Category
politics
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03.16.10Chicago Alderman Project
I’m happy to be participating in the Chicago Alderman Project, an art show which involves fifty artists depicting the fifty aldermen of the Chicago City Council. I shot Scott Waguespack for this project–he represents my ward, the 32nd–at my studio, where we were joined by a writer and photographer from the Chicago News Cooperative who covered the shoot for a story that was recently published in the New York Times (I can hardly believe that my longtime dream of having my ass depicted in a world class periodical has now been fulfilled). There’s an opening reception for the show this Friday, from 7-11PM at Johalla Projects Gallery, at 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave.
I had a chance to get a sneak peek at the show, and there’s some great work by artists including Derek Erdman, Casey Stockdon, Jennifer Greenburg, Andrea Jablonski, and Melissa Ann Pinney.
Here’s an outtake from my photo session with Waguespack.
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01.16.09President-elect Obama: first official portrait
On Wednesday, White House photographer Peter Souza took the first official presidential portrait of Obama. You can download a high res version here. By the way, it wasn’t this Peter Souza. It’s this one.
President-elect Obama. Photo: Peter Souza
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01.13.09What’s the Matter with Kansas? Documentary
Joe Winston and Laura Cohen. Photograph: Jim Newberry
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Picturedujour.com exclusive! Filmmakers Joe Winston and Laura Cohen recently completed work on a documentary film called “What’s the Matter with Kansas,” a sequel of sorts to Thomas Frank’s bestselling book of the same name. I photographed the couple (they’re married) at my studio, and planned to interview both of them here as well. Due to logistics involving their one-year-old son Milo, I ended up interviewing Joe in person, and Laura via email.
Jim Newberry: Tell me a little about your backgrounds in filmmaking.
Laura Cohen: I have been working in film and television for over ten years. Recently, I wrapped up production on the TV series “American Greed” for CNBC and “9/11’s Deadly Dust” on A&E for Kurtis Productions. In 2005, I finished research for the PBS documentary “The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman.”
Joe Winston: Sure, let’s see…I didn’t go to film school or anything like that but when I got out of college my first interesting project was a public access show called “This Week In Joe’s Basement” which lasted four years and sixty episodes on Chicago Public Access…it was a great forum to do all sorts of things…But the strongest material that came out of it was usually the documentary material…We did a show called Sledgehammer Diplomacy where we asked black people, what do you think of white people, and white people, what do you think of black people, and got answers that hold up 18 years later, they could have been shot yesterday. Which is kind of a sad commentary on the state of the world…But we got really interesting very truthful answers from total strangers. Every now and then there was gold to be mined that way. After I got done with the cable access series I wanted to do longer more substantial projects…I did a could of movies in the mid-90s on the Burning Man Festival…
JN: How did this project come about? (more…)
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11.12.08July 4th, 2009 New York Times online NOW!
www.nytimes-se.com screenshot
The future is here, and it looks FUCKING AWESOME! The Iraq War has ended, the “National Health Insurance Act” and “Maximum Wage Law” are passed, and a De Beers ad proudly proclaims: “Your purchase of a diamond will enable us to donate a prosthetic for an African whose hand was lost in diamond conflicts.”
This is the handiwork of the diabolically brilliant pranksters known as the Yes Men, who also had a print edition of this paper handed out by volunteers in New York City.
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11.06.08Rahm Emanuel: Obama’s chief of staff?
President elect-Obama has offered Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel to be his White House chief of staff. Here’s an outtake from a shoot I did with Emanuel in 2004 for Esquire.
Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel. Photo: Jim Newberry
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10.13.08Cheapskate Halloween costume: Sarah Palin mask
For those of you who like to dress up on Halloween, but are too cheap and/or lazy to come up with an actual costume, you can download a printable Sarah Palin mask from the Chicago Tribune. Joe Biden mask now available as well (although really–whatever your political ideology–does anyone really want to trick or treat dressed as Biden?). McCain and Obama masks promised for later this week.
Sarah Palin mask from the Chicago Tribune. Drawing by Rick Tuma.
And don’t forget to vote!! Many states allow early voting starting today. Fellow independent-minded, progressive Chicagoans, here’s a ballot guide from IVI-IPO, which you’re permitted to bring with you while you vote (I’m sure you know whom you’d like for POTUS, but how about Water Reclamation District and Cook County Circuit Court?), if you’re so inclined.
