Sara Pooley Photography

MOVING

2010-07-08T15:52:00.003-05:00

Tumblr has stolen my heart. Please visit my new blog at:

http://sarapooley.tumblr.com/

Helen & Art

2010-06-03T01:01:00.005-05:00

On June 1st 2010 I went for a visit with my grandparents. We took some photos together and I interviewed them about their lives. It's always interesting to hear the stories that made your own life possible. Helen and Arthur met at a roller rink in Chicago in 1946. After 62 years of marriage, six kids, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild they're "still skatin together today". "Sometimes on thin ice" as Grandma put it.

Grandpa drove CTA buses for 28 years.

Art's 64 year old Navy tattoo. He joined at age 17.

One of Grandma's favorite past times, watching birds from her kitchen window.

These are a few DSLR frames. Film shots being processed. More to come.

The Engineer

2010-01-05T18:07:00.003-05:00

Bulls and Mustangs

2010-01-02T15:24:00.006-05:00

Everything's burried in a foot of snow. The Mustang may have found it's final resting place.

Christmas is all about family

2009-12-23T20:53:00.004-05:00

Made a few prints for stocking stuffers. Nice moments of my grandparents while they celebrated my granpa's 80th birthday!

It's been awhile.

2009-12-08T01:59:00.004-05:00

While photographing some products this was going on to my left. Made me really want to go outside and shoot... but we're on deadline so I kept plugging away at the endless pile of nuts and bolts.

1/2 + 1/2 = One Hole

2009-05-11T09:53:00.001-05:00

Lightning Strikes

GOLDFISH!

2009-02-10T11:25:00.003-05:00

I have always thought about making my bathroom goldfish themed. Maybe it's weird that I waited till this age to implement that idea, but I'm goin for it anyway. It's off to a pretty rad start. If anybody knows of any really great goldfish themed or related items that might be of use do let me know. I'm already having fun with it as you can see by these photos.

Temple Exercises, Theaster Gates

2009-01-19T18:58:00.004-05:00

Tuesday, January 20th the MCA will host the last of three performances this month by Theaster Gates and the Black Monks of Mississippi. I came to know Theaster by photographing several of his performances. In the beginning I did not realize how much his work would mean to me and how it would change the way I look at contemporary art. Watching Theaster's work and collaborations evolve has been a source of inspiration for me. In a time where art seems so cynical, disconnected, and heartless these performances serve as the antithesis to that hollow trend. How often do you go to the MCA and leave feeling like you just saw the course of contemporary art change right in front of your eyes? Better yet, change in a positive, hopeful way? Temple Exercises urges people to look for a deeper connection to the world and one another. Make no mistake, The Black Monks are certainly addressing issues as heavy as identity, race, and the future of both, but it's done in a way that the viewer can begin to explore these things by feeling part of a whole rather than an outsider attending a lecture. Theaster offers a performance/installation/collaboration that can influence you to examine your history, surroundings, and self but through that also offers the solution of understanding and community. And the best part is that every performance brings a wide range of talent and thereby a new dynamic. Temple Exercises is ever evolving. I am grateful for the opportunity to watch Theaster Gates and the Black Monks of Mississippi start a new ball rolling. I highly recommend that everyone see one of the performances.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Tuesday January 20th 6-7pm
MCA, Main floor

Saturday, January 24th 10am-noon
Shine King, 338 N Central Ave

Monday, January 26th 8pm-2am
Sonotheque, 1444 W Chicago Ave

Sei Young

2008-12-20T13:58:00.003-05:00

Obama, the wonder years

2008-12-17T22:01:00.004-05:00

Featured on Time's website... photos unearthed from the basement of former photographer Lisa Jack. She photographed Obama when she was in college with him.

