Zatista The premier source for original art online

Winter Winds by Doug Hockman on zatista.com

Photographer Doug Hockman lives in Middletown, Connecticut, which is midway between Boston and New York. He is a regular participant in the art market circuit in the Northeast and has been a Zatista artist since 2010. To the casual observer, his work is highly influenced by the beauty of the natural surroundings of the Northeast.

I had the opportunity to ask him about his process and his view of the art market:

Off Season by Doug Hockman on zatista.com

How long have you been a photographer, and what got you started?

Photography has been a hobby for years. I have been selling my work for the past 4-5 years, but this past season was my first selling full time.

What is your favorite piece of equipment?

I love my Canon 7D, but I feel you can make great photos with any equipment.

Look Up by Doug Hockman on zatista.com

What are your ideal working conditions?

Taking photos on stormy days is my biggest inspiration. I love weather and am more likely to be out with the camera in the rain and snow than on any other day.

Do you have any advice for someone just getting started with photography?

Regarding shows and art fairs, be ready to go everywhere and be willing to sit through slow market days with no sales. That way you will learn what works best.

Spring Forest by Doug Hockman on zatista.com

Are you interested in working in other mediums?

My main interest is photography but learning new camera techniques and capturing things in unique ways appeal to me as well.

Where do you see your work going?

I am looking to expand to shows in more parts of the country, as well as expanding to new gallery work.

Breaking Waves by Doug Hockman on zatista.com

How’s business?

2011 was a great year for me. I met many people at shows that have made it possible to move forward with new ventures. I am looking forward to an even better 2012.

Do you have any advice about buying and collecting photography?

I buy whatever appeals to me. Personally, I’m interested in modern and abstract pieces. But everyone has different likes and tastes. I like buying pieces from fellow photographers, and I enjoy seeking out photography of all kinds at shows and online.  The choices are limitless so you’ve just got to buy what you like.

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

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Andreas Gursky/Christie's Images, Ltd., 2011

What you’re looking at is Andreas Gursky’s photo, “Rhein II”, which sold for $4,338,500 at Christie’s in November of last year, breaking the record for the most expensive photograph ever sold at auction. Yes, you read that right. Four million dollars. The buyer was anonymous.

Barry, Baker, Brookline, MA by Joel Degrand on zatista.com

According to NPR’s Claire O’Neill, “The photo comes at the mammoth proportion of about 6-by-11 feet, and that’s got to count for something. Plus (sorry all starving photographers), that price tag is nothing unusual for Gursky. Until the purchase of Cindy Sherman‘s Untitled in May, Gursky’s 99 Cent II Diptychon had been the most expensive photo, which sold at Sotheby’s for $3.3 million in 2007. He has photos in major museums like the Museum of Modern Art and London’s Tate Modern and studied under the renowned Bernd and Hilla Becher in Germany.”

Byron Bay by Daniel Grant on zatista.com

The good news is, we don’t sell $4 million photos here on Zatista. We sell affordable photographs, like the two above and this one:

Sheets on a Clothesline by Norman Lerner on zatista.com

And this one:

Shadows by Jeffrey Hummel on zatista.com

And this one:

Negatives #18 by Klaus Rossler

And that’s barely the tip of the iceberg. So make yourself a pot of tea, grab your lap top, sit back in your easy chair, breathe a deep sigh of relief, and enjoy the bounty of budget-friendliness that we have to offer. It’s art that’s fit for folks with fabulous taste and a budget like you and me!

Related articles

• 10 Ways to Make a New St(ART) (zatista.com)
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"V" by Dominique James on Zatista.com

Have you ever looked at wood grain? I mean really looked at it? It’s gorgeous – blond, amber, molasses and faint red hues all blending together. Each and every piece of wood is really a composition in and of itself, complete with depth and compelling angular elements.

Spellbound by April Henderlong zatista.com

I’m jealous of artists with an eye for the stuff, they find such creative ways to utilize it in their work. Finding good grain is a talent in itself, never mind being able to incorporate it into a great piece of art. It’s symbiosis at its best: the art accents the wood, the wood accents the art. There are so many possibilities!

