MISSION
Photo-Based Art, Inc.—a not for profit organization—is an essential point of connection for contemporary artists and audiences who seek to explore the expressive possibilities of photographic media. Each of Photo-Based art’s unique programs is developed with the intention of removing barriers between image and viewer. Through acclaimed publications, exhibitions, public events, and accessible limited-edition prints, Photo- Based Art creates unusually unmediated forums for emerging and established artists to present the works they are producing now to an international audience.
BLIND SPOT MAGAZINE (1992-2014)
Blind Spot magazine the cornerstone of Photo-Based Art’s programs—was borne of the desire to provide a space in which innovative photographic art of the moment could be exquisitely reproduced in a context free from criticism or editorial concerns. First published in 1992 by founding editor and longtime Publisher Kim Zorn Caputo, Blind Spot became the leading journal dedicated to premiering significant photo-based works by the most vital contemporary artists. Issues were conceived as exhibitions on the printed page, giving each body of work the space and consideration it needed to speak directly to the viewer. Features were elegantly and unobtrusively designed—often in collaboration with the artist.
The name Blind Spot was inspired by the writings of psychologist Julian Jaynes, who used the visual phenomenon of the blind spot** as an analogy to describe the mysterious mechanics of human consciousness. Jaynes believed that, just as the illusion of visual continuity is maintained despite a partial gap in all our fields of vision, the mind maintains the illusion of continual consciousness despite imperceptible gaps in our experience of time. Through remarkable works collected in each issue, Blind Spot sought to explore the limits of visual experience, making the viewer aware of how and what we see—and what we don’t.
In 2004, Zorn Caputo succumbed to a long battle with cancer, though her vision for Photo-Based Art continues to infuse all aspects of the organization. In fostering an atmosphere of collaboration from the earliest incarnations of Blind Spot, Zorn Caputo encouraged the artists whose work made the journal vital to help shape the magazine and take part in its evolution. The community she established continues to be an integral part of the magazine’s editorial scope. The prestigious group of Contributing Editors at Large includes such renowned artists as John Baldessari, Uta Barth, Christopher Bucklow, James Casebere, Gregory Crewdson, Adam Fuss, Richard Misrach, Vik Muniz, Stephen Shore, and James Welling, among many others. The last thirteen issues were guest curated by artists, including: Jason Fulford, James Welling, Taryn Simon, Liz Deschenes, Moyra Davey & Zoe Leonard, Walead Beshty, Vik Muniz, and Doug Aitken.
Blind Spot's minimal editorial content also provided readers with a glimpse of a yet-to-be-published essay or narrative excerpt by respected authors. Writers including Joyce Carol Oates, Dave Eggers, Paul Auster, and Jonathan Franzen were regular contributors to the magazine.
Utne Reader cited Blind Spot for its design excellence: "The designers of this semiannual journal have created an understated juxtaposition of text and outstanding photography worthy of repeated examination."
BLIND SPOT EDITIONS
Drawing on the support of the dedicated and ever-growing community of artists that have gravitated towards the organization, Photo-Based art has assembled a dynamic collection of affordable limited-edition prints by today’s masters. Freed from the commercial imperatives of the gallery world, Blind Spot editions are available at prices well below those set by traditional art dealers, making it possible for people of any income to own a fine-art photograph. In keeping with the high standards set by Blind Spot publications, Blind Spot editions are exquisitely produced in close collaboration with the artist.
BLIND SPOT BOOKS
Much as each issue of Blind Spot functions as a portable exhibition, Blind Spot books strive to deliver the experience of encountering a single artist’s work in a gallery or museum within the intimate and accessible space that only a book can provide. The evolution to producing books was a natural one, as many of the artists whose projects were first featured in the magazine sought to publish their extended projects with the same exacting production and design standards that have made Blind Spot a haven for photographers.
Each book presents an opportunity to examine a major body of work by an artist who has made a significant contribution to the medium as it exists now. Innovative yet sparing in design, Blind Spot books are created with the concerns of the artist in mind and printed according to the highest standards of production. Since the program was initiated in 2001, Blind Spot books have garnered awards and critical praise for publishing works by a remarkable group of artists—John Baldessari, Uta Barth, Christopher Bucklow, Richard Misrach, Clifford Ross, Stephen Shore, Jem Southam, and Doug and Mike Starn among them.
PUBLIC EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
Photo-Based Art’s diverse public programs are an integral part of the organization’s continuing efforts to bring together artists working with photography and their audiences. Blind Spot exhibitions, hosted by museums, galleries and educational institutions worldwide, offer an opportunity to view the original artworks reproduced in issues of the magazine. Other public programs have included a series of artist’s lectures produced in collaboration with the The New School University, and numerous benefits and auctions that have generated substantial aid for organizations such as Human Rights Watch, MTS: Mobilizing Talents and Skills (for Men and Women with HIV/AIDS), Action Against Hunger and CancerCare Assist.
** The blind spot is a small gap in the field of vision that corresponds to a point on the retina where the optic nerves leave for the brain. To find your Blind Spot, close your left eye and stare at a point on the left-hand margin of this page. Without moving your gaze, run your index finger along the line of text adjacent to the point you’ve chosen, noticing how the tip of your finger disappears along the way.
BLIND SPOT & PHOTO-BASED ART, INC.
“Absolutely Most Unique in Any Storm at Sea.”
—Ed Ruscha
“Blind Spot is the only magazine with photography as its focus that interests me. It makes no distinction between photography and art—quality is the main concern. It is the only magazine I recommend to young artists.”
—John Baldessari