Uri Stories

This Blog Is Retired, Please Visit My New Website!

2011-01-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

click on link below to visit my new site
urimaxkorn.virb.com

"EARTHLINGS"

2010-12-22T00:52:00.000-08:00

"EARTHLINGS"
Photos by Uri Korn
Published by Hamburger Eyes

Hamburger Eyes just released my new zine.
It is filled with photo portraits of earth dwelling critters.
It's 36 pages of beasts & is a limited edition of 100 copies.
Use the link below to go to the hamburger eyes store to purchase for only $5.

http://www.hamburgereyeland.com/servlet/the-168/EARTHLINGS/Detail

Short interview of me by Trevor Traynor for his blog on 100 photographers

2010-07-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Fire On The Mountain" - Albuquerque, New Mexico 1995
(photo by uri korn)

click link below
to see interview

http://www.ishooteverything.com/2010/07/photo-artist-interview-82-uri-korn.html

Hamburger Eyes / Fotovision Auction Fundraiser!!!!!!

2010-07-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

** The above image is an 8×10 fiber based print by Bill Burke. It has drawing on the front, and it is signed and stamped on the back. If you win this photo, it comes with a small book of his!

GO TO THE AUCTION PAGE
CLICK HERE!!!!

http://stores.ebay.com/HAMBURGER-EYELAND

"the only good war is a bidding war"
-Uri Korn-

HAMBURGER EYES / FOTOVISION ANNUAL AUCTION FUNDRAISER

July 15th 2010 – July 25th 2010

This year Hamburger Eyes has teamed up with Fotovision to bring you epic masterpieces at amazing prices. With the success of last year’s auction, we decided to make this particular collection available worldwide.

The auction will take place on EBAY for 10 days, and people all over the planet will be able to participate and bid on photographs and paintings from Hamburger Eyes and Fotovision contributors, supporters, friends, and family.

Hamburger Eyes donations include:
David Uzzardi, Sean Jerd, Ted Pushinsky, Alexander Martinez, Oscar Mendoza, Ray Potes, David Potes, Dennis Mcgrath, Thomas Campbell, Jason Roberts Dobrin, Michael Jang, John Harding, Stefan Simikich, Josh Lazcano, Audrey Erickson, Andrew Schoultz, Hilary Pecis, Uri Korn, Catherine Ryan, Tracy Timmins, John Oliver Hodges, Jim Goldberg, Bill Burke, Emilio Banuelos, Elena Carrasco, Forrest Kelley, Mark Murrmann, Albert Reyes, Rich Jacobs, Lonnie Dean, Joe Brook, Ari Marcopoulos, Peter Sutherland, Barry Mcgee, Cali Dewitt, and more!!

Fotovision donations include:
Larry Fink, Dorothea Lange, Nick Waplington, Bill Owens, Herb Ritts, Michelle Vignes, Colin Finlay, Marcus Bleasdale , Tim Hetherington , Ami Vitale, James Whitlow Delano, Camille Seaman, Kim Stringfellow , Ian Martin, Doug Menuez, Matt Herron, George Ballis, Richard Gordon, Darcy Padilla, Michael Rauner, Chris McCaw, Ernest Lowe, Jack Picone, Antonin Kratochvil, and more!!

Fotovision donations also include signed, collectible books by:
Susan Meiselas, Sebastião Salgado, Alec Soth, Alex Webb, Ken Light, Amy Arbus, Chris Killip, Danny Lyon, and more!!

All proceeds will benefit photography by helping Hamburger Eyes continue to produce world class books and magazines, as well as operate their darkroom rental facilty, the Photo Epicenter. And the nonprofit, Fotovision, can continue to advance documentary photography and storytelling through education, dialogue, and community.

For the locals, the entire collection will be available for viewing. They will be exhibited at the Fotovision space during the length of the auction. There will be computers setup and you will be able to bid right there on the spot! And, on the last day we will have a closing reception at the space and people can make last minute bids and we can all celebrate the fundraiser.

FOTOVISION
5515 Doyle St.
Emeryville, CA 94608

Auction runs July 15th - July 25th 2010
Viewing hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
4pm - 7pm, or call for appointment.

Closing reception July 25th 2010, 5:30pm - 9pm

Please help us spread the word by re-posting, sending to people who might be interested, twitter, etc. Thanks in advance.

