Michael Sebastian

Within a seven-day span last week I received two emails, one from each of the twin impostors of the photographic Art World.

First up was Failure: my entry to the Taylor Wessing Portrait Competition (which I had written about here) was declined. That was a lump of coal in the stocking to be sure. My heart had nudged my hopes without consulting my head for the odds—long, at a hundred to one. I felt good about the work I submitted—too good?—but it didn’t go my way.

A week later, however, Success stopped by with a Thin Mint for my pillow. I’m a Critical Mass Finalist for 2010. I’m humbled, and honored, to have made this list of 175 people—winnowed from several hundred applicants—who will be further culled to a Top 50 by sometime in November. Though the odds are shorter than they were in London, I really hate to get my hopes up; disappointment has a sour, funky reek, like wet dog hair and a hangover. But I probably will nonetheless, since optimism’s more like good bourbon or chocolate chip cookies. Either way, it’s out of my hands.

There are familiar names among the Finalists. Some I know only by their work I’ve seen online; with others, I’ve struck up Facebook or email relationships. And a few I’ve even met in person, obsolete-20th-century style, as we’ve all gathered at various portfolio review events. (Making such acquaintances has been far and away the best thing about attending those events.)

So let me offer best final-round wishes to Elizabeth Fleming, Tom Johnson, Isa Leshko, Nancy Newberry, Ann Pallesen, Manjari Sharma, Emily Shur, and Jamey Stillings. And a general high-five to the rest of the 175.

Swim meet, Louisville, 7/18/10

With our recent sweltering temperatues, getting out and shooting has seemed like a painful chore.
Welcome to the summer doldrums.

I’ve busied myself mostly with work (the day-job kind of work); with ferrying kids hither and yon as they do their summer activities; and with relays of visiting family and friends.

Creating new work has been slow lately. I’m keeping my hand in by editing and revising existing work, and sending it out into the world to further seek its fortune. To wit, I’ve submitted my project 52 Miles to the Conscientious Portfolio Competition 2010, and I’m buffing that same work also for Critical Mass. That deadline is a mere 5 days hence, so I won’t be idle. This body of work is mature and (mostly) stable, and I’ve showed it and worked it extensively in the past, so I’m 90% ready, already, to submit it. Being the compulsive sort, though, I’ll obsess about it some more before seeing if it has further legs with a new set of viewers. Read the rest of this entry »