ARTIST TALK – ODETTE ENGLAND

Saturday, November 19th, 4pm

Please join us on Saturday, November 19th, for an artist talk to be given by Odette England, on the final day of her solo exhibition, Excavations. 

"Preserving family history via photography is like archaeology: it involves the exposure, processing and recording of remains. But to uncover the truth of an image – or at least an interpretation of a truth – a ‘hunt’ or ‘dig’ is required. 

'Excavations' explores the invisible social space of family storytelling through photography. I make c-prints in the darkroom of family pictures from expired Kodak film, as well as using original snapshots from the album, then carefully hand-sand them with various types of sandpaper. I aim to loosen the complexities of material encounter with intangible concepts. Mine is also a literal assault. I cross into taboo territory, the transgression and squeamish horror of destroying original personal possessions".—Odette England

DUMBOs First Thursday Gallery Walk

On the first Thursday of each month, the galleries in our neighborhood of DUMBO, Brooklyn, remain open until 9:00pm. Unless we're closed for installing, you'll find us open alongside numerous others. Many of the local bars and restaurants run special offers on the night, making them good spots to dine after you've visited the galleries. 

Participating galleries change a little, month-to-month. Follow THIS LINK for tonight's map of galleries, artist studios and other spaces taking part tonight. And be sure to stop by the Klompching Gallery! 

HELEN SEAR: NEW WORK RELEASED

WILD FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS (2015)

Wild Flower Arrangement No. 1 (Daucus Carota)

Size: 39.3"x39.3" image on 43.3"x43.3" sheet
Medium: Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Cotton Rag
Edition: 5+2AP

Daucus Carota, wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace and Queen Anne's lace, so named as the red flower in its center is thought to represent a droplet of blood, where the wife of Kings James I pricked herself while making lace. Another story refers to the earlier Anne Boleyn, the beheaded wife of King Henry VIII, the white flower representing the lace around her neck and the red center, the point of decapitation.

These wild flowers, found at the side of agricultural fields and roadside ditches were once popular as a contraceptive for women, and simultaneously in ancient ritual and spells, to increase sexual potency in men.

Helen Sear's Wild Flower Arrangements show the flower heads of Daucus Carota, at different stages of maturity—which often display at the same time on the same stem—and have been cut and rearranged in unnatural configurations, as constructed portraits. The complex beauty of the weed that thrives in wasteland, is heightened by its isolation within an interior space, reminiscent of the opulent surroundings of society portraiture.

VIEW ONLINE

Please contact Debra Klomp Ching for purchase inquiries. 

ELAINE DUIGENAN: IPA AWARDS

We are delighted to announce that Elaine Duignan has been awarded a 2nd Place in the 2016 International Photo Awards. The award is given for the Blossfeldt's Apprentice series, which we debuted at the AIPAD Photography Show at the Park Avenue Armory in New York earlier this year.

Elaine Duigenan's work takes a close look at objects. Things are never quite what they seem, and her work is pared down to find singular beauty. Pale specimens glow in inky black spaces and appear to hang by a thread. There is strength and fragility, perfection and imperfection. Her work teases the viewer as images hover somewhere between quirkiness and elegance.

Blossfeldt's Apprentice (2016)

Artworks are available for collectors as follows:

16.5'' x 11.5'', Edition 3+2AP

11.75'' x 8.25'', Edition 3+2AP

Archival Pigment Prints with Certificate of Authentication

INQUIRE

VIEW SERIES ONLINE

COLLECTOR DAILY REVIEW

Max de Esteban, Heads Will Roll (at) Klompching

Loring Knoblauch, October 21, 2015

(extract)

JTF (just the facts): A total of 9 large scale color photographs, framed in white and unmatted, and hung against white walls in the single room gallery space. All of the works are archival pigment prints, made in 2013. The prints come in two sizes: 49×39 (in editions of 5+1AP) and 28×22 (in editions of 5+1AP); there are 8 large prints and 1 small print on view, drawn from a total of 24 images in the series. A monograph of this body of work was published by Hatje Cantz in 2014 (here).

Comments/Context: Part of what de Esteban is doing here is unpacking the structural foundations of what a photograph has historically been and how it has functioned, and rebuilding those assumptions from the ground up with a different kind of digital existence in mind. Instead of photography being rooted in documentation, or inspiration, or some definition of “truth”, de Esteban is putting re-interpretation and re-translation at the forefront of the digital now, with a distinct and deliberate emphasis on the re-. What the source files meant in their original or archival context isn’t important – it’s how they have been reassembled to generate an evolved harmony (or dissonance) of new allusions, references, hints, and perceived memories.