Stay tuned! Each site will have images, info on pieces, links to the auctions, a catalog PDF download, and more..

http://hamburgereyes.com
http://fotovision.org

Etnies Shoes & Hamburger Eyes Magazine collaboration

2010-06-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

Etnies Shoes releases the "Hamburger Eyes Magazine" Dog collage shoe and
my photo of the dogs above is included. My photo is titled "Fashion Slaves" and was in NYC in 1993.
As close as I will ever get to having a skateboard shoe have anything to do with me.
Shoes will be available for purchase through Hamburgereyes.com soon!
RAD

"Casual Abyss" A Hamburger Eyes Photography Exhibit at The Mission Cultural Center SF

2010-05-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

Some of my images that are included in the show ,"Casual Abyss", which is a Hamburger Eyes (www.hamburgereyes.com)
photo exhibit currently up at the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco, California.
(www.missionculturalcenter.org)
I shot some digitally and some with film. I did drum scans of the film and made chromogenic prints with the full negative edges showing in the final prints. I made prints between 16"x24" and 50"x70"- which is the largest print size I have made to date. The show runs from May 11th to June 5th and they are open 10-5pm everyday of the week. Stop by if you are free. I will also be posting installation shots of the exhibit shortly.

"Surf & Turf" Alameda, California 2010
printed 30"X45"
photo by Uri Korn

"Streets of Fire" Oakland, California 2008
printed 50"X70"
photo by Uri Korn

"Green Parrot" San Francisco, California 2006
printed 25"x35"
photo by Uri Korn

"Old & New Mexico" San Francisco, California 2010
printed 25"x35"
photo by Uri Korn

"El Mariachi" Juarez, Mexico 1995
printed 45"X50"
photo by Uri Korn

"Pug Life" Tampa, Florida 1992
printed 45"x50"
photo by Uri Korn

The Streets of St. Pete

2010-05-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

"Man with Sunglasses and Brick Wall" St. Petersburg, Florida 1990
(photo copyright uri korn)

"Smoking At Night" St. Petersburg, Florida 1992
(photo copyright uri korn)

"Retired Couple" St. Petersburg, Florida 1992
(photo copyright uri korn)

"Two Dudes" Southside St. Petersburg, Florida 1993
(photo copyright uri korn)

Shooting portraits on the streets of St. Petersburg when I was growing up had a very strange quality. There was an abundance of eccentric and interesting people around. Mostly because St. Pete was once the retirement destination of choice,- there was always a huge population of "senior citizens" wandering around. It kind of retained the look of the 1950s because most of it's inhabitants were still dressing the same until 2000.
When I was growing up the average age of the town was 64- that is an old average.
But beyond age there was also a certain surreal style that seems to have pervaded the town like no where else I have ever lived.

Grand Voyager

2010-04-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

"Grand Voyager- Laney Flea Market" Oakland, CA 2009
(photo by uri korn)

This musician was playing at the Laney Flea Market in Oakland-
his sign reads

"The melodies I am performing is among China's ten best with the instrument (chinese violin)-these two called "Pleasant Evening" and "Moon Reflection of Twin Springs" were selected as world famous folk songs and were broadcast from a Universal Space Ship.
The music is beautiful and moving."

He is referring to the Voyager space ship which was launched into space in 1977 by NASA to travel the cosmos with "The Golden Record"- It included many interesting songs from around the world, as well as information, diagrams, photos and paintings about the human race for any extraterrestrial life forms who may find it in the future. Among images included was a photo by Ansel Adams of the Golden Gate Bridge & another photo by Magnum Photographer Wayne Miller titled "Birth". Miller assisted on and helped to organize the famous photography exhibit "Family of Man" in 1955 at the Museum of Modern Art, which was curated by Edward Steichen, and was a huge photography exhibit attempting to encompass all aspects of human life- including an early photograph of the Milky Way.

"This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours." - President Jimmy Carter 1977

Note: click on the above photo to enlarge and notice the van parked behind the musician is a Chrysler "GRAND VOYAGER"

see the link here to the wikipedia page about it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record
here is the NASA link
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/sceneearth.html

Angels In Oakland

2010-04-15T02:22:00.001-07:00

"Doug The Thug" Oakland, CA 2006
(photo by uri korn)

"Six Angels In Oakland" Oakland, CA 2006
(photo by uri korn)

My friend AJ lives near a graveyard in Oakland and he brought me to these graves. Oakland is deep with a unique and heavy history- angels, panthers, punx, radicals, raiders, unions, hip hop, hippies, yippies, and oaksterdam. Before I lived here I associated these things with this area and in some ways it is true but often it seems like that was a long time ago and it is barely visible now except in bumpersticker form and Telegraph tye dye gift shops. A few years ago my photo "Six Angels in Oakland" was included in a group show at ProArts Gallery in Oakland about visual regionalism. I was a little sketched about showing these images, partly because of their infamy and mixed reputation, but I think there is a reality which is undeniably interesting and historic about the role of The Angels in Oakland and I tried to have a level of reverence regarding the situation and showed it in a way that is documentary in nature. I don't know if it is true but I heard a legend that they are buried with their bikes. Each grave has a beer holder with an unopened budweiser can. Most of them have nicknames including "Doug the Thug", "Magoo", "Big Al" and "Skid". Almost all of them only lived to be about 40.

