After we posted yesterday's note about Facebooks "friend" limit we received some good feedback from group members about which direction to go. As such, we've decided that taking a more critical approach to the process of accepting requests - as opposed to starting a new profile page - would be the best way to go forward. Unfortunately it means laying down a rule that excludes anyone under the age of 18. I know it's kind of a sucky thing to do, but operating a project that is self-funded, and includes the use of a free social networking platform, has limitations. While we find the limitation to be silly (why is this a problem for Facebook engineers, but not MySpace?) it is what it is and we have to deal with it the best we can.
Going forward you can join the group and then request Matt's friendship. Whether or not you are accepted will be based on the content of your default photo and whatever information we can see on your page that intrigues us to look further into your profile photo album. From there, the usual parameters apply to the process of choosing a photo for the project. See Q & A post. If you are not accepted, please don't take it personally! We will continue to post new images of the portraits, however, all will be made from the "Matt Held page" so that everyone can see and no one will be excluded. We will also moderate that page less so you are able to post notes, ask questions, etc.
This project has really turned into so much more than either of us could have expected. We make a great team and we both believe very strongly in the message of the project and love that it's been so well received by the digital community. We thank you for your patience, kind words, and support! Remember that this project will likely take two years to complete and while Matt has completed 56 portraits, he still has another 146 to go!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The 5,000 friend limit and what that means for this project
Not long ago, I was made aware that Facebook has a limit (the engineers call it a scaling limitation) on the amount of “friends” a Facebook user can have. The limit is 5,000. We at Matt Held Studios have been racking our brains on how best to work around this as my friend list is nearing 5,000 and have yet to come up with a clear, concise way to deal with the issue. I wanted to let you know that while we want to be as inclusive as possible to people interested in participating in this project, I need as much free time in the studio as I can get. Being bogged down with administrative work will only slow the progress of the project and I’d like to avoid that as much as possible.
The way this project is set up is a) you join the group b) you add me as a friend. Once you’ve done those two things, I go through profiles of those “friends” whose default photo intrigues me to look further into your profile photo album. Then, a few more things happen a) I add the chosen photo to the queue and b) contact you when I am ready to start the piece c) post an image of the completed photo to the group page and d) email the subject their respective jpeg. Being my “friend” is key to access your images and allows me to choose the image. I do not want to give this part of the process up.
I have two possible solutions to the issue:
1. People continue to join the group page as desired but start being more selective as to who I add as my friends based on their default image. This would also mean going through existing “friends” and deleting those who do not have photos fitting within the parameters of this particular project - i.e. no kids, no dogs, no significant others, clear, color photo, quirky poses, props acceptable. This would allow me to manage one profile and allow active participants in the project to remain as part of the project. It would also mean “rejecting” people and I don’t really like that idea.
2. Start up a second Facebook page – call it Matt Held Studios – and direct all new friend requests, after 5,000 has been achieved, to that page. This would create a bit more work for me and my administrators – maintaining two pages and making sure people are directed to the right area, both pages get updated, etc., but this way I don’t have to eliminate people from the project.
I am not sure what the best option is, but hope to reach a decision within the next few days.
That said I do want to make you all aware that I have also been working on what my follow up to this project will be. I am not ready to disclose full details; however, regardless of whether or not one of your profile photos is chosen to be painted, I hope you stick around as group members to find out. It will be something you can all participate in if you have a camera.
Until then, hope life is treating you well.
The way this project is set up is a) you join the group b) you add me as a friend. Once you’ve done those two things, I go through profiles of those “friends” whose default photo intrigues me to look further into your profile photo album. Then, a few more things happen a) I add the chosen photo to the queue and b) contact you when I am ready to start the piece c) post an image of the completed photo to the group page and d) email the subject their respective jpeg. Being my “friend” is key to access your images and allows me to choose the image. I do not want to give this part of the process up.
I have two possible solutions to the issue:
1. People continue to join the group page as desired but start being more selective as to who I add as my friends based on their default image. This would also mean going through existing “friends” and deleting those who do not have photos fitting within the parameters of this particular project - i.e. no kids, no dogs, no significant others, clear, color photo, quirky poses, props acceptable. This would allow me to manage one profile and allow active participants in the project to remain as part of the project. It would also mean “rejecting” people and I don’t really like that idea.
2. Start up a second Facebook page – call it Matt Held Studios – and direct all new friend requests, after 5,000 has been achieved, to that page. This would create a bit more work for me and my administrators – maintaining two pages and making sure people are directed to the right area, both pages get updated, etc., but this way I don’t have to eliminate people from the project.
I am not sure what the best option is, but hope to reach a decision within the next few days.
That said I do want to make you all aware that I have also been working on what my follow up to this project will be. I am not ready to disclose full details; however, regardless of whether or not one of your profile photos is chosen to be painted, I hope you stick around as group members to find out. It will be something you can all participate in if you have a camera.