While de Esteban’s chosen mood is full of ominous foreboding edging toward catastrophe (there’s even some last ditch sex as the bombs are falling from the sky), that personal cultural pessimism isn’t the important analytical vector here. What’s more telling is de Esteban’s crisp definitional argument about what digital photography is now, what tasks it employs and requires, and what outcomes it can generate. He’s staked out the ground for a different kind of photographer/artist – not one who uses a camera to see the world, but one who reinterprets digital imagery from a thousand sources and synthesizes it into a new kind of visual expression that resonates with our current image saturated existence. Others have done and continue to do this too of course, but de Esteban’s mind set seems particularly structured toward consciously breaking with the past.

Collector’s POV: The works in this show are priced as follows. The large 49×39 prints are $5500 each, while the smaller 28×22 prints are $2500 each. De Esteban’s work has little secondary market history at this point, so gallery retail remains the best option for those collectors interested in following up.

Visit the complete Collector Daily review HERE

REPRESENTATION ANNOUNCEMENT

We are pleased to announce the representation of Robert Moran.

Clients and visitors of the gallery may recall that Robert Moran was a Finalist in our FRESH2013 Summer Exhibition, through which we featured his work online. His work will feature in an upcoming two-person exhibition, which will be announced later this week. 

Robert Moran's photographic practice spans black & white vistas of icebergs, moody street scenes and memorizing portraits. His most recognizable work, and focus of the gallery, is the highly successful Relic series. Made between 2011-2014, the photographs that make up Relics, present artifacts from our recent past that are discarded, and for the most part, no longer used. The objects range from manual typewriters, earth globes, dial phones and lava lamps through to electric fans and pigskin footballs.

Each machine or object is centrally positioned upon a shelf, photographed front-on and lit brightly. The method of depicting the objects is reminiscent of an anthropological survey, presenting the viewer with the details to scrutinize. However, the simplicity of approach also enables us to view the subject matter with a touch of nostalgia, warmth and to ignite memories of an object's past use. 

"The relics helped people through dark nights and hot summers; offered medicinal and musical relief. In that way, they and all the objects we have used, loved, and discarded shape the character and spirit of our society".–Robert Moran

ROBERT MORAN (b. 1952) lives and works off the coast of Maine in the US. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous exhibitions across the US and internationally, including at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale (Australia), The Center for Fine Art Photography (Fort Collins, US), Griffin Museum of Photography (Winchester, US) and the Magenta Flash Forward Festival (Canada) among others. Photographs by Robert Moran are represented in the collections of Cleveland Clinic, the Magenta Foundation and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

View the Relics series on the gallery website HERE.

REPRESENTATION ANNOUNCEMENT

We are delighted to announce, that we are now representing Richard Tuschman. We have previously exhibited Tuschman's photographs in "About Face: The Portrait in Contemporary Photography" in Fall 2014.

Richard Tuschman is best known for his Hopper Meditations series, a lushly colorful body of work, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. These meticulously constructed photographs are made from a combination of hand-built doll-house sized dioramas, and life-size models that have been digitally composited into the resulting scenes.

"I have always loved the way Hopper’s paintings, with an economy of means, are able to address the mysteries and complexities of the human condition. Placing one or two figures in humble, intimate settings, he created quiet scenes that are psychologically compelling with open-ended narratives. The characters’ emotional states can seem to waver paradoxically between reverie and alienation, or perhaps between longing and resignation. Dramatic lighting heightens the emotional overtones, but any final interpretation is left to the viewer".–Richard Tuschman

With Tuschman's photographs, we witness a more sombre mood than Hopper, lighting that is less harsh and artworks that point to other key inspirations of the artist, such as the chiaroscuro paintings of Rembrandt. Although the figures depicted in the Hopper Meditations are rooted in the mid-twentieth century, these intimate dramas evoke timeless and universal themes such as solitude, alienation and longing. The open narratives make these photographs wide-reaching in their appeal to a broad audience. 

