© George Tice
AIPAD Photography Show is something I heartily enjoy and have been going for as long as I can remember, spending hours browsing vintage and contemporary work and seeing friends and colleagues. The move to the Armory was a huge bonus, not least of all because you can now get an espresso and a decent (albeit $10) sandwich.
My first stop was with
Paul Amador. I smiled drolly at his 19" print of Arnold Odermatt's 'Buochs, 1965' while we nattered, then turned my back for five minutes and he'd sold it. Paul also had some of Robert Voit's equally-entertaining '
New Trees'.
June Bateman had three stunning prints by
Michael Massaia and I overheard people wondering about his technique - the platinum prints literally sparkle.
There are always vintage classics in abundance and I could spend days just rifling through the stands for Doisneau, Abbott, Winogrand, Bresson - images of which I never tire. I was embarrassed to not have been familiar with Builder Levy's work on New York and the Boroughs in the 1960s-80s. Mapplethorpe was the first photographer I fell in love with back when I was in my late teens; I adore his portraits and his flowers and would have happily taken home Patti Smith curled up against a radiator.
Just as exciting as all the eye candy is running into lots of interesting people. I represent the
Estate of Yousuf Karsh as a member of the
American Photography Archives Group and count wonderful people such as Mary Engel (
Ruth Orkin,
Morris Engel) and Victoria Haas (
Ernst Haas) among my associates. Both of them were in a flurry. Jennifer and Lisa Tice were there and introduced me to their sprightly dad,
George Tice, who was standing in front of a large gorgeous print of his, 'Petit's Mobile Station' from 1974, at
Peter Fetterman. It was the first time I was meeting Mr. Fetterman and I learned we share a home town in North London.
More APAG people there and I ran into the walking resource
Leslie DiRusso who was with
Barbara Nitke, so that was a thrill. Then there's always the formidable ladies who are my Karsh associates at the
Boston MFA leading a large group of people in a tour of the galleries. Another flurry. I managed to punctuate the flurries with a lunch with my favourite Missouran photographer
Mark Katzman, a successful commercial shooter and photographic-process-fetishist and font of knowledge, and a cuppa with compatriot
Louisa Curtis, old mate, photo consultant and industry vet.
The most bizarre thing I saw was a woman with a huge shaggy dog. One gallerist quipped "She must be very wealthy."
© Richard Renaldi
© Arnold Odermatt
© Robert Mapplethorpe
© Michael Massaia