Until then, hope life is treating you well.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Words on a Portrait - "Lauren"
Happy day after the fourth of July! We have a nice short post from "Lauren". It is one of my favorite portraits. The color, the light, the cool, refreshing looking beverage on a seemingly hot day. Lauren was kind enough to say a few words about the original photo and here they are:
"This is a rare picture of me taken with my camera. Normally, I'm the one behind the lens and this instance is an exception to that rule. I was in Guatemala for the wedding of two dear friends and the ceremony had just ended. I am drinking a delicious mojito and I would proceed to drink a few more after this one. The weather was perfect, the wedding was beautiful and the night was a late one. I won't forget it.
The portrait that Matt painted from this photograph is lovely. I feel happy to have contributed to this amazing project."
"This is a rare picture of me taken with my camera. Normally, I'm the one behind the lens and this instance is an exception to that rule. I was in Guatemala for the wedding of two dear friends and the ceremony had just ended. I am drinking a delicious mojito and I would proceed to drink a few more after this one. The weather was perfect, the wedding was beautiful and the night was a late one. I won't forget it.
The portrait that Matt painted from this photograph is lovely. I feel happy to have contributed to this amazing project."
Monday, June 29, 2009
Words on a Portrait - "Barbara"
"Every painting tells a story.
Here comes mine...
The profile picture Matt painted of me is showing me in a thoughtful posture, which is just how I feel lately, call it midlife-crisis, I don't know... It was the day of my birthday, I was watching my guests talking to each other. I was sitting there, just watching them, listening. I remember it very well. The room was full, but I was on my own. My husband took the photo, Matt painted it. That makes the portrait important to me.
A frozen moment in time. (Isn't the past, the life on which you look back, a collection of single moments frozen in your memory? Are we able to re-live or re-imagine longer periods like a week ? a day? an hour? second by second by second? No! We hop from moment to moment, good or bad, but always important for some reason.)
Matt Held and I are half brother and sister. We got to know each other only when we were almost grown-ups. One day, maybe ten years ago, when social networking was still to be invented in a larger scale, we started an email-correspondence that lasted for more than a year. But that's a different story.
When I joined his Facebook-group last year there were about 43 group-members. To be honest, the thought of being portrayed caused strange sensations of embarrassment in me, but as the group grew larger and larger and the number of beautiful finished portraits too, my opinion changed. With joy I watched the wave of enthusiasm the project was arousing among the facebook-users. Who could have expected this?
There were quite a few articles in the press and web, that talked about the phenomena of social networking lately. Painting has been a big subject too over the last years. Since Matt Held's facebook-project seemed to be the first that treated both as one, the echo it evoked was: this is brand new, hot! People loved it! Why? Because it was so personal! But it works on different levels.
While my first approach to it was personal and intimate too, the project as a whole at the same time turned out to be so relevant for many. It is fresh, open minded and actual, touching the reality and existence of every person who takes part in today's decade-changing progress, meaning the internet-based communication, which influences the social behavior and every day habits so evidently. The computer screen is the window to the world indeed, and it has become a means for reaching out. You look at me, I look at you and your friends... and: the artist looks at the model.
Why did Matt portray his wife's facebook-pic? He could have portrayed her sitting in front of her doing sketches. Instead he chose do do it from her fb-pic. The creative move behind that is clear to see. A bridge from 18th century to today. But still there is always a story behind. And a special moment."
Here comes mine...
The profile picture Matt painted of me is showing me in a thoughtful posture, which is just how I feel lately, call it midlife-crisis, I don't know... It was the day of my birthday, I was watching my guests talking to each other. I was sitting there, just watching them, listening. I remember it very well. The room was full, but I was on my own. My husband took the photo, Matt painted it. That makes the portrait important to me.
A frozen moment in time. (Isn't the past, the life on which you look back, a collection of single moments frozen in your memory? Are we able to re-live or re-imagine longer periods like a week ? a day? an hour? second by second by second? No! We hop from moment to moment, good or bad, but always important for some reason.)
Matt Held and I are half brother and sister. We got to know each other only when we were almost grown-ups. One day, maybe ten years ago, when social networking was still to be invented in a larger scale, we started an email-correspondence that lasted for more than a year. But that's a different story.
When I joined his Facebook-group last year there were about 43 group-members. To be honest, the thought of being portrayed caused strange sensations of embarrassment in me, but as the group grew larger and larger and the number of beautiful finished portraits too, my opinion changed. With joy I watched the wave of enthusiasm the project was arousing among the facebook-users. Who could have expected this?
There were quite a few articles in the press and web, that talked about the phenomena of social networking lately. Painting has been a big subject too over the last years. Since Matt Held's facebook-project seemed to be the first that treated both as one, the echo it evoked was: this is brand new, hot! People loved it! Why? Because it was so personal! But it works on different levels.
While my first approach to it was personal and intimate too, the project as a whole at the same time turned out to be so relevant for many. It is fresh, open minded and actual, touching the reality and existence of every person who takes part in today's decade-changing progress, meaning the internet-based communication, which influences the social behavior and every day habits so evidently. The computer screen is the window to the world indeed, and it has become a means for reaching out. You look at me, I look at you and your friends... and: the artist looks at the model.