Richard Tuschman (b. 1955) began experimenting with digital imaging in the early 1990’s, developing a style that synthesized his interests in photography, painting and assemblage. Tuschman holds a BFA (Michigan University) and has been exhibited widely, both in the US and internationally. Accolades and awards include Prix de la Photographie Paris (Gold Medal, People's Choice), Critical Mass Top 50, International Kontinent Awards (1st Place, Fine Art Projects) and Center Project Launch Juror's Award (chosen by Roger Watson, Fox Talbot Museum) among others. His photographs have been published on numerous online magazines/journals including Slate, LensCuluture, LensScratch and Huffington Post. Richard Tuschman lives and works in New York City.

View the Hopper Meditations on the gallery website HERE.  

INTERVIEW: IF A PICTURE SAYS A 1000 WORDS

"If A Picture Says a 1000 Words,

the Klompching Gallery Has Plenty to Say"

Ratasha Smith, Long Island For Sale

Image: Installation view of the Gallery ©Klompching Gallery

Owner of the Klompching Gallery, Debra Klomp Ching, was recently interviewed for the 'Long Island For Sale' Real Estate website. In the interview with Ratasha Smith, she is asked about what makes the gallery stand out from other galleries.

"We stand out because we carry such an excellent roster of artists producing outstanding work. Many of our artists are established, with strong visual voices, and who have been producing for many years. For example, our artist Helen Sear, has a 30 year history of producing/exhibiting and is currently representing Wales at the 56th Venice Biennale with a solo exhibition. We are well known for the thoughtful curation that stands behind each of our exhibitoins, which not only take account of the artist's vision, but the interplay between the artworks and our physical gallery space. And, in some ways also stand out for being pioneers — in that we launched the gallery in 2007 in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. Not Chelsea. We're still located here and thriving".—Debra Klomp Ching

The link to the full interview is here.

NYPD: EXHIBITION / GALLERY REVIEW

"Klompching Gallery Reopens with Helen Sear"
Catherine Troiano, New York Photography Diary

Image: Gallery Installation ©Klompching Gallery 

"Last Wednesday, Klompching Gallery re-opened in their new location at 89 Water Street, DUMBO. 

The inaugural show at Klompching Gallery’s new space is a celebration of Helen Sear’s work; the artist’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery. The works are not new to exhibition, with much of it having been featured in the previous shows, however, Sear’s organic oeuvre is a well thought out complement to the new space and comes as she is representing Wales at the 56th Venice Biennale, with a solo exhibition in the Santa Maria Ausilliatrice. Sear’s work is very contemplative and the new space at Klompching is a worthy environment in which to contemplate. Hung with plenty of room for our thoughts to expand around the work, the peaceful atmosphere allows us to consider the questions surrounding identity, gender and the photographic medium that Sear addresses."

The full review can be read on the New York Photography Diary website. 

FRESH 2015: FIVE EXHIBITORS

We are delighted to announce the FRESH 2015 winners, who will be exhibited at the Klompching Gallery in its Annual Summer Exhibition. The selection of the FIVE artists was made by Darren Ching and Debra Klomp Ching, from an international open call for submissions.

The exhibition is scheduled to open with an artist reception on July 8, 6pm–8pm, and remains on view through August 1, 2015.

MATTHEW ARNOLD

Defensive Position in an Encroaching Sandstorm,

Alem Hamza Battlefield, Libya ©Matthew Arnold

Series Title: Topography Is Fate

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.matthewarnoldphotography.com

BILL DURGIN

Adrien with Mosaic ©Bill Durgin

Series Title: Studio Fantasy

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.billdurgin.com

IMA MFON

Untitled ©Ima Mfon

Series Title: Nigerian Identity

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.ima-mfon.com

JOHANNA WARWICK

Unidentified #24 ©Johanna Warwick

Series Title: Monuments To Strangers

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE:  www.johannawarwick.com

KIMBERLY WITHAM

On Ripe and Rot #13 (Hanging Birds) ©Kimberly Witham

Series Title: On Ripeness and Rot

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.kimberlywitham.com

FRESH 2015: FINALISTS, ONLINE SHOWCASE

We are delighted to announce the TEN FINALISTS for the FRESH Annual Summer Show. The finalists have been selected from an international open call for submissions, by the Klompching Gallery owners, Darren Ching and Debra Klomp Ching. 

The finalists listed here, will be featured on an online showcase, accompanying the FRESH Annual Summer Show.

Tomorrow, we announce an additional FIVE photographers, selected for the Annual Summer Show, to be presented at the Klompching Gallery July 8–August 1, 2015. 

