A couple weekends ago my wife and I went to NY for AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers extravaganza) and stopped by the Whitney Biennial. When it comes to contemporary work, AIPAD is hit or miss. If you want to drink in the masters – Cartier-Bresson or W. Eugene Smith – you will get your fill. AIPAD had 70-something dealers this year. According to the catalog, 33 dealers brought with them Cartier -Bressons, 29 dealers brought with them Edward Westons, and almost as many dealers brought Abbott, Adams, Brassai, Brandt, Callahan and the rest of the masters-of-photography alphabet. The living were represented to a lesser degree (for good rea$on). A couple things got my attention/stoked my curiosity. I saw that Thomas Allen’s pulp fiction book art looks even better in real life. I saw that Boston based John Woolf photographed the off-the-beaten-track Aero Diner in Windham, CT where I eat egg sandwiches. I saw Shirley Shor’s high-tech, self-portrait “video” that morphs as you watch. I saw commercial photographer Kim Kauffman’s luscious scanner art series called Florilegium. I saw a Diane Arbus postcard (identical twins) with a $275,000 price tag. I read it was the most expensive photo on the floor. I read that an Edward Weston pepper (no. 13, not the famous no. 30) sold for an undisclosed amount. According to published reports, Paul Strand’s Hacienda, Taos, New Mexico was the biggest sale, topping $70,000.
I don’t get out often – it was fun to go to New York. The sun was out – Spring was in the air. My wife and I ate at a nice, inexpensive Italian joint called Trattori Trecolori on 47th Street. During our antipasto we reminisced about our trips to Italy and how it would be nice to take the kids now that they are older. We usually start planning our summer excursions in January. We almost always travel in July. And I fantasize about traveling all year long.