See Time's article here

The Last Nice Days

2008-12-12T17:11:00.005-05:00

Summer is long over, but I have a few images from the last warm days at home. I started really thinking about what it is that I look for when I photograph my family. I guess it's fair to say that I am looking for very specific moments and exclude a lot of the interaction between family members on purpose. When I get the opportunity to obsesrve a person's 'quiet time' I feel like I've been allowed to peak into a hidden part of that person. I always wonder what is going on in their head and imagine the endless possibilities of subject matter... or perhaps lack thereof. I realize that those moments can say so much about somebody while simultaneously pointing out that I really can never know parts of them at all. Thoughts like these have made me feel at times as though we're all really loners destined to endlessly wander only our own minds. Through the photographs I make of my family I try to imagine what that moment was like for everyone else involved. I realized that by doing that I'm really only looking more and more into myself and that these pictures have at least as much to do with me as they do with my family and our relationships with one another. But I would argue that to be the case with every photograph ever made.

I'm to a point with my immidiate family that the camera and photographic process has become a part of life for everyone. For example, when my mom is sunbathing and I sneak up on her and take a photo she recognizes the loud clomp of my camera's shutter and doesn't even look up before saying "Are you really going to take a picture of me like this? Are you going to put these pictures on the internet?" I reply "of course I am" and she accepts that as a viable answer. At the beginning of my photographic career I think my family was very aware of the lens in front of them all the time. They're still aware, but have stopped modifying their behavior as much. These images have such different value to me than any of the others. Especially compared to the ones where we're all huddled around birthday cakes smiling... or lined up outside the home of whoever had Easter that year... or the church portraits (yeah, we got em). All of those photographs are valuable too, but for different reasons. I guess I have come to a place where my family project says a lot to me about my family, myself, and people as a whole. Other people who look at that work may not care about it... it doesn't bother me if nobody else cares anyway, as long as I do. It's nice to be selfish that way sometimes. A lot of people have a hard time relating to strangers, but in some small ways sometimes I feel like I'm looking at strangers too. That feeling might say more about me than it does anybody else in the photographs. I'm not really sure.

Out of the Loop

2008-11-10T14:04:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything on my blog because I haven't had internet in awhile. I'm using a really slow pc to post this, so there will be no new images today. I do have things to share, so stay tuned. We're working on getting sbc or somebody to recognize our address. Aparently we don't exist, even though our apartment is in the middle of Chicago. Hmmm.... Images coming soon!

Thanks for being AWESOME!

2008-10-14T15:32:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out for the opening of Images of Englewood. It was a really awesome turnout and I was so glad to see everyone! For anybody who couldn't make it but would still like to, let me know. I'm going to be going down there this week with other people, so hitch a ride. The show will be up until the 25th so if you're on the south side go check it out.

My friend Hadley is also hosting a show this Saturday at the Happy Collaborationists Exhibition Space (aka her apartment) from 7 - 11pm, so if you're interested in going let me know. It's located near Ashland and Division. Contact me for more info. sara@sarapooley.com

Again, thanks to everyone who came, especially Andrew who flew in for it.

The new and improved www.sarapooley.com

2008-10-05T20:24:00.004-05:00

I haven't updated my website since May, not gonna lie. In that time I have created a ton of new work. At long last, I have updated my website to reflect that. There are two brand new series on there and older things have been condensed/moved around. Please go check out the brand new click on www.sarapooley.com.

Seriously, go check it out and let me know what you think.

Come to the opening of my first solo show, Images of Englewood!!!!!

2008-10-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

Word.

2008-10-03T00:58:00.002-05:00

Did I hear a "shout out" during the VP debate tonight? Please pinch me because I'm ready to wake up from this nightmare.

When editing is the hardest part......

2008-09-29T12:11:00.002-05:00

These three images were shot as part of a series called 23 Days in the Vast. I have had a hell of a time editing this down to put on my website because I photographed so much for it. This is an example of my indecision. I like these three images equally, but for very different reasons. It's one of the last decisions I have to make before I finally add the series to my website, which is going to be fully updated/renovated as of the next few days or less. If anybody has a favorite, let me know!!

