"art magazine"

I don’t follow any art magazines, but I do follow a plethora of art tumblrs.  I made a post about that once.  You should go check that out like forreals now: http://fantasmicalteal.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-favorite-art-related-tumblrs.html.

So the art tumblr blog that I’ll be featuring instead is: http://benlowy.tumblr.com.  Like most blogs, it’s the personal blog for the artist.  However this artist HAS been featured in other internet magazines & print magazines.  & he’s currently trending thru news magazines with his newest huge project.

Here’s an artist statement of sorts from the site:

This blog is part of a project borne during my travels as a professional photojournalist. For years, I have worked with bulky digital cameras, always mindful of the technical maneuvers from setting the shutter speed and aperture to editing and toning on a computer screen. In the last few years I have discovered that my iPhone has allowed me to capture scenes without feeling that I am once again on the job. To “point and shoot” has been a liberating experience. It has allowed me to rediscover the excitement of seeing imperfections and happy accidents rendered through the lens of my handheld device. I am able to create imagery, edit, and transmit all the images straight to this blog, creating a modern and efficient workflow for the most inefficient of pursuits - self expression.                     

- Benjamin Lowy

I forgot to mention, but he works with iPhones.  & I know some people out there will cringe because a lot of people are art purists.  & they get scared when new technology comes around & jeopardizes their spaces.  But the truth is, smartphones have really good cameras now.  & they're easier to carry around than a bulky DSLR camera.  & you can capture a lot more intimacy with just a phone than shoving a bulky camera all up in someone's face.  So that’s a great & unique factor.

But you can still achieve all the little fine art things your little heart wants, too.  It'll capture the same results.  Not everything is hipster instagram cliché when things are taken with a phone.  I mean you can actually take beautiful pictures & take a stance in the world - which is what Ben Lowy is doing.  & I, for one, find that very inspiring.

So get off your high horse & listen to him for a few seconds.

I'll impress you with the big guns, too: his images were featured in TIME magazine recently since he's been doing a huge project on Hurricane Sandy coverage.  Oh & because all of this is via his smartphone, everything can be easily posted to the interwebs directly - & thus to the world.  He doesn't have to transfer them to a computer to edit them or [even worse] plop himself into a darkroom & fart around in there.  It's instantaneous.  & that's what we need when we want to cover disasters.  That’s what we need if we want anything done in our modern world, actually.

But if I’m “cheating” by using a tumblr.  Whatever.  TIME Magazine features a lot of photography & I can just say that’s my magazine & walkthrough the little loophole I made for myself.

The rest of this post will just be images & the captions that are provided on the site.

Coney Island, Brooklyn | October 29, 2012 Man against a whole lot of nature. Shot for @time 

Somewhere over the USA | October 28, 2012 Flying back to NYC for the west coast. 

http://storyboard.tumblr.com/post/34982151852/on-the-jersey-shore-cries-of-where-is-the

Bradley Beach, NJ | November 4, 2012 Frankie fills his car up with fuel after waiting all morning to fill gerry cans at a crowded gas station. Fuel has now been rationed in New Jersey.

Beach Haven West, NJ | November 3, 2012 The New Jersey Barrier Islands were hammered by Hurricane Sandy, and some residents now face a forced evacuation that could last up to 8 months as gas and sewer lines are repaired

Belle Harbor, NY: Photographer Ben Lowy documents Sandy’s fury along the Rockaway beachfront, where residents complain about the lack of help from the Red Cross and National Guard.

Belle Harbor, NY | November 1, 2012 The remains of multi-million dollar homes lie scattered and destroyed along the Belle Harbor beach following the destructive path of hurricane sandy.

Belle Harbor, NY | November 1, 2012 Chris Ray, Tom Morgan, and Matthew Corrigan stand on the remains of a sea-wall that collapsed during hurricane Sandy’s onslaught, inundating their Rockaway neighborhood with over 6 feet of water.

New York City, NY | October 31, 2012 French tourists Virginia and David use a cellphone to light a map while navigating the darkened streets of downtown New York