"Crosscut" by Arthur Davis on Zatista.com

Photographers just have to have the eye. There’s a lot of wood out there, and not all of it’s magical. However, people like Arthur Davis fortunately have a knack for finding the right piece at the right time.

"Horizontal Perch" by Laura Browning on Zatista.com

Some painters are bold enough to sluff off the 70′s-induced stigma of painted wood grain. Laura Browning created a very natural looking background in this piece – awesome attention to detail!

"The Sprinkler" from Kasia Kay Art Projects Gallery on Zatista.com

Tool Shed – Planers by Justin Wheeler zatista.com

Wood grain also has amazing sculptural elements. I might even admit to being a little bit obsessed with kitschy road-side chainsaw art if interrogated sufficiently.

It was this photo by Justin Wheeler that made me realize I’m most jealous of my friend Peter. He’s an artist and a carpenter, and he’s recently turned his eye, aesthetic, and skills into a little furniture business. He makes farm tables and desks out of wood he salvages from old barns.

Image: StructureDesignandBuild.com

He’s got and eye for grain and patina – the natural weathering process that gives wood even more character. He somehow manages to put boards together to form compositions out of the grain and even old nail holes.

Image: StructureDesignandBuild.com

Enjoy more furniture here, and be sure to check out art by other “grain elevaters” here on Zatista. Just type in “wood’ in the search field.

"Williamsburg Bank Building #1" by David Hoffman on Zatista.com

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge that it’s 5:08 PM and it’s still light out. OK, it’s not summer or anything, but still, there’s something to be said for that. As I have indicated before here on Wall Spin, I’m slightly sunset obsessed – call me cliché. Spring makes me want to expand my aesthetic advocacy to twilight, too.

"Nirvana" by Lido Photography on Zatista.com

No, I certainly don’t mean the cult of vampire personality that goes by the same name. (I’m not necessarily a fan, but my teenage nieces have fostered my appreciation for the “finer points” of the books and films.) I’m talking about the gray-blue hours around the sunset – some of nature’s best entertainment.

"A Twilight Moment" by Maryann Cleary on Zatista.com

Sure, it happens every day – but during winter and now spring, we really notice those extra minutes of light. They mean so much: longer days, warmer weather and more time to enjoy the outdoors. I think that’s why I find myself wanting to hold onto twilight each day – to pause time and appreciate the promise of what’s to come.

"Oko 10101" by Lana Bernberg on Zatista.com

Fortunately, I can rely on a few great artists (wink, wink) to press pause and make twilight last forever.

"Returning Home" by Ross Sachs on Zatista.com

Take a moment to drink in the beauty of twilight with me, here on Zatista.
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wikipedia.org

Innovation usually leads to a thirst for the way things “used to be.”  The widespread use of digital cameras, and the slow demise of film have led to a resurgence of plastic box cameras. These cameras are often referred to as “toy” cameras because of their basic construction and inexpensive price point.

microsites.lomograpy.com

The Diana first appeared in the early 1960s, and the Holga in the early 1980s.  Both were produced as  inexpensive novelty cameras and became widely popular with the public. These cameras have light weight plastic bodies, manual film advance and most have no flash. They are as basic as basic can get.

Daniel Grant "Twins" Zatista.com

Because of the nature of their design, these plastic-bodied cameras are known for their quirkiness, including light leaks and double exposures. While modern digital cameras offer the ultimate level of control, toy cameras, such as the Diana and Holga offer the exact opposite – a lack of control that can sometimes lead to effects otherwise not possible.

Daniel Grant "Surf Motel" Zatista.com

Images from these cameras are usually grainy and have a very dream like and nostalgic feel to them. The images are imperfect, just like the cameras themselves. What these cameras offer,  to professionals and novices alike, is another tool to capture images using very basic equipment.

nonphotography.com

If necessity is the mother of invention, then the Diana and Holga are perfect examples of bare-bones devices that can help photographers using traditional cameras step outside of their normal comfort zones. While they might not be for everyone, one just needs to look at their current popularity to see their appeal. Trend or not, I predict these cameras and the unique images they produce are here to stay.

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.