E D I T O R’S
LETTER
Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor flu could stop us from producing Volume 1 of Fantasy, Issue 8. All through this relentless
winter, Musée’s team trudged through the elements to make it
to work each cold, snowy day. I affectionately nicknamed them
“The Postmen.” We dove deep into this issue’s theme of “Fantasy,” something we all sorely need a bit of.
Musée’s fascinating adventure continues with nine photo-based
artists, each bringing their unique imaginations and rigor to
their art practice. There’s Didier Massard’s fantastical constructions of detailed scenes producing two to three pieces a year.
Laurent Chehere fuses flying houses with charm and narrative.
Slater Bradley’s muse, Alina, is the inspiration of his current exhibition at the Sean Kelly Gallery, the penultimate ode to unconditional love and loss. Thomas Wrede’s fantastical landscapes
cause us to re-consider humanities role in nature and making
seemingly uninhabitable places possible. Zoe Crosher re-considered photographs of Michelle duBois, who some might say
is her doppelganger, revealing to us who she is and where she
is going, all the while keeping us questioning: is this her or me?
And in Martha, Rona Yefman’s collaboration with a Holocaust
survivor who wears a mask to keep his true identity hidden,
challenges us to ask questions rather than to give answers. Da-
vid Levinthal, whose early collaboration with Pulitzer Prize
winning cartoonist Garry Trudeau propelled his career, and has
stayed on course ever since, producing work that brings toys
to life through meaning and historical significance. Thomas
Struth’s exhibition at the Marian Goodman gallery begs one to
ask: What does this have to do with Fantasy? His answer, explained in his interview, is what Fantasy: Issue 9 is all about!
Our “industry insiders” include Sondra Gilman, Chris Boot and
Julien Frydman. Gilman’s photography collection is considered
one of the ten best in the world, and she recounts her fascinating
introduction to the world of photography and its history, and
imparts her personal vision; one part instinct, one part knowledge, one part heart. Chris Boot, Director of the Aperture Foundation, articulates his vision on the past, present and future of
the Aperture Foundation and his influence on making Aperture
a more approachable resource for photography enthusiasts.
And lastly , Julien Frydman, director of Paris Photo. I wanted to
interview him so badly that even after I took a fall along the
Seine, consequently breaking my wrist, I first went to interview
Frydman before going to the hospital! It was worth it.
Many thanks to all those who support and follow Musée!
Daniel Gordon. Portrait in Yellow, Orange and Blue, 2012. Courtesy the artist and Wallspace.