Staff Intro: Brandon Dunning

Brandon Dunning is our newest full-timer here at the company! Brandon started here in early April 2017 helping things run smoothly in the darkroom and moved up to full-time at the begining of 2018.  He was born and raised in Massachusetts and received his Bachelor in Fine Arts in photography from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Prior to working here, Brandon met Nick and Paul, so we knew he was a great fit from the start. He has exhibited at Gallery Kayafas and participated in the Flash Forward Festival Portfolio Review in 2015 where he met our very own Paul. On his days off, he stays active, working out and playing basketball. Before becoming a photographer, he was a painter and printmaker. You can check out his work HERE.

Brandon's work at the moment deals with themes of consumerism and consumer culture theory. He uses site-specific as well as studio shoots in his process. Previously working exclusively digitally, Brandon is now beginning to shoot more film. He recently acquired a Hasselblad 500EL.

Here are some fun facts about Brandon:

• Brandon spends his Sunday mornings with with coffee and jazz
• He loves all of the local sports teams
• He has two wonderful kitties names Lola and Jasper (aka Lolita and Jassie)

Nick's Favorite Framing projects from 2017

As we start the new year I wanted to review some of my favorite framing projects from last year. If you see any framing techniques or styles that you would like to replicate with one of your own pieces, stop on down for a one-on-one framing consultation!

Vintage David Bowie Poster

Hand Painted Kenyan Rug & Pillowcase

A Mark Hamill Signed Star Wars Poster

Stephen Sheffield's Hand Sewn Collage

Andrew Seguin's Cyanotypes for Panopticon Gallery's First Exhibition

A Selection from Newport Art Museum's 'be of love and other stories'

Kat Kiernan: Meet Panopticon Gallery's new Director

A great big welcome to Kat Kiernan! Kat is not only our amazing new gallery director, but she is also to Editor-in-Chief of Don't Take Pictures, a bi-annual publication that discusses modern photography as well as featuring talented artists. In 2015, Kat received the Griffin Museum of Photography's Rising Star award and was named one of Photoboite Agency's 30 women photographers under 30 to watch in 2012. Kat has exhibited across the country and is a widely published writer. She has a BFA in photography from Lesley University College of Art and Design (formerly the Art Institute of Boston).

---

You work in many aspects of the art world as the Director of Panopticon Gallery, Editor-in-Chief of Don’t Take Pictures, and as a photographer. How did you become interested in photography, curating, and writing?

Although I haven’t spent a lot of time putting my own work out into the world, everything that I do as a writer and curator stems from my own experiences as a photographer. I published my first article in a national magazine during my senior year of college to accompany my documentary photographs of people who live aboard their boats year-round in Boston. I thought that the magazine would be far more likely to publish my photographs if they were accompanied with an article, so I wrote it myself.

I began curating straight out of art school when I opened The Kiernan Gallery as a venue for photographers who, like me, were just starting to exhibit their work. I later expanded the space to curate solo exhibitions, off-site pop-ups, and other art events.  Don’t Take Pictures evolved from The Kiernan Gallery just before I closed the gallery and moved to New York City. Initially, I wanted to produce an annual that would highlight the best of what we exhibited that year, but I was planning to relocate and wanted to publish something bigger and which was not tied to a specific place.

Now, as the Director of Panopticon, I am incorporating some of what I learned in New York and some of what I learned at The Kiernan Gallery into a more traditional model of representing a small group of photographs while taking a less-traditional approach to engaging with collectors. As a photographer myself, every decision I make in the gallery is based on what I would want and expect from a gallery that represents me.

 

Do you have a favorite non-photographic hobby?

I am not really a hobby kind of person. If I am interested in something, I tend to dive in 100% and turn it into something more. However, for a large portion of my life boating was my hobby and I still jump at the chance to crew a boat whenever I can.

What is one of your favorite exhibitions that you have seen?

I recently saw the Louis Vuitton “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibition at the American Stock Exchange in New York City. Without question, it is one of the best examples of exhibition design that I have ever seen. Each room felt like stepping onto a film set. This shouldn’t have been a surprise, considering that Louis Vuitton has one of the best visuals teams in the world. I am not as well-versed in fashion as I am in other arts, and the immersiveness of each room taught me a lot about the impact of high fashion on the last hundred years of our culture.

 

Who are your influences in photography, curating, and writing?

Two of the many photographers who have influenced me are Francesca Woodman for her intuitive experimentation with self-portraiture, and Arno Minnkkinen for his dedication to a life-long body of work and for the wonderful mentorship that he has given me. I am also influenced by the photographers that I have the privilege of publishing and exhibiting.

I am also influenced by Alfred Steiglez, a renaissance man who had great vision as a photographer, as the publisher of the first photography journal Camera Work, and a curator of the gallery space 291.

Vicki Goldberg is probably my biggest influence as a writer. Her writing is insightful, original, and covers a range of topics within the photographic medium. It is also very accessible as it is written for everyone, not just the academics.

What is your advice for those who want to start their own publication?

Always hold yourself accountable. A publisher must be accountable to the artists that they publish by making sure that their work is well represented (good quality reproductions, accurate information, correct and well-placed quotes). A publisher must be accountable to their writers by editing with rigor and compassion, and defending them when needed. Most importantly, a publisher must be accountable to the readers to produce the best publication possible.

A lot of magazines start out with ambitious publication schedules and, for various reasons, cannot hold to them. I publish in print twice per year and online about four times per week. As organized as I am, there have been more than a few all-nighters for the next day’s content. Writers and artists will miss deadlines, advertisers won’t pay invoices, and printers will lose proofs. None of your readers should know about any of this, and none should be expected to care. Readers care that their magazine arrives in their mailbox on time with inspiring images and insightful prose. If that doesn’t happen, your reputation as the publisher will suffer. There is no passing the buck, there is only high standards, problem-solving, and accountability.

NEW IN 2018!

We've been busy here at Panopticon adding new services to our roster. Now, we are ready to officially announce all of the new services that we now provide!

Color Film Processing

We are very excited to announce that we are now processing COLOR FILM! Our new processor can develop all formats of C-41 film from 35mm rolls to 8x10 sheet film. Not only are we developing color film, but we are also offering develop and scan as well as develop, scan, and print packages. These new services will be offered with black and white film development as well.  If you want to know more about pricing and film packages, visit our Film Services page.

 

Bulk Negative Scanning

Have developed film you want a quick look at? We now offer roll, strip, slide, and individual film bulk scans. These are great for quick looks at negatives or for making small, medium quality prints. Our Fuji Frontier can scan both black and white and color film as well as positive film! Along with your bulk scans, you will receive free digital file transfer and an 8x10 contact sheet. For more information, visit our Scanning Services page.

 

Bulk Image Scanning

Bulk image scanning is a fast and cost effective way to scan that shoebox of photographs you've had for years. Our scanner can handle images up to 8.5x11 inches so all of those old photographs can be digitally preserved or put onto a DVD included with your order. If you'd like to know more, visit our Scanning Services page.

 

Value Printing

Last but not least, we would like to introduce our value printing services. Value prints are great as test prints to know what to print larger or for little images to give away to clients, friends, and galleries. They are also great for duplicating  or preserving old family photographs. For more information, visit our Digital Services page.

Take a look at our updated services pages on the website or stop by the office to talk in person with one of our staff members about us helping you with all of your photographic needs.