John P. Altgelt Elementary School

2008-09-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

The Englewood community has lost far too many teens this year. Most teen deaths there are gang related and violent. The writing on this school is in reference to a 10th grader, Corey Hatter, who was killed by another juvenile about three weeks ago.

Just one for now...

2008-09-24T01:46:00.005-05:00

Talk about style. 'Sunday best' doesn't even do this suit justice. I'm considering getting one like it for Andrew.

From last weekend

2008-09-21T01:45:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Englewood hosted it's annual jazz festival at Hamilton Park. It was supposed to be outside, but the storms threatened to change all that. The Hamilton Park Cultural Center has a beautiful indoor stage, so it was able to go on as planned. I also got to experience church the Christian Baptist way at Antioch. The sermon was pretty amazing... a little bit of gospel, a little bit of a history, a wonderful experience.

What it's all about

2008-09-20T14:55:00.002-05:00

I realized that anyone I don't talk to on a regular basis probably has no idea what I'm even doing in Englewood anyway. I thought maybe it would be good to put the project statement on here... not that it defines the work, but seeing fragments with no explanation doesn't do any good either.

Project Statement:

Chicago’s neighborhoods are as unique and diverse as their residents. Englewood is a south side neighborhood unlike any other. The residents try to go about their lives in the same way many Americans do. Most people here simply want to be able to raise their children, enjoy their free time, and have a home for themselves and their families. To many these sound like simple requests and certainly people in Englewood are trying to do just that. For most of us, these expectations are simply an extension of the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However, people in this community have to get over the extra hurdles of rampant violence, drugs, and poverty. While everyone in Englewood is affected by these issues on a daily basis, they do not define the community.

Englewood Show Updates

2008-09-18T15:38:00.003-05:00

I just got word that the opening reception for the Englewood show will be on October 11th from 2-4pm. It will be located in the Hamilton Park Cultural Center at 513 W 72nd Street. When I make a postcard for the show I'll put that up, but I'm just glad to know that opening date now.

Relating Once Again

2008-09-18T11:49:00.002-05:00

After a long pause I decided it was time to resume work on the Relating series. I have a few additional pictures on my website, but it's in desperate need of an update as I have quite a few other pictures I never got around to putting up. These two images are a sample of what I've done with it in the past month or so. I'm excited to get this project up and running again. The contrast of photographing Englewood versus my own family has been so bizarre for me. That's one of the things I love about photography... it's allowed me to look at the way I've lived and my own surroundings in a much more critical way.

Anyway, there will be more Englewood images in the next day or two as well.

Greenberg's McCain

2008-09-13T12:12:00.003-05:00

Jill Greenberg's at it again.... go check out her photos of McCain.
Keep hitting refresh on her title page to get a variety of images.

http://www.manipulator.com/

Around 62nd and Normal

2008-09-11T13:58:00.002-05:00

2 More Englewood Images

2008-09-10T17:10:00.002-05:00

The image of Stewart Street is best viewed larger. The details in that are important, but maybe you can see enough at this size also. I'm trying to decide on a print size right now. I'm thinking between 12"x12" and 15"x15" at this point. I want there to be enough detail visible, but I'm over the huge print thing. Let's get some intimacy around here, huh?

First Englewood Images

2008-09-09T11:35:00.004-05:00

These are a few of the first scans. They're not completely color corrected, etc... but you get the idea.

IT STARTS

2008-09-09T03:02:00.000-05:00

After much harassment, I have finally created a blog. I slack a lot on updating my website, so I guess it would be good to post things I'm working on. I always appreciate feedback. I'm working on several projects right now. The Englewood project has been getting the bulk of my attention. There is a show in Hamilton Park during the month of October as a part of Chicago Artists Month featuring this series, so I've got my work cut out for me. The next few posts on this blog will likely be images I'm working on from Englewood. To see some of my other work visit www.sarapooley.com.

Stay tuned. There's good times ahead kiddies.