PhotoLucida 2009

This is an intense week for me, as I head into the PhotoLucida Portfolio Reviews here in Portland, Thur-Sun, April 23-26. There will be 160 photographers (of whom I am one) meeting with over 60 reviewers: curators, book publishers, gallery owners, photographers, magazine editors, etc. It's 4 straight days of reviews, lectures, shows, and more.

I'll be showing my Skeleton in the Closet series, both as a book dummy, and as a custom portfolio which I designed and created this past year.

I'd like to invite you to the Portfolio Walk, this Thursday evening, from 6-9 pm. Held at the Portland Art Museum's gorgeous Sunken Ballroom, you can view the work of all 160 photographers, spread out on a room full of tables. We'll have our work out in 3 1-hour shifts, beginning at 6 pm. I and my work will be out from 7-8 pm. Please come by! It's free, and should be quite inspiring and enjoyable.

New Images and Stories in the Skeleton Series

I've just updated the web gallery of my series on eating disorders, to include new images and stories from the past few months. They include a pregnant woman, a girl in London, a pink rock, and more. Check them out when you have time.

I also recently completed my first portfolio for this series, for museums and private collectors. It consists of 14 16x20 images, with their stories printed separately on translucent vellum. It also includes an introduction by myself, and a moving essay by accomplished author Gina Ochsner. All of this is assembled in a custom archival box with leather embossed title on the front. It's really quite stunning, if I may say so. This is a limited edition portfolio; please contact me for purchase information.

Critical Mass Winners

I received notice yesterday from PhotoLucida's Critical Mass Competition that I was selected in their top 50 list. The news isn't up on the PhotoLucida website yet, but one of the reviewers, Lisa Hunter--quite enthusiastically--posted the results on her blog. In time, PhotoLucida will put the work of the top 50 on their website for all to see.

Critical Mass is a competition entered by hundreds of photographers from all over the world. From those masses, 150 are selected to be shown to the reviewers (quite a long list of reviewers), who then vote and whittle down the list to the top 50, plus 3 winners of whose work they publish little books. So it's an honor to be selected in the top 50, and I'm hopeful about what may come of it, as other photographers, collectors, curators, and publishers look at the finalists' work.

For Critical Mass, I entered 10 selections from my documentary series on eating disorders, Skeleton in the Closet.

Skeleton in the Closet at CameraWork Gallery

CameraWork Gallery Presents

Skeleton in the Closet~including new work not previously shown~

Photographs by Fritz Liedtke

February 23-March 21, 2008

Join us for the Artist's Reception:
Friday, February 29, 2008, 7 - 9 pm.

Peterson Hall, Lower Level
2255 NW Northrup St
Portland Oregon

9-5 M-F
1-5 Sat

www.skeletoninthecloset.net

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at Lincoln High School

My friend Gali, a student at Lincoln High School, is in charge of the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week events at her school. She's so full of energy and organization and ideas, she's hard to keep up with.

As part of her and her committee's program this week, they asked me to display 8 images from my series Skeleton in the Closet. So if you happen to be there this week, take a look!

Encouraging Words

Over the past few months, as my work on the series Skeleton in the Closet has progressed, I've received quite a few encouraging emails and comments. These come from people who have participated in the series, people who have viewed the work online, and people who have come to the gallery shows.

While I've been curious from the beginning about how art can be therapeutic for people struggling with eating disorders, I didn't go into this series with the specific intention of helping people. I really just wanted to create good work about a difficult subject. So the feedback from people who have been encouraged by the work, found healing in the work, felt less alone because of these images and words, is a beautiful side benefit.

I thought I'd share a few here:

A friend of mine sent a link to your photos about eating disorders, and I just had to tell you how wonderful I think they are. Hearing from the subjects in their own words is so moving, and the photos themselves are amazing. They really do capture that eating disorders don't discriminate, those who suffer from them come in all shapes and sizes...the stereotypes we picture aren't always true. As someone who's battled an ED for over 10 years now, it's very rare to find something that seems to capture how we really feel. I think this exhibition has done that, and I thank you for posting it. Take care.

Keva

Fritz,

I just wanted to thank you for your work; I've struggled with an eating disorder for the past four years (seems like forever) and recently 'relapsed'. It is rare yet inspiring to see such honest, diverse depictions of individuals and their stories. Although it is still a work in progress, I am wondering if I could be added to a mailing list or possibly receive information as to when it will be published/where it will be available - I'm definitely interested in buying a copy and supporting your work.

Thank you so much,
Kristin P

I spoke to you on the 'Face The Issue' message boards quite a while ago. I remembered it the other day and stumbled across the website for your photographs. I just wanted to say that I think you have done a wonderful wonderful job.

Reading the introduction, with the line "I've seen thinner" seems to sum it all up. No matter what people expect or feel, there's always thinner. I think you have shown-in such a beautiful way- that people suffering from eating disorders aren't always thin and are definitely not always people who are obsessed with how they look or how much they weigh.
Everytime I look at your photos I find another quote that I relate to, the words match the photos in both their beauty and complexity.

Make sure you post a link to your photography on the FTI website, I'm sure the others would benefit from seeing it.

Thank-you,

Looloo6

Hi Fritz!
I got your wonderful photo and story today! Thank you so much for putting my story, my experience, into a photo and words so eloquently. I cannot thank you enough!
-Elizabeth L

Fritz,

Great show. It's so hard to do what you have done. It's rare to see
work that balances subject and the visual, complimenting each other
in such a powerful way. It's so easy to make seductive and beautiful
images at the expense of content. You didn't compromise and you
treated everyone with respect including the viewer.