CHRIS BENNETT

Untitled ©Chris Bennett

Series Title: Darkwood

PHOTOGRAPHERS WEBSITE: www.christopherbennett.net

FRANK DIAZ & DEB YOUNG

The Incident ©Diaz/Young

Series Title: The Playground Series

PHOTOGRAPHERS' WEBSITES: www.fdiazphotos.com / www.deb-young-nz.com

MARK DORF

Emergent #16 ©Mark Dorf

Series Title: Emergence

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.mdorf.com

RHEA KARAM

Treescape #09 ©Rhea Karam

Series Title: Déraciné (Uprooted)

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.rheakaram.com

BEAR KIRKPATRICK

Jessica: The Elizabeth Phoenix ©Bear Kirkpatrick

Series Title: The Old Ones

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.bearkirkpatrick.com

WILLIAM LEGOULLON

Vessels No. 3 ©William LeGoullon

Series Title: (Un)Intended Targets

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.WilliamLeGoullon.com

PETER LEIGHTON

Untitled ©Peter Leighton

Series Title: The Search For Ruth Mission

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.pbleighton.com

THERESA ORTOLANI

97% ©Theresa Ortolani

Series Title: Decomposed

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.theresaortolani.com

LIZ STEKETEE

Grandmother's Chair ©Liz Steketee

Series Title: Traces

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.lizsteketee.com

DAVID WOLF

Untitled (Still Life) ©David Wolf

Series Title: The After Life of Things

PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE: www.davidwolfphotographs.com

KLOMPCHING GALLERY RE-OPENING

We are delighted to announce the re-opening of the gallery. Please join us as we celebrate 7+ years in DUMBO, and look forward to many more at our new street-level location.

Date: Wednesday, June 17

Time: 6pm–8pm

Address: 89 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

KLOMPCHING GALLERY: NEW ADDRESS

We are pleased to confirm that the gallery has relocated to the following address: 89 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. We will be announcing our imminent re-opening very shortly. 

INTERVIEW: THE RIGHT ART FOR YOUR HOME

Photographs by Ken Rosenthal (left) and Antony Crossfield (right) installed in NYC homes. 

Owner of the Klompching Gallery, Debra Klomp Ching, was recently interviewed for the 'Long Island For Sale' Real Estate website. In the article, she talks about the process for buying original fine art photographs for the private home.

"The right artwork will be one that 'lives'. What I mean by that, is that you discover something new in the work over time, and that your relationship with it - or appreciation of it - alters and grows ... We have many clients who bought their first original artwork from us, and keep returning to build their collection".—Debra Klomp Ching

The link to the full interview is here. 

KLOMPCHING GALLERY RELOCATION

Image: Installation of solo exhibition of artwork by Helen Sear, who will be the first female solo artist, representing Wales at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015.

After 7+ years in its current location at 111 Front Street, the Klompching Gallery is delighted  to announce its relocation to a new space in DUMBO.  

Klompching Gallery will be relocating to the corner of Main and Water Street. The new gallery space is in an historic building, originally designed in 1906 for the Robert Gair Company, by the pioneering industrial architect, William Higginson. The building is flanked on two sides by the Empire Stores, famously photographed by Berenice Abbott.

In a significant move, the gallery will be at street level, bringing increased visibility and foot traffic to its exhibitions of exceptional contemporary fine art photography. The internal design of the space, with its soaring ceilings, will be inspired by the rich history of the building – one of New York’s first buildings to utilize reinforced concrete in its structure. 

The relocation is being facilitated by the gallery’s landlord, Two Trees Management, which has a long history of investing in the arts and culture of DUMBO. The owners of the gallery – Darren and Debra Klomp Ching – are very grateful to be working closely with the property owner, who is genuinely committed to maintaining a critical mass of arts and culture in the local neighborhood. At a time when the 'gallery neighborhoods' of New York are in a state of flux, this vision of stability is important and welcomed.

This move comes about within the context of an en-masse relocation of the galleries in DUMBO. The Klompching Gallery is among seven galleries taking up new spaces, and is looking forward to remaining in DUMBO for the long-term. 

The gallery's current exhibition, a solo show of new work by the artist Doug Keyes, will be the last show prior to moving. Throughout the relocation period, the gallery will operate on an appointments basis.

During this time, Klompching Gallery will also be exhibiting at the 2015 AIPAD Photography Show, at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, April 16-19.