Full Circle With David Yow

2010-04-15T01:15:00.001-07:00

"David Yow, Jesus Lizard" Ritz Theatre- Tampa, Florida 1990
(photo by uri korn)

When I was 16 in 1990 I went to see the Jesus Lizard play in Tampa. When I got to the door the doorman said I could not get in because I was underage and because I had my camera in my backpack. As I turned around to go home David Yow came up and put his arm around my shoulder and said to the doorman "he is our photographer let him in". I had never met him before and was super stoked he went out of his way to help me out. Once we were inside he gave his address and told me to send him a photo some day. Well this year they reissued the album "Goat" which was the album they toured with in 1990- and my old roomate who I gave a print to sent it to Jesus Lizard when they put out a call for old photos and flyers from this tour and they used this photo on the inside gatefold of the reissue. David Yow also wrote a paragraph for the record describing his dance move that this photo goes to for the song "Then Comes Dudley".

Here is what he says:
"The most important thing about this song is the dance.
That's right you heard me. Put your feet at shoulder width, toes pointed
slightly outward, knees above toes, with your elbows at right angles
and your hands poised as if each is holding an invisible grapefruit.
It's also necessary to point your face skyward with your head slightly tilted.
Now pivot your wrists and polish those grapefruits!
That's how you do The Dudley."
-David Yow

Thanks Again.

Barber Shop Ephemera

2010-04-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

"Barber's Break" Jamaica Plain, Mass. '93
(photo by uri korn)

"Green Barber Shop" Alameda, California 2009
(photo by uri korn)

"Support Our Troops" Gainesville, Florida '91
(photo by uri korn)

One thing I have noticed is that for some reason barber shops everywhere tend to have the same kind of props, decorations and pop icons. Two very common characters seen are Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. The top photo was my barber in JP- he had great stuff like a Ronald Reagan wig model and an Elvis rug on the wall. In the bottom photo, in Gainseville, there is a weird statue on wheels-in a bikini with a "support our troops" banner tied around her waist. With Marilyn supporting behind her. I like the connection between the barber trade and how every city seems to have cool barber shops filled with americana and mementos. Like little museums. I think all photographers like barber shops- it seems like every photographer has at least one shot.

Front Yard 3 AM

2010-04-12T04:55:00.001-07:00

"Front Yard 3AM 01" St.Petersburg, Florida
(photo by uri korn)

"Front Yard 3 AM 02" St.Petersburg, Florida
(photo by uri korn)

This guy was in his front yard in southside St. Petersburg at 3 AM in the morning. He had his bed, a TV, some budweisers, and a shotgun under the sheets. I asked what he was doing and he said "I am having a yard sale and If I don't sleep out here it will all get stolen." He also said "not to worry about him" and lifted up his shotgun. He had a heart on the side of his pickup trailer and a license plate with a rebel flag on the front of his truck.

Bill Owens- Newspaper Man

2010-04-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Bill Owens Live on UC Berkeley Radio Interview" Berkeley, CA 2008
"photo by uri korn)

"Bill Owens reading the newspaper at home" 2010 Hayward-California (photo by uri korn)

I recently shot these photos of photographer Bill Owens (billowens.com) at a radio interview and in his reading chair at home. I was trying to show a portrait of him in his surroundings, similar to the way he photographed many people in their homes in California in the early 1970s, for his epic book "Suburbia". He started out as a photojournalist for the local paper in Livermore, California- and though he now uses the internet all day long, he still likes to read "two real newspapers and 7 magazine subscriptions" to keep up on things.

Early Lessons

2010-04-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

"On the steps of the Marne" Boston, Mass 1991 (photo by uri korn)

"On the banks of the Marne" Paris, France 1932 (photo by henri cartier bresson)

I thought this was interesting. I shot my photo in Boston almost twenty years ago and when I was editing negatives recently I noticed how much I had unconsciously mimicked this Henri Cartier Bresson photo. It is one of my favorite HCB photos and I remember looking at in the library when I was in highschoool. I like how that kind of thing can happen when you absorb and study lots of photos and then "remake" versions yourself. It is not exact, but it was not set up, yet some how it has some of the same dynamics.

FIRST POST- GREETINGS

2010-04-11T01:25:00.000-07:00

"U.S. Male 02" St. Petersburg- Florida 1992 (photo by uri korn)

"U.S. Male 004" St. Petersburg- Florida 1992 (photo by uri korn)

4/11/10

I will be posting my photos, their accompanying short stories plus links to other stuff I like. Hopefully it is a good way to help me edit and get input back.

This first post is of photos of a real U.S. Mail bike in St. Petersburg, Florida that was mispelled "U.S. Male" and allowed to deliver mail anyway. I photographed this bike around town numerous times. I later found out from a postman that St. Petersburg was the last city to use these types of bikes because it is so flat and easy to ride there that they kept them for a long time.