Jim L

Thank you so much for including me in this. I really was surprised at how much I connected with you even at our first meeting. I truly feel like working with you allowed me to let go of my eating disorder in a way that I can celebrate forever. Thank you.

Kaarina

i feel so honored to be a part of it. I'm going to try and make it down to see the show today. thank you so much for being an outlet for me :) I would love to help with your future projects if you find a need for me!

-Megan

My name is Jamie, and I guess I'm bulimic. I stumbled upon a link to your work, and I found it to be very powerful. I am 30 years old, and it made me feel a bit less alone with having an ED at my age when I saw the photos and read the stories of your subjects.



Thank you putting together the skeleton in the closet, it helped remind me that recovery is not some unattainable gold floating way out there.
Lisa



I came across your photographs in "Skeletons in the Closet" and I wanted to congratulate you on how well you portrayed the suffering of eating disorders. I am in "recovery" (however, each day is still a struggle) from bulimia and anorexia and found these photos to be very well done. When most people try to portray eating disorders, they show only the 80 pound, near death girls, and this really puts a real face on the disease. The women in the picture could be anyone- teenagers, mothers, daughters, friends, teachers, doctors, etc. Job well done!

Karly

Thank you so much for the beautiful artwork. I could see a slice of my life (or a slight variation of my own pain) within all your portraits of the women and men that are suffering from various manifestations of the eating disorder. It was sort of walking through a simultaneously very poignant, ugly and beautiful, scary but all too familiar hall of mirrors.

Ana

I just needed to tell you that you have completely been able to capture the soul of so many victims of the eating disorder community with your photos. I was so moved to tears when reading the different stories and looking at the photos. I have had an ED for most of my 50 years on this earth. There is so much that the medical community does not know about this awful disorder and can never begin to uncover. You have captured that pain, the insanity, the torture, the hope, the destruction with your photos. I would love to look at these photos everyday to see that I am not alone. I am not singled out because these disorder crosses all races, ages, gender. Why don't you present this to the psychiatric and medical community? They need to learn how to help us. Thank you so much for taking your time and your creativity to focus on ME.

Debbie
Philadelphia

Fritz,
I just wanted to thank you again for giving me the chance to work with you on your series. This was a huge step in the right direction for me and i'm glad that i got to express this part of myself.
Stephen


Hi Fritz,
I was just browsing through your blogspot and I felt moved to say that you are such an exceptional person and I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to share such a personal aspect of my life with such an extraordinary artist. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,

Valerie

Skeleton in the Closet at Littman Gallery

www.skeletoninthecloset.net

Skeleton in the ClosetStories from the lives of those affected by eating disorders.

I'm pleased to announce the culmination of the past 2 years' of work on my photo documentary on eating disorders. Please join me for this exhibition in the beautiful Littman Gallery, at Portland State University. The show includes 42 photographs with accompanying texts.


October 4-24, 2007

Littman Gallery
PSU, Smith Center, 2nd Floor, Room 2501825 SW Broadway
Portland
Gallery open Monday-Friday, 12-4 pm
Please join us for the opening reception:
First Thursday, October 4, 5-7 pm



This body of work made possible in part by a grant from RACC.


For More Information:

Fritz Liedtke:www.fritzphoto.com/thinkontrol

Littman Gallery: (503) 725-5656

Jennifer Stoots Fine Photography:www.photostoots.com

Be Nourished

Today I am hanging a brief show, in collaboration with Be Nourished, for their open house. Come by Friday, April 20, from 4-7 pm, to see some work and eat some yummy food. I'll be there. The work should be up for a week or so, so stop by later if you can't today. If you can't come by at all, you can view the work online as well.

Be Nourished is located at 3808 N Williams, Suite F, in Portland.

You can also meet the women that run Be Nourished, providing wholistic help to those struggling with eating disorder and body image issues.

The RACC Grant...

Back in August I applied for a visual arts grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). It was the first real grant I've applied for, requiring extensive preparation, a couple classes, lots of thought, calculations, and organization. You submit all of this, along with samples of your work, and then you wait. Three to four months. Wondering if you should be making plans for the following year, but not quite sure.

Well, I got home from rock climbing this afternoon, opened the mail, and...I got the grant.

I applied so I could pursue the documentary work on eating disorders (see posting below on anorexia and bulimia) which I began this past year. I have some goals set out in the grant, which need to be met by the end of 2007. Now I can (once the holidays pass...) jump in and get moving. Pretty exciting stuff. Can't wait to show you what I come up with.

Getting a grant is exciting and moving, not just to have the money to work with, but moreso to have the recognition from people you respect. It's more of a pat on the back that says, "What you're doing is valid and important. Keep moving."

A grant also seems to give validity to others that what you're doing is bonafide, genuine. I hope it might open some other doors as I move forward. Stay tuned.

Anorexia and Bulimia

I've been working for almost 2 years now on a photographic project about anorexia and bulimia. I'll give the overview of the project another time. For the moment, though, I have some new images about which I'm excited, and wanted to post one or two to share. There's nothing like having something beautiful in your back pocket, with no one to show it to....



The above image is new. This young lady, in our interview, shared how she both wants to garner attention by being the skinniest, most flexible dancer in her studio, while at the same time hates to garner attention from people concerned about her weight. A true Catch-22.
If this is something you struggle with, and you live in Portland or the Pacific NorthWest, I would like to talk with you. Please contact me; I would like to know your story, and consider including you in this project.
Alternately, if you have a strong interest in this subject as a writer or publisher, I would also be interested in talking with you. While I will soon be in the process of showing the work to publishers, I am open to discussing the matter with all interested parties.
More work in this continuing series may be seen on my fine art website, under the title Skeleton in the Closet.