Klompching Gallery is scheduled to reopen in late May 2015. Further announcements will be made soon. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2013 has been an amazing year for the Klompching Gallery. We are especially thankful for the honor of working with our 26 individually talented and creative artists, and the patronage of our clients who have visited the artists' exhibitions and acquired their artworks. A big thank you, also, to the art critics, photo editors and reviewers who have recognized our artists through their reviews of exhibitions throughout the year. 

White Sands #4 © Paula McCartney

from A Field Guide to Snow and Ice

The gallery team is now preparing for our first exhibition of 2014, A Field Guide to Snow and Ice, by Paula McCartney. Please mark your calendars for the artist reception on Thursday, January 9th, 6pm–8pm.

In the meantime, we'll be operating the following hours: 

December 23–26: Closed

December 27–31: Appointments Only

January 1: Closed

January 2–8: Appointments Only

LOOKING BACK OVER 'JUST SOME' OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2013:

JIM NAUGHTEN was published by Merrell Publishers with his second monograph–Conflict and Costume–had his second solo show at Klompching Gallery, work exhibited at the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Imperial War Museum, and work from the Hereros series was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

HELEN SEAR was recognized as one of "Wales' most important and insightful artists", with a major retrospective exhibition, was awarded the prestigious Wakelin Award and exhibited at Fototropia in Guatemala.

CARA BARER was shown at the gallery with her first solo exhibition.

SIMON ROBERTS had work exhibited at Somerset House (London), his third monograph–Pierdom–published by Dewi Lewis Ltd., which coincided with his third solo exhibition at Klompching Gallery.

ODETTE ENGLAND had work from the Thrice Upon A Time series acquired by the George Eastman House, with photographs from the same series exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago).

WILLIAM GREINER published his photo book, Show and Tell, exhibiting the project at the Louisiana State University Glassell Gallery.

KLOMPCHING GALLERY exhibited for the first time, at the AIPAD Photo Show at the Park Avenue Armory in New York, showcasing the work of 12 of our artists, including the launch of new work by Max de Esteban, and we were delighted to announce gallery representation of Cara Barer and Manuel Cosentino.

With several of our artists nearing completion of new work, we look forward to the 2014 calendar year and having the opportunity to exhibiting their artworks, and bringing it to the market. Stay tuned ...

Debut at the AIPAD Photo Show

Top L–R: Debra Klomp Ching, Darren Ching, Wally Mason, Max de Esteban

Middle L–R: Lisa M. Robinson, George Tice, Frederic Weber

Bottom L–R: Vivienne Mann, Vince Alletti, Sally Mann

©Klompching Gallery

Our first AIPAD Photo Show proved to be an amazing experience. Not only were we welcomed by our peers, that make up the membership of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers, but we were supported and encouraged by our artists and clients.

We met numerous collectors, curators and art consultants, who were not only introduced to the gallery for the first time, but made aware of the amazing photographs made by our artists. It was wonderful to place work into the collections of experienced collectors and first-time buyers alike.

A good amount of online press made mention of the gallery and our artists' photographs – The Photo Collector, ArtLog, Le Journal de la Photographie, AI-AP Design Arts Daily amongst others.

Thrilling, informative, successful and exhausting! Looking forward to AIPAD 2014!

Interview: Le Journal de la Photographie

A week or so before the AIPAD Photo Show, we were interviewed by Stephanie de Rouge for Le Journal de la Photographie. This forms part of a series that Stephanie is completing, focusing on photography art dealers in New York City. We were delighted to spend time with her. Part of the interview included a photo-shoot and selecting one photograph from our collection that has special meaning to us.

The complete interview can be read here.

Le Journal de la Photographrie Reviews Klompching

Each day, we receive the email alert from Le Journal de la Photographie – an online photography magazine that profiles photography in all its guises. It's become one of our 'must have' resources for keeping an eye on upcoming talent, news and views.  One of the features currently running, is a spotlight on Brooklyn Galleries.

Being obvious fans of the online publication, we were delighted to welcome the magazine's regular writer – Miss Rosen – to our gallery for an interview, and a sneak preview of our upcoming exhibition of Jim Naughten's new series on the Herero people of Namibia.

The feature was published on February 7th and can be read here.

AIPAD 2013 – Save The Date

April 4 – 7, 2013 – Park Avenue Armory

Opening Night Gala, April 3: benefiting inMotion

We're very pleased to be attending the AIPAD Photography Show, and look forward to sharing more information, about our exhibition at the show, closer to the time.

Please mark your calendars!