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About Eric Kunsman

Eric T. Kunsman is a photographer and book artist based out of Rochester, New York where he has returned to pursue his personal work. Eric is a Lecturer for the Arts & Imaging Studies Department in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and also teaches for the School of Photographic Arts & Sciences both of which are housed at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was formerly an Assistant Professor at Mercer County Community College where he was also the coordinator of the photography program. He has nationally taught workshops, lectured on digital printing. Eric holds his MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and holds an MS in Electronic Publishing/Graphic Arts Media, BS in Biomedical Photography, BFA in Fine Art photography all from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. His photographs and books have been exhibited internationally and are in several prominent collections throughout the United States. He currently owns Booksmart Studio, which is a fine art digital printing studio specializing in numerous techniques and services for photographers and book artists.

Thou Art… Will Give… Exhibition of photographs by Eric Kunsman, August 5th-September 25th, 2011

Thou Art… Will Give… Exhibition of photographs by Eric Kunsman

August 5th-September 25th, 2011
Opening Reception: August 5th, 2011 6-9 PM

The Drapery

Warneds Logbook A from 1839

Samuel Johnson

Ashes

Eight years ago, shortly after moving back to the Philadelphia area, I brought a group of my photography students from Mercer County Community College to the Eastern State Penitentiary on a field trip. It was a great photographic site. The reports I had heard about the architecture of the facility were definitely true, and the light and feeling of abandonment really gave off a sense that the Penitentiary might still be inhabited by ghosts or spirits. But there are a lot of abandoned spaces like that, so my first trip to the site would probably have been my last if I didn’t return there on a completely different class trip a few weeks later – this time, as a student.

On that trip, one of my University of Arts professors, Heidi Kyle, introduced us to Eastern State’s Archives. Almost as soon as we entered the archives area, I noticed a book titled ‘Eastern State Penitentiary Logbook A.’ I opened it idly…and then spent the entire visit pouring over its pages.

The Warden’s entries brought the Penitentiary to life for me. Through his words, the space now felt inhabited and connected to deep emotions – infused with new meaning. Though his writing is detached, the warden clearly got to know the prisoners far more personally than you would expect. The logs include details about prisoners’ families, whether they could read or write, whether they felt guilty about their crimes, whether they were penitent. While my photographs from the earlier visit captured a lot of the physical presence and feeling of the Penitentiary, it was the writings that started to, literally, flesh out the functional and human effects of this altruistic, but ultimately disastrous, Quaker experiment with reforming criminals. On that day, the genesis for this show clicked.

I started returning to the Penitentiary. During each trip it was at least a half hour before I could start photographing. I found myself instantly reflecting on some of the Warden’s words, wandering through the space, and rediscovering things through his eyes and his reflections.

In Thou Art…, Will Give…, I hope to offer some of the atmosphere experienced by prisoners when the Penitentiary was active. This exhibition attempts to capture some of story, the energy, and the sorrows of this remarkable space. Actual photographs of entries from the Warden’s 1800s logbooks have been blended with my photographs of the Penitentiary, to give a historical sense of both the prisoners and their treatment at the Penitentiary. Photographs with text overlaid are offered to allow the viewer just a hint about the presence of individual prisoners. I am hoping that through these images and text, visitors can share some of the sense of loneliness, hopelessness, and desperate search for redemption that drove so many of those spirits still trapped within the walls of Eastern State.

I continue to visit Eastern State, because this project feels somehow incomplete. The Penitentiary is a massive space, and it hints that it has many more stories that need to be told. So, guided by the Warden – a man or men who died many years ago – I’ll keep trying to capture those stories still trapped in the crumbling walls of Eastern State Penitentiary.

— Eric T. Kunsman, July/2011

By |June 1st, 2011|Categories: Photography, Recent Projects|Tags: , , , , , |Comments Off on Thou Art… Will Give… Exhibition of photographs by Eric Kunsman, August 5th-September 25th, 2011

Parallax: Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists

UPCOMING EXHIBITION!


Opening reception: Friday, June 3, 2011 6-9pm at the Kunstler Gallery

Parallax: Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists, an exhibition curated by Pat Pauly, will be shown at the Kunstler Gallery at Booksmart Studio in Rochester, New York. More than 18 fiber artists embrace the concept of parallax view, where an object or idea is seen from two different perspectives. Many works have never been shown, and were specifically created for this exhibit.
In selecting works for this exhibition, Pat Pauly chose pieces that highlight the uniqueness of art quilts. Parallax presents a compilation of works that capture a theme through multiple viewpoints, perspectives and subjects. From Kathleen Loomis representing the two sides of the American Civil War, to dichotomic views of Lake Ontario as in Dorothy Caldwell’s “An Island, A Pond,” textile art proves a compelling, complex and expressive medium.

