser at Shine.

On October 11, 6-8pm, 100% of sales, of Shine’s 5 book edition, will be donated to support a foundation in Bolivia, working on projects of reforestation, environmental education and rehabilitation of the flora and fauna lost during the Amazon fires. Please help this effort which is being organized by our designer and colleague, Rutgers Professor Chantal Fischzang, who is from Bolivia and knows this landscape and volunteer group intimately.

For more information visit SHINE: https://www.shineportrait.com/publishing

Install and book images courtesy of SHINE Portrait Studio.