Why did Matt portray his wife's facebook-pic? He could have portrayed her sitting in front of her doing sketches. Instead he chose do do it from her fb-pic. The creative move behind that is clear to see. A bridge from 18th century to today. But still there is always a story behind. And a special moment."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Words on a Portrait - "Angie"
Everyone loves a cute girl in a monster costume. There was no question about painting Angie. She lives in Denver with our good friend Jason (aka Sharpie nose) and it's no surprise that she is super cute and super smart. I met her once when they came to visit a couple years ago. I think the funniest thing about the painting is that "don't fuck with me" look. She is such a graceful, calming presence that looking at her painting makes me wonder how much more to her there is that most people probably don't see.
She was kind enough to send us the story of the photo and some of her thoughts on the project and here are her words:
"When this picture was taken I was at an art opening for the Horndribbles—soft sculpture art by a couple of Denver artists. There was a guy walking around in an amazing Horndribble costume and I asked if I could try on the head. Normally I feel so awkward in photographs (and it shows) but somehow having that big, fuzzy monster head on made me relax enough for the photo to turn out well and become a picture of myself I actually like.
I feel really honored to have been part of the project. I never thought I'd have an opportunity to have my portrait painted and to have it done from a photograph that I love and makes me laugh has made the experience even better. I think of portraiture traditionally as art of the upper class and while I've seen beautiful portraits, I tend to think of them as serious and stuffy. In contrast, the portraits of the project are not only wonderful in an artistic sense, they are also so unexpected. Because they are done from photos they seem almost the opposite of traditional portraits—a lot of them portray things that you couldn't pose for, moments that only a camera could capture. That they were moments captured in a photo and then again in paint makes them all the more whimsical. It would be amazing to see all the portraits in person, all together in one space, and to be able to ask the subjects what they were trying to express about themselves by posting that particular photo to Facebook for the world to see."
She was kind enough to send us the story of the photo and some of her thoughts on the project and here are her words:
"When this picture was taken I was at an art opening for the Horndribbles—soft sculpture art by a couple of Denver artists. There was a guy walking around in an amazing Horndribble costume and I asked if I could try on the head. Normally I feel so awkward in photographs (and it shows) but somehow having that big, fuzzy monster head on made me relax enough for the photo to turn out well and become a picture of myself I actually like.
I feel really honored to have been part of the project. I never thought I'd have an opportunity to have my portrait painted and to have it done from a photograph that I love and makes me laugh has made the experience even better. I think of portraiture traditionally as art of the upper class and while I've seen beautiful portraits, I tend to think of them as serious and stuffy. In contrast, the portraits of the project are not only wonderful in an artistic sense, they are also so unexpected. Because they are done from photos they seem almost the opposite of traditional portraits—a lot of them portray things that you couldn't pose for, moments that only a camera could capture. That they were moments captured in a photo and then again in paint makes them all the more whimsical. It would be amazing to see all the portraits in person, all together in one space, and to be able to ask the subjects what they were trying to express about themselves by posting that particular photo to Facebook for the world to see."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Solo Show - Denise Bibro Fine Art Platform Project Space
We have some very exciting news to share! Matt will be having his 1st solo show, opening Thursday, September 10th at Denise Bibro Fine Art, Platform Project Space in Chelsea. I'll confirm all the details once we get all ducks in a row, but this is huge and we couldn't be more thrilled!
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Words on a Portrait - "Elis"
Elis Wooton is a student at NYU Wagner. She is a goofy girl, with a lot of brains and a spunky personality. When I first saw her photo, I told Matt he absolutely HAD to paint it. I think it is my favorite one even to this day. It just reminds me of those special moments when you are hanging out with friends on a weekend, enjoying life. I smile and laugh every time I see it, and that to me adds so much more to the experience of being with her portrait.
Here is what Elis had to say about being involved in the project and the story behind the photo:
"I think it is a really interesting idea to further connect people through fine art on a virtual social network.... creating a community where there was not one before. I think it could be a really great show ... all the portraits in a gallery space. I think the fact that over 3,000 people have joined the group so far is a testament how rad the project is and how everyone secretly wants to be immortalized in one way or another.
I don't really want to wax on about what I think it 'means' though... I'm sure that [people] advocate for what it means in an artistic sense. I am no art critic but I love my portrait.
I'm not going to lie... when I saw my name on the short list for portraits people would want on their walls I was pretty stoked...
The picture was taken in Costa Rica when I was snorkeling with a couple of my best lady friends. We all took silly pictures of each other with our masks on. I just happened to use mine as my profile picture..."
Here is what Elis had to say about being involved in the project and the story behind the photo:
"I think it is a really interesting idea to further connect people through fine art on a virtual social network.... creating a community where there was not one before. I think it could be a really great show ... all the portraits in a gallery space. I think the fact that over 3,000 people have joined the group so far is a testament how rad the project is and how everyone secretly wants to be immortalized in one way or another.
I don't really want to wax on about what I think it 'means' though... I'm sure that [people] advocate for what it means in an artistic sense. I am no art critic but I love my portrait.
I'm not going to lie... when I saw my name on the short list for portraits people would want on their walls I was pretty stoked...
The picture was taken in Costa Rica when I was snorkeling with a couple of my best lady friends. We all took silly pictures of each other with our masks on. I just happened to use mine as my profile picture..."
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