Featured artists include Belgian artist Jette Clover, Canadian artists Pamela Allen and Dorothy Caldwell, and American artists Terry Jarrard-Dimond, Nelda Warkentin, Dominie Nash, Sylvia Einstein, Kathleen Loomis, Judith Plotner, and others.


“Making her Exit” (detail) by Pamela Allen


“Coincidence Theory” by Shelley Brenner Baird

 

By |May 23rd, 2011|Categories: Gallery Shows|Comments Off on Parallax: Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists

Our Libro Portfolio Collection is updated!

We have been hard at work here at Booksmart Studio to update our Libro Portfolio Collection to make it more affordable and much more customizable.  We have come up with three different choices for you to pick from.

• The Libro Elite. The Libro Elite is our finest version of the Libro Collection, these books are offered in Italian Leatherette’s with six different colors to choose from.

• The Libro Modernette. The LibroModernette is our the second version of the Libro Collection, these books are offered in Iris Book clothes with eighteen different colors to choose from.

• The Libro Japanese Silks. The Libro Japanese Cloths is our the third version of the Libro Collection, these books are offered in Asahi Book clothes with twenty-two different colors to choose from.

All of the Libro styles comes with three choices of post and spine options. The first is the exposed post option, which is regarded as the modern look. The screw post being exposed on the exterior of the book, creating a nice finish inside the book. The second option is the hidden post, which creates a nice finish on the exterior of the book with the screw post being hidden. The screw post are exposed on the inside of the book. The final option is an accessory to the hidden post covers and it is a decorative spine that hides the pages on the spine of the Libro.

All Elite Libro’s come with aluminum finished screw  post. An upgrade to black or gold is available by purchasing the chosen color separately.

We are very open to the idea of customization.  We have over 40 different cover material choices, exposed or hidden post, stamping options and 3 different post color options.  There are so many different options you can choose from to make your Libro portfolio custom to your vision.  The most customizable part of your Libro is to get your name, logo or design stamped on the cover.  We have over 40 different fonts to choose from in our lead type collection or you can give us your logo or design file and we can have a custom die made from it in order to stamp the cover.

The Libro Collection is available in all grades in 11”x17”, 12”x12” and 13”x19” sizes with 25 sheets of either Canson Infinity, Crane Museo, Hahnemühle, InkPress, or Innova inkjet paper packaged with the books. Letter size (8½”x11”) & A4 with Innova Smooth Cotton Duo is available in only the Libro Elites. All paper is scored and drilled to work in our post-bound cover system, so all you have to do is unscrew the album, layout with our Photoshop™ or InDesign™ templates, print, and reassemble.  We can also score and drill paper to fit in your Libro anytime after you use the 25 sheets that come with the portfolio for a small fee.

Last, but not least we also offer all 3 Libro grade covers for purchase without the paper.  You can buy just the covers with the posts by themselves and put anything inside them; you are not limited to just photographic prints.

 

Visit our website for pricing and more information or call us to talk about your customization options.

http://www.librocollection.com

By |May 23rd, 2011|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Our Libro Portfolio Collection is updated!

Erika Heffernan- Re Learning to Learn

Coming in May we will be showing the work of Erika Heffernan In the Gallery Kunstler.

Re Learning to Learn is an explorative journey and celebration of how all individuals process and interpret information differently. Erika Heffernan’s multimedia installation includes video, photographic documents and sculpture that illuminate how we learn, comprehend, and interpret information, while questioning how we are taught and how we are expected to learn. The interactive nature of the show invites viewers to actively participate and contribute in collaboration with the artist allowing for the viewer to keep a part of the artwork. I encourage you to come out and participate in this exciting event.

Opening Reception:
May 6th • 6pm-9pm
Booksmart Studio
250 N. Goodman St.
Rochester, NY 14607

The show will run through the entire month of May if you can’t stop in for the First Friday opening reception.

