Picture of the Week #125 "Chorus of White" You select

Picture of the Week #125 "Chorus of White" (You select which one) Venice, Italy 2011 Signed and Stamped

I couldn't decide which one should be this Week's Picture of the Week, so you decide. Just shoot me an email and tell me your favorite.

Picture of the Week #124 "Sitting This One Out"

Picture of the Week #124 "Sitting This One Out" Venice, Italy 2011 Signed and Stamped

I went to this year's Carnivale in Venice primarily to get full figure pictures of the Costumed revelers for my Cut Outs. But every once in a while I would see an image that even though it didn't fit in with my specific goal, I still had to capture. This was one of them. I found it funny, even the yellow chairs seemed to be grinning.

Picture of the Week #123 "And The Party Continues"

Picture of the Week # 123 "And The Party Continues" Venice, Italy 2011 Signed and Stamped

These are some of the many figures that I printed on a plastic called Sintra. It will far out last last paper or the masonite that I usually use for my cut outs. As I had never printed on this surface before I decided to make these smaller than life size proofs and to see if I like the color, texture and overall feel before I sprang for printing the final edition. Well, I love them. These can be hung on walls like any other picture, but they will also be available life size if people wish. They will be in limited editions of 3 to 5. Each will be signed and numbered. I think they are a unique interpretation of a photograph in a very colorful and fun way.

Picture of the Week #122 "Delicious"

Picture of the Week # 122 "Delicious" Venice, Italy 2011 Signed and Stamped

I have been obsessed with the costumes from this years Carnivale in Venice. I am working on a major series of life size cut outs that I am printing on Cintra, an archival plastic. My goal is to have maybe 20 or 30 of them standing around. Collectors, Museums and Gallerists can place them as they like as they are still editioned photographs. I am printing some only 4 feet high so they can be hung on walls like traditional pictures. These are somewhere between photography and sculpture. The Carnivale as an event is the great equalizer. You don't know who is rich or poor, pretty or ugly, man or woman, black or white. The revelers can pretend to be someone they are not. We as spectators can appreciate them. It's an extraordinary event and one that I will cherish.

Calamity Into Art

Calamity Into Art - On Sunday March 21st it poured. Ann & I were watching TV upstairs in my studio when I went down to the kitchen for something and was shocked to see that a piece of our living room ceiling had come down. I called for her to see. She let out a startled "OMG". I called our terrific roofer Rene Manzano who said he would be there first thing Monday morning. And sure enough he came with a helper. They went all over the roof but found no broken tiles. So they caulked where the flashing met the wall and said when it dries out to have our painter do it again, just to make sure. So, for the rest of Monday we lived with the hole, but it bugged me. So I took one of my life size cut outs of a nude and the first thing Tuesday I hung her from the ceiling thereby transforming a negative into a positive.

Picture of the Week #121 "WOW"

Picture of the Week #121 "WOW" Venice, Italy 2011 Signed and Stamped

When I confronted this masked woman at this years' Carnivale, all I could say was "WOW". Her dress matched the mask and as she sashayed through St. Mark's Square, everyone was in awe. Amongst the many fabulous costumes that adorned this year's fabulous masquerade, this was a true stand out.

Cardinal Spellman on St. Patrick's Day 1965

When I took this picture in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral of Cardinal Spellman and the entire Archdiocese of the City of New York in 1965 , Senator Robert F Kennedy was standing along side me. We joined the Cardinal and Carmine De Sapio the deposed Tammany Hall leader for a group shot that I posted earlier. A Politican, a Clergyman and a deposed Convicted Criminal, all together. Happy St. Patrick's Day.