Hasta La Ideas

Now that Polaroid is all but a licensing company and a paycheck and strange eyeglasses outlet for Lady Gaga, the scramble to secure the archives of the real former company still continues. Last year you’ll recall that some of Polaroid’s archival collection went to auction last year, netting several million, while another chunk was donated to MIT. Now the WestLicht gallery in Vienna has announced that it has received roughly 4,400 images taken by 800 artists and photographers in what’s been referred to as Polaroid’s “European Collection.” This particular assembly of materials had been laying dormant in the Swiss Musee de l’Elysee and was set to possibly be up for another auction until the gallery stepped in. They collaborated with the Impossible Project, an organization created to help keep Polaroid film alive, receiving the collection for an undisclosed amount. No word on exactly what’s included or which artists are represented, but the gallery is planning to put together an exhibition to show some of it this summer. This is what we’re looking forward to catching a glimpse of in particular:

The eye catcher of the collection are the 1.400 large format Polaroids (20×24 inch). These images were taken with a special custom made camera and film material not available on the market. Czech photographer Jan Hnizdo, chief operator of Polaroid, travelled to selected photographers and artists with this camera.

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Voici le projet de l’artiste Ron Miriello intitulé 100 Worlds Project. Une collaboration avec des photographes et artisans représentant la Terre à travers le symbole de la mappemonde de 100 façons différentes. A découvrir actuellement à la Jett Gallery de San Diego.

Previously on Fubiz

• Kai Wiechmann
• Lucie & Simon
• Willy Verginer

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From left, “Gavin Coal Power Plant, Cheshire, Ohio 2003″ and “Amos Coal Power Plant, Raymond City, West Virginia 2004″ from Mitch Epstein’s “American Power” series

New York-based photographer Mitch Epstein is the winner of the third Prix Pictet. Sponsored by Swiss bank Pictet & Cie and with a purse of 100,000 Swiss francs (approximately $110,000, at current exchange), the entry-by-nomination international photography competition seeks to promote sustainability. This year’s theme was “Growth.” Epstein’s “American Power” project, collected in a 2009 book published by Steidl, was chosen by a jury that included art historian and critic Michael Fried and photographer Nadav Kander, who won the Prix Pictet in 2009.

“The Prix Pictet jury were looking for photography that met three criteria: artistic excellence, powerful story-telling related to the theme of the award, and a coherent series of images with narrative power,” according to a statement read by jury chair Sir David King yesterday evening in Paris, where Kofi Annan was on hand to announce the winner. “Epstein’s epic, beautifully realized photographs employ a vantage point that is so perfect as to subtly disorientate you, while at the same time delivering a message of great power.”

The twelve photographers shortlisted for the Prix Pictet included Edward Burtynsky, Stéphane Couturier, Taryn Simon, Thomas Struth, and Chris Jordan, who was awarded the $40,000 Prix Pictet Commission. The Seattle-based photographer will travel to Kenya and produce a series of photographs to bolster the work of the Nakuprat Conservancy, a Kenyan community conservancy project of the Tusk Trust. An exhibition of work shortlisted for Prix Pictet is on view through April 16 at the Passage de Retz in Paris. Go here for an online preview.

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After seeing Exit Through the Gift Shop, and even years before the popular documentary was released, many people questioned whether or not street artist Thierry Guetta (or Mr. Brainwash, as he’s taken as his artistic nom de plume) is a real person or merely another Banksy prank. However, with recent news this week, we quote ArtInfo who writes: “he’s real enough to be hit with a copyright infringement suit.” As The Art Newspaper reports, Guetta has had a suit filed against him by photographer Glen Friedman, who shot an image of the group Run DMC which the artist repurposed in a piece of his own for his debut show, “Life is Beautiful” (which is documented at the end of Exit). The case seems to fit the same pattern as the Shepard Fairey vs. the Associated Press battle of the last couple of years, with Guetta arguing that his repurposing of the original image constitutes fair use, with, of course, the photographer saying otherwise. As you’ll recall from the Fairey/AP case, no one (except for maybe the lawyers) came out of that one very well, particularly not the photographer. Here’s more from The Art Newspaper about what the photographer is asking for in the suit:

Friedman’s lawyer, Douglas Linde, says they are entitled to a share of “indirect profits” from the exhibition. Linde is seeking unspecified damages for “damage to [Fried man’s] business in the form of diversion of trade, loss of income and profits, and a dilution of the value of its rights”.

Here’s what makes this all a little surreal: Glen Friedman just had a show of his photographs up at a gallery in San Francisco in November through December of last year. On opening night, Shepard Fairey was front and center in attendance, the poster child of “fair use” fight between street artists and photographers. He was even interviewed alongside Friedman for this video. Granted, Fairey has loads more clout than Guetta, but it still feels a bit strange.

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