"A lot of contemporary writing about photography, about media, etc. particularly post-modern writing is highly jargonized, very very dense, and in my experience very off-putting and difficult to get into, especially for undergraduates. ... I have found that by going to other kinds of presentations of those writers' ideas whether that's interviews, conversations, etcetera, whether it's in print or in some kind of video format, or even audio format the writers are often more likely to unpack their ideas. ... That material is often more accessible."
- A. D. Coleman, VASA Seminar, 2012
- A. D. Coleman, VASA Seminar, 2012
Reading Room was a temporary installation and events program created in collaboration with critic/writer A. D. Coleman at The Petrified Forest Gallery (London, ON) in 2014. It included numerous lectures and discussions with Coleman, a workshop and panel discussion on artistic self-promotion, and mini-exhibitions centred on photo practice. Coleman's concept of practical criticism was the generating engine for the month-long program of events. Participating artists included Dave Kemp, Gillian Dykeman, Brad Isaacs, Jenna Faye Powell, Mack Ludlow, and Patrick Mahon.
Coleman has written for The Village Voice, The New York Times, New York Observer, ARTnews, and Art on Paper. He is also a pioneer of internet-based criticism, having founded The Nearby Cafe in 1995. The additional websites he now publishes include The Photography Criticism CyberArchive and both The New Eyes Project and Teaching Photography, two significant resources for furthering photography education. Coleman also regularly contributes work to his personal blog, Photocritic International.
Gillian Dykeman, "Make me famous: Wikipedia writing party"
Gillian Dykeman, "Make me famous: Wikipedia writing party"
Dave Kemp's camera obscura (image courtesy of Dave Kemp)
Dave Kemp's camera obscura (image courtesy of Dave Kemp)
Installation by Brad Isaacs
Installation by Brad Isaacs
"Forever in blue jeans: artistic outcomes and trajectories" discussion panel
"Forever in blue jeans: artistic outcomes and trajectories" discussion panel