Lukas Strebel: Antoglyph

During the 1970’s Lukas Strebel travelled to Spain to meet and photograph Salvador Dali. He took with him ‘Antoglyph’, the kitchen table which appears regularly in his images. "Forty years ago, I went travelling with a table. It was an incredible, animal-like object and I carried it around, taking its photograph in different landscapes," says the artist. Having been initially refused entrance Lukas gave Dali’s maid a copy of the photograph ‘meus volatus magicus supra Antoglyphum’ and asked her to appeal once more. On the strength of this image he was granted entrance. Cruelly, the day of the appointed shoot Lukas was called back to Switzerland for national service. About the above photograph: "I set up my camera on a tripod, took the table out into the water and climbed on. Then I jumped up while my girlfriend pressed the button. We had just one roll of film: in those days, you couldn't check you had got the shot, so I only found out when I returned to my darkroom two weeks later." An exhibition of Strebel's work  is on view at the Print Space in London until January 3, 74 Kingsland Road.

Comics Stripped

Comics Stripped, an ongoing exhibition at the museum of sex in New York, examines the history and cultural significance of the illustrators, icons and images that have entertained and educated (as well as equally misinformed) the basics of sex. From the coquettish to the most explicit “dirty drawings,” the exhibit presents the ultimate homage to sexual fantasy uninhibited by the constraints of reality. From simple titillation to hardcore representations, comics have a long history of incorporating humor, scandal, fantasy and fun with sex. Originally used as a form of amusement and satire intended for adults, the societal perception of comics as wholesome entertainment geared toward children has made the inclusion of sexual content particularly jarring. Comics Stripped is on view at the Museum Of Sex until January 8, 2012, 233 5th Avenue, New York

In the Picture: Self-Portraits by Lee Friedlander

Lee Friedlander (b. 1934) has been tackling the challenge of self-portraiture throughout his prolific career. What began as an unorthodox investigation of the genre has become a masterful engagement spanning five decades. A new book of self portraits, entitled In The Picture: Self Portraits, 1958-2011, includes hundreds of previously unpublished pictures.  Produced to the highest production standards and featuring over 400 duotone images—from his first self-portraits, taken with cable release in hand, to recent images of the photographer with his family and extended network of friends—In the Picture explores Friedlander’s various guises throughout a rich and colorful life.

Innerscapes

[An] idealization of youth....goes hand in hand with an overall sense of sadness and desperation felt by the artist. With the encroaching global problems facing the youth today, wars, famines, economical downturns, a hope for a better future becomes an idealization in itself. Starting January 11, the Green Art Gallery in Dubai will be presenting a solo show of new works by Turkish photographer Nazif Topcuoglu. Innerscapes will be on view from January 11 to March 5 2011, Green Art Gallery, Al Serkal Ave. D28, Dubai.

Ivars Gravlejs at PLAT(T)FORM 2012

Riga, Latvia based photographer Ivars Gravlejs' work will be on view at Plat(t)form 2012 at the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Germany from January 27 to January 29. This is the sixth Plat(t)form event featuring the portfolios of young emerging European photographers. As in the previous year, Fotomuseum Winterthur has invited 42 photographers to present their work for two hours to the public and a selected team of experts.

Illustration at the Erotica Auction

An anonymous French illustration from 1900 available for sale at the enormous Erotica auction held by EVE (Estimations & Ventes aux Enchères) today Sunday, December 18 and tomorrow Monday December 19.  A bulk of the collection comes from a Swiss collector who has spent 35 years gathering his holdings. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 11 - 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris