Freddie at the Window
Image © 2010 Richard Misrach
An impressive landscape photograph called "Pyramid Lake (at Night)" was featured at Apple’s January 27 event in San Francisco, when the Mac maker unveiled the highly anticipated iPad to the world. Apple hadn’t gotten around to licensing the image when the people attending Steve Jobs’ keynote gazed at it behind the 9.7-inch glass panel, yet its author is extremely pleased with the move. He is certain he and Apple will reach a fruitful agreement.
Generally, artists go ballistic when someone uses their works of art and don’t credit them properly, and for good reason too. Not Richard Misrach. He admits Apple had contacted him ahead of the January 27 event to license the photo, but the two parties never got around to signing the papers, for one reason or another. Artinfo reveals that Misrach was first contacted by Apple a while ago in regards to ten images from his different series. Misrach rejected them. Then, two weeks ago (days before the iPad announcement), Misrach was contacted again from Cupertino, this time for a licensing of Pyramid Lake (at Night), a photo he had taken at a Native American reservation in Nevada, back in 2004. According to Artinfo, the two parties talked about a five-year, exclusive deal, with Apple saying it would use the image for screen-savers and stuff like that. "I was in bed watching Inglorious Bastards when I got a call from Jeffrey FraenkeL, my dealer in San Francisco, and he said, 'Do you know what's going on live here?'" Misrach told Artinfo. "I was totally shocked. Naturally my other galleries started calling and my family was all atwitter, because it's a whole different world." However, no papers have yet been signed."The funny thing is that I don't even have a contract with them yet, so they must have decided on it at the eleventh hour," Misrach revealed. "I'm sure they'll send me one quickly now. But I'm very happy, I'm sure it's fine, and the terms are good." Misrach also explained that, "[Pyramid Lake (at Night) is] a long night exposure where the moon is lighting up the mountains in the distance. I shot it on an 8x10 camera, so the quality is really beautiful and you can see star trails going through the sky."
Misrach, who is represented byPace/MacGill in New York, Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco and other galleries, says Apple had reviewed several of his photos. Then two weeks before the launch of the much-hyped new tablet, Apple specified they wanted to use "Pyramid Lake (at Night)." Apple said only that it wanted to use the 2004 image"Pyramid Lake (at Night)," as a screen saver and for other features -- no mention of the iPad, which was still under wraps.
'What's funny is that for years I actually used the photo as my own screensaver," Misrach says. "So I guess they know what they're doing."
(Note: Richard Misrach's "On the Beach" was chosen one of the last decade's most influential photo books of the decade. Check out yesterday's PDN Photo of the Day. )
I've made a huge glee montage of all the main characters; I'm using
this as cover art in iTunes for the Glee Soundtrack. Let me know if
you use it!
It's Gethin hot in here...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry folks; due to potential copyright infringement, I've been asked to remove the Tomasz Schafernaker interview:
--- Begin forwarded message: From: Matthew.Todd@attitude.co.uk
On the 22nd October, maybe in 1994, something unusual happened on my birthday.
Outside the French-windows, on the other side of the glass stood a small black cat, no more than 8 months old. On the inside, a very cross dog barked. And barked. Despite the protests of the family dog (Lucy), the cat moved in and stayed with us for over 13 years. She chose us. Over time, Lucy and the cat became (almost) the best of friends. Jane, my mum, called her 'Bonnie' short for 'Ebony' but for some reason, the name didn't stick that well, and she was usually referred to as the cat. Maybe THE cat. This cat was the boss! Despite being head-strong, she was also one of the friendliest cats I had ever known, with a constant purr and such a placid 'oh if I must' personality. Today, the cat said goodbye to this life, and headed home to the great tuna bowl in the sky... Goodbye Bonnie, the cat with no name. We'll miss you...
My father took these photos this morning from my family home in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
all-round creative type, casual graphic designer, freelance photographer, community rehab nurse, and jack of all trades... single Welsh lad hibernating in Leicester...
Email me ~ ryan@uselessdesires.co.uk
Homepage ~ www.uselessdesires.co.uk