By |April 12th, 2011|Categories: Gallery Shows|Comments Off on Erika Heffernan- Re Learning to Learn

Booksmart Studio Acquires a Canon ipf8300

Highest level printing technology available now at Booksmart Studio

Booksmart Studio is proud to announce the acquisition of a Canon iPF8300 to add to our selection of wide-format fine art printers. Booksmart Studio now owns both Canon iPF8300 and the Canon iPF6300, which is used for smaller prints. The reason Canon printers are the preferred printer for Booksmart Studio is due to their wide color gamut, deep blacks, and 16-bit tonal gradation for all color channels. The Canon iPF8300 has an improved D-Max and color gamut with an improvement in their 12 color ink system. The Canon iPF8300 Lucia EX inks have a 20% wider color gamut and higher D-Max than the Epson 9900 and the HP Z3200.

Booksmart Studio still has the range of Epson & HP printers in our studio. However, we are now printing 75% of our work stricly on the Canon iPF series printers due to the nature of their quality. We have the ability to use the HP Z3200 & Epson 9900 printers if your work demands the use of these printers. At Booksmart Studio we always try to match the artwork & photography with the correct paper & printer combination that maximizes the aesthetic of your work.

 Canon iPF8300

Full Description of the Canon iPF8300

Built for ultra high quality imaging and exceptional performance, the imagePROGRAF iPF8300 44″ large format printer is equipped with an array of professional features. The re-formulated 12-color LUCIA pigment ink system increases the achievable color gamut by approximately 20% from the previous imagePROGRAF 12-color series. A large 80GB hard drive, sub-ink tank system, Gigabit Ethernet support and Accounting Manager feature make this a premier solution for the fine art, photography and proofing markets. To fully utilize on the dynamic color range of the LUCIA EX ink set, a high-precision printing mode delivers quality a step above the previously available highest quality mode. And with the Print Plug-in for Photoshop, now with support for Adobe CMM, users can process images in 16-bit. For more control over the final output, the Media Configuration Tool expands on Canon’s array of media options, allowing users to input profiles for third party media. By combining Canon’s technological achievements, the imagePROGRAF iPF8300 achieves consistently breathtaking, durable and long lasting prints.

Current Selection of printers at Booksmart Studio

Canon iPF91000 (60″ wide)

Canon iPF8300 (44″ wide)

Canon iPF6300 (24″ wide)

Canon iPF6100 (24″ wide)

(2) Canon iPF5000 (17″ wide)

Epson 9600 (44″ wide)

Epson 7880 (24″ wide)

Epson 4880 (17″ wide)

(3) Epson 4800 (17″ wide)

(3) Epson 4000 (17″ wide)

Epson 3800 (17″ wide)

HP Z3200 (44″ wide)

HP Z3100 (44″ wide)

By |April 12th, 2011|Categories: News, Reviews|Comments Off on Booksmart Studio Acquires a Canon ipf8300

Canon ipf6300/8300 ICC Profiles and Media Configurations for Canson Infinity completed by Booksmart Studio

Full-line of Canson Infinity ICC profiles now available for the iPFx300 series

Booksmart Studio is pleased to announce the completion of the ICC profiles and media configuration files for the full-line of the Canson Infinity papers. These ICC profiles and media configuration can be used on the Canon iPF6300, 6350, & 8300. These ICC profiles and media configurations were completed by Booksmart Studio after two months of rigurous testing. This allows Booksmart Studio to guarantee the most accurate configurations allowing one to maximize the capability of the Canson Infinity line of papers.

Please visit Canson Infinity’s website at http://www.cansoninfinity.com to download the files.

By |March 3rd, 2011|Categories: ICC Profiles, News, Substrate Information|Comments Off on Canon ipf6300/8300 ICC Profiles and Media Configurations for Canson Infinity completed by Booksmart Studio

April Gallery Openings

This Friday we will be hosting two MFA thesis exhibitions that you will not want to miss!

In the Kunstler Gallery will be Karen Donnellan from the RIT School of American Crafts MFA glass Program
Her exhibition is titled: O
Her exhibition will feature sculptural installation work that uses all different types of materials ranging from wood to glass to paper.

In the Rochester Pin-Up gallery will be Jaimee Suzanne Lindvay from Visual Studies Workshop
Her exhibition is titled: Fragments: behaving as one
Her work will take form as a photographic installation made up of many different parts. It will definitely be a sight to see!

We at Booksmart Studio are very excited to host these two exhibitions. So please take the time to come check it out this coming Friday Night 6-9pm.

