For our annual issue of Aint–Bad Magazine, we have teamed up with an amazing selection of curators, editors, gallerists, educators, and publishers to offer a chance to have your work seen by some of the best names in the industry. All of our guest curators have trained eyes and know what they are looking for in a photograph. The goal of issue No.13 is to put your work directly in front of eyes of these curators. Nicole Hawkins recently had the chance to ask Rachel a few questions concerning photography and her thoughts on the medium. Learn more about what motivates Rachel Reese and what she is thinking about today!

We accept submissions from all over the world. Having been deeply involved in the contemporary art scene in NYC, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Savannah, what do you find to be the advantages and disadvantages for rising artists that aren’t in a city like NYC? Do you have any advice for these artists?

Not everyone is meant to live or thrive in New York, or LA, or Chicago, etc, and that is OK. Besides the fact that New York is barely affordable now, if at all, the models of visibility, distribution and representation aren’t as dependent on geography as much anymore, which is refreshing. I think its most important for an artist to work in a place where they find a viable lifestyle, supportive arts community and diverse (enough) ecosystem, and just enough tension or weirdness to keep them engaged in terms of making their work!

As I’ve been moved progressively further South and into smaller cities in my own career, I have been encouraged to see the expansive and exponential landscape for contemporary art that exists all over the country, from artist run spaces to commercial galleries, to nonprofits and grantmakers, biennials/triennials/surveys, art fairs, to museum platforms. There is a lot of connectivity and its so easy to stay informed online, so you can choose your level of engagement with these “centers” and find a balance that works for you and your practice. I’ll actually say that I like to seek out artists working in other types of smaller cities, which interests me as a curator.

You have experience writing about contemporary art across mediums. What role do you feel like the medium of photography contributes to the conversations you’re following?

That’s a hard question. I guess what I find complicated about photography, and why I’m drawn to it, is its an increasingly crowded space. By that I mean the evolution of photography has been so rapid and expansively ubiquitous that its interesting to watch how artists now are using it as a way to push new images into existence–and whether the photographic process is either as a tool or method, a means to an end, a technology, or a conceptual tool or physical material in their practice. Artists working with photography can explore so many social and cultural conversations and contributions to visual and material culture in such a directly responsive way; I think other mediums do this as well, but through other movements and gestures. Also there’s something about one’s hand operating a lens with intent that I still find powerful.

In your job as the Associate Curator at Telfair, do you have an artist that you would dream to collect from?

Oh wow! Off the top of my head I would say Jill Magid’s Auto Portrait Pending is one of the most vexing, complicated works that I often wonder its future, and in general I really respect her as an artist. At the museum we are actively working to collect more works by women and artists of color, especially in our modern and contemporary collection, to representatively reflect society today and to also acknowledge our institutional responsibility and role in recording culture–this alone is a feat and challenge, especially with any museum that has a long historical story.

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ISSUE NO.13 – CALL FOR ENTRY

 

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For our annual issue of Aint–Bad Magazine, we have teamed up with an amazing selection of curators, editors, gallerists, educators, and publishers to offer a chance to have your work seen by some of the best names in the industry. All of our guest curators have trained eyes and know what they are looking for in a photograph. The goal of issue No.13 is to put your work directly in front of eyes of these curators.

While there is no specific theme for this call for entry, we are asking to see your best work! Take a look at the list of curators working with us on this publication. Look into their practice, see what they like. Take a look at the Aint–Bad Archives to get a sense of the imagery that we have been publishing over the last few years both online and in print. Does your work have what it takes to be selected as a printed artist in issue No. 13? Show us! Submit today! This call for entry will end on August 10th, so while you are enjoying this hot summer weather, be sure to dig through your hard drives and select work that will impress the curators, and the world!

Each curator will select two photographers from the submissions to feature and interview for the printed publication. Fifteen curators. Thirty photographers. This issue is collaboration at it’s finest. The final result will be a beautiful, hand-curated issue of the best contemporary photography in existence today. In addition to all of the above, we hope to partner with the curators further to exhibit work from the issue in various galleries and institutions around the world.

Please let us know if you have any questions. First, take a look at our FAQs at the bottom of this page.

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Submission Deadline
August 10th, 2018

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Meet the Curators

 

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FAQ :

How much does it cost to submit?
You can submit up to twenty photographs for $25.

Why is there a fee to submit to this call?
We are asking each photographer to pay a submission fee in order to help with the costs of printing this publication. Printing aint cheap! Aint–Bad strives to use the best materials available to create a publication that is a work of art in itself. All funds collected from submission fees will be used to produce this issue of Aint–Bad Magazine.

Can I submit more than one project?
Yes! However, each submission fee is valid for ONE body of work. We want to see your strongest body of work. If you feel that you need to submit a second body of work, you may do so by paying another submission fee and submitting a different project.

When will I be notified if I am selected for this issue?
All selected artists will be notified by mid-August. Photographers that are chosen for this issue will be required to answer interview questions from the guest curators.

What happens if I am not chosen for print?
If you are not selected by our guest curators for print, your work will be passed to the Aint–Bad Editors, and will have an opportunity to be published on our website as an article or interview. You will be notified via email if your work is chosen for an online feature.

Can I submit a collaborative project?
Yes, you can submit a project that has been created by yourself and other artists. Please submit under the name that you would like to appear in print if you are selected.