Adventures

Yesterday I went on an adventure to one of the hills of S.F. that I haven't been to yet. An old roommate was visiting. She, another roommate, and I went on a journey to Bernal Heights. I still don't have a nice digital but for some reason I felt like posting these here rather than anywhere else. It seems like a place I'll revisit with film and a purpose. It also reminded me of the Regent Sq. neighborhood of Pittsburgh.







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Visitors I

Mark at China Beach

Bong Water

Berkeley,CA

The Swissmen.

In looking at some "Chola" pictures with my roommate and a friend, both of mexican heritage and both from very closeneighborhoods in San Diego, I thought about a classic Robert Frank image, sort of.... The image is of a young family on "a sunday outing" Both key phrases I rememebered, and searched for on the internet. Nothing. After a little while I rememebered that although it's an image that I think has been very informed by Robert, it's actually a photograph taken by Diane Arbus. Duh John.

Diane Arbus, A young Brooklyn Family going for a Sunday outing, N.Y.C. 1966

In my looking for the image however, I stumbled aross some images of the contact sheets for a few pages of Mr. Franks reels. Namely, the one below I found exciting, interesting, and relieving. The sheet shows not only that he must have shot lots, with many non-plus images (The importance of editing ones-self) But that his images are also not the most amazingly exposed. I'm trying to do some research into this to be certain, but I would assume, given the period of this work, that he printed the images himself. Possibly not, but most likely. So it further illustrates the importance of being one with the darkroom and knowing your craft. The most oft seen image on the cover of "The Americans" is the circled image, of the people on the trolley. And you know what? It's kinda blown out! There must have been some serious burning, with serious filters to get that thing as pristine as it is in it's presentation. I can't even begin to think of how many prints there must have been until the "One." I guess the long and short of it was that it was nice to A: find the actual photograph I was looking for, and b: run into a bit of a humbling piece of working process from someone so esteemed whom I hold in high artistic regard.



Keep on shooting?

To Be Free

I have been working a little less. To the point where I've had just enough relaxation time to start being a real person again. I have some photo's to scan soon. Tons of idea's in my head. And I'm almost finished editing a new video piece (for an entry deadline! here's hoping) In the meantime I've been kind of obsessing over Dame Nina, as I do from time to time. My friend showed me a video that led me eventually to this one. I am always in awe of people/artists who can so succinctly say verbally what they are saying artistically. (which I think is something I address in my work..and have on here as well) And so I am, in awe.

P.s. Also, dust spots? Tear? 16mm?

For We Can Not Tarry Here.

Today at work VI

(installing work by Renee Green)
The past four - five weeks have been grueling and fun. I started preparator work at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The organization is a bit off its rocker right now, and the prep crew is reeling from the firing (Laying off, quitting, it's all in who tells the story) of the powerhouse that was the VA dept. It was pretty intense but we ended up pulling off the deinstall/install of two major shows in addition to some smaller galleries. The main show, a solo show of the rarely exhibited in the US, Renee Green, involves roughly 50 video pieces. My fellow A.V. nerds and I had our work quite cut out for us. At the end we were all pulling 13 hour days. I'm glad to say, for the sake of rest, health, etc, that it's over. I'm sorry to say it is, for the paycheck. But I've managed to make some friends, make some contacts, and perhaps even have some more work as a result.

Today at work V

Today at work an octagon was built that was maybe say...6ft across? It was built outside on an empty patio as there was no room in the busy busy wood shop to put such a big thing together. Only after it was built was it realized that the thing wouldn't fit back in the doors. We were told the only doors to the patio could not be opened because they were for emergency's only (..? Um. ) So we had to flip it over a fence and lower it roughly 8ft to the ground and wheel it back around Mission, onto 3rd, at 6:30...(busy corner) to the loading dock.

And Again.

Don't ever forget:

Participation mystique. A term derived from anthropology and the study of primitive psychology, denoting a mystical connection, or identity, between subject and object. (See also archaic, identification and projection.)

[Participation mystique] consists in the fact that the subject cannot clearly distinguish himself from the object but is bound to it by a direct relationship which amounts to partial identity. . . . Among civilized peoples it usually occurs between persons, seldom between a person and a thing. In the first case it is a transference relationship . . . . In the second case there is a similar influence on the part of the thing, or else an identification with a thing or the idea of a thing.[Definitions," CW 6, par. 781.]

[Identity] is a characteristic of the primitive mentality and the real foundation of participation mystique, which is nothing but a relic of the original non-differentiation of subject and object, and hence of the primordial unconscious state. It is also a characteristic of the mental state of early infancy, and, finally, of the unconscious of the civilized adult.[Ibid., par. 741.]

Coast To Coast.

These tags are in a bathroom at work.
These tags are also all over in Pittsburgh (though as I haven't seen them in awhile, they could be different styles/artists).
Right path?

Study: Light: Color

Hot Air Balloons.

Remember the time we went to the gun bash and drank Budweiser out of beer-cooler-trailers and how Danielle won a camouflaged semi-automatic rifle and we got heckled by the locals for looking like "G-20 protesters" and "Latinos" and we saw a hot air balloon and more camo than you could shake a stick at and we ran around when it was over drinking out of half empty glasses and Danielle and Claire almost got us busted for trying to knock over the port-a-potty with the guy in it who hit on Danielle, degraded her, and who she threw her beer on and then we drove around recklessly, pissing in chain restaurants parking lots and when we got home we all marveled at how incredibly strange and magical the whole day was and then promptly all passed out, some of us naked, on the couch?

I do.