 

By |March 2nd, 2011|Categories: Gallery Shows|Comments Off on April Gallery Openings

Canson Infinity Latest ICC Profiles have been completed by Booksmart Studio

Rag Photographique Baryta & HD Canvas

Posted on March 1, 2011, 10:00 am

 Booksmart Studio is pleased to announce the completion of the latest round of ICC profiles for the newest Canson Infinity products. Our partnership with Canson Infinity has allowed us to deliver high quality generic ICC profiles to Canson Infinity customers since the line was first announced three years ago. Please visit Canson Infinity’s website to download the latest ICC profiles.

By |March 1st, 2011|Categories: ICC Profiles, News, Substrate Information|Comments Off on Canson Infinity Latest ICC Profiles have been completed by Booksmart Studio

Thinking About Summer: June 2011 exhibition announcement

PARALLAX: Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists

Opening Reception: June 3rd, 6-9PM

Parallax: Views of Contemporary Quilt Artists, an exhibition curated by
Pat Pauly, will be shown at the Kunstler Gallery at Booksmart Studio in
Rochester, New York starting June 1, 2011. More than 18 fiber artists
embrace the concept of parallax view, where an object or idea is seen from
two different perspectives. Many works have never been shown, and were
specifically created for this exhibit.

In selecting works for this exhibition, Pat Pauly chose pieces that
highlight the uniqueness of art quilts. Parallax presents a compilation of
works that capture a theme through multiple viewpoints, perspectives and
subjects. From Kathleen Loomis representing the two sides of the American
Civil War, to dichotomic views of Lake Ontario as in Dorothy Caldwell’s
“An Island, A Pond,” textile art proves a compelling, complex and
expressive medium.

Featured artists include Belgian artist Jette Clover, Canadian artists
Pamela Allen and Dorothy Caldwell, and American artists Terry
Jarrard-Dimond, Nelda Warkentin, Dominie Nash, Sylvia Einstein, Kathleen
Loomis, Judith Plotner, and others.

The exhibition will be running concurrently with Fiber Arts International 2011 that will be on display at Memorial Art Gallery May 1st-July3rd.


Terry Jarrard-Dimond “Evidence”


Dominie Nash “Stills From a Life #34″

 

By |February 15th, 2011|Categories: Gallery Shows|Comments Off on Thinking About Summer: June 2011 exhibition announcement

“Washington to Washington” Catalog Edition Book & Edition Prints

Last Friday we had our “First Friday” opening for both “In Habitation” juried Exhibition and “Washington to Washington” by Joel Wellington Fisher. The Opening came together beautifully and we had a great turnout! Thanks to all of you who came out to be a part of it, and for those of you who may have missed the opening the work will be up for the remainder of January so you have plenty of time to come check it out. Also on Friday we released a Catalog Edition book to accompany the Washington to Washington Exhibition The Book Includes many of the 26 images we currently have on display as well as a few extra Images from the series that were not a part of the final exhibition edit. The book is an edition of 50 and is hand bound in a hardcover pamphlet binding style. All 50 copies are signed and are available for purchase here. SOLD OUT! They’re going pretty quickly so be sure to get your copy.


Also available for purchase are print editions for three of the photographs from the exhibition. Each photograph is available in an edition of 25 with edition numbers 1-10 being available for individual sale and edition numbers 11-25 available for purchase in a collector set of three prints in a portfolio envelope. Here are the three images in the edition.

 

By |January 11th, 2011|Categories: Gallery Shows|Comments Off on “Washington to Washington” Catalog Edition Book & Edition Prints

Libro Collection.com

If you are looking to purchase a Libro Portfolio or have Booksmart Studio produce your prints for your portfolio. Please be sure to visit our dedicated Libro shop website at http://www.librocollection.com.

Inkjet Metal.com

If you are looking to purchase Fine Art Metal or have Booksmart Studio print on the fine art metal. Please be sure to visit our dedicated Inkjet Metal shop website at http://www.inkjetmetal.com.

Fine Edition Printing.com

If you are looking to work with Booksmart Studio to produce your Fine Edition Inkjet Prints for an exhibition or just start an open edition. Please be sure to visit our dedicated Fine Edition Printing shop website at http://www.fineeditionprinting.com.

Custom ICC Profiling.com

Order your custom ICC Profiles now. Please be sure to visit our dedicated Custom ICC Profiling shop at http://www.customiccprofiling.com.
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