The Wedding
Posted on August 25, 2010
I have recently come across an archive of images taken at what appear to be a wedding my father attended, sometime recently after he entered the United States. I have a feeling the year is 1982, possibly ‘83. I have looked over the images many times, deciding how to decode them. I have at least at this point broken the images down into four real types.
Dad Alone:
People standing and sitting at tables (sort of the same look/feel here):
People dancing:
The archive totals about 25 images, roughly one roll of 35mm film. The only real thing documented is the reception, there is no images of the ceremony at all.
The photographer is unknown.
It is proof that photographs of a community or of a certain group of people will always exist, regardless of in what quantity. This point makes me want to work that much harder to tell a much more full story of the community I have come into contact with. I think the ability to only glean a few details from these images is interesting, in that fact that it leaves much to the imagination. That however might just be grounds for a stereotypical review of the group of pictures, and inevitably the people as a whole.
I really think at some points that becomes the problem. I’m left here with an archive, and in some ways I get to subjectively work with it. Its either that I try to find out what ‘really’ happened, or I build the story for myself and make something worth showing out of it.
I think on a side note, these pictures talk about a certain time when my father was much more involved in the Ethiopian community around him, and with people in general. It is that point of the change that I am interested in the most. These images talk about a certain time period, and now I want to talk about the contemporary period with my own work. But what happened during all that time in between?
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Postcards?
Posted on July 7, 2010
These images are found photographs from a collection of Ethiopian artifacts I helped to organize earlier this year. I found it quite strange as to what exactly they portrayed. It can be read in one of two ways, the common things associated with Ethiopia. However it could also be that these are just a set of pictures, arbitrarily taken by a photographer interested in investigating the country. We have coffee fields, flower exportation, metal roof production, a bank, and the Sheraton Hotel in Addis. If the photographer was honestly interested in the country, where did he get the idea to photograph these things? Was he referred to see certain sights and landmarks within the country?
If so does not this just further the idea of exploring a place, yet actually finding nothing unique about it at all? What exactly is diverse and special about the place that isn’t being shown? It really reminds me of going to visit say, New York, and sending someone a postcard of the Empire State building. What is there unique in that? I’m attempting to flush out any possible perceived intentions held by the photographer and what the reading of the images does today.
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So here’s what actually happened:
Posted on June 13, 2010
So plans changed a little bit. Hit up Philly first, for the Justin James Reed opening, then straight to D.C. for One Hour Photo, which proved a pretty great time, and met some pretty great people. (thanks to Tyrone especially). Slept in a shed for a few days, and visited the oldest town in the country. After that made another night-ride and stayed in Brooklyn with the wondrous Kaelyn, much banter followed. Spent the next day encapsulated within the institution of MOMA, first at PS1, then the actual museum, saw the great Nauman piece, the woman photographers show, and the Bresson exhibit (near overload that day).
Next day headed then for lobster in Portland, which also proved awesome and exhausting. Rode back that night to visit Terttu at Yale (“demystified”), ate some great breakfast, and enjoyed a ‘Sea Hag’. Headed back to NY that night to stay with Ashley (via beets) and hit up even more gallerys the next day: Sam Falls, a few spaces in DUMBO, and then Chelsea had some openings that night as well, Will Steacy being one of them.
I’ll post some pictures once I get some film back. There is also a video in the works, it just needs to be edited.
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Sup East Coast?
Posted on June 3, 2010
Takin’ a trip with a few friends, first of the summer, should be a good one. Got a bunch of stuff to do. A stop in DC for the 1 hour photo show (Matts got a picture in). Then on to Philly, there’s a good sculpture show at the art museum there. Then NY for chillin and more art shows. Finally to Maine to eat some lobster.
Will report back with findings soon.
Here’s a link to one hour photo.
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Chicago Project
Posted on May 17, 2010
I’m pleased to announce my work has been added to the Chicago Project at the Catherine Edelman Gallery.
Catherine Edelman Gallery is proud to present The Chicago Project, an online gallery devoted to new and established photographers in the Chicago area who we feel deserve recognition. We hope this site will expose local talent to a wider audience and we plan on adding photographers as we find them.
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Bill Eggleston
Posted on May 17, 2010
The AIC recently mounted a show of William Eggleston’s work from the early years to prints made within about 5 or 10 years ago or so. The new ones being Lightjets none the less. Really great show that exhibits the range he took on as an artist. They’re even screening Stranded in Canton as well.. pretty great film.
While the show was up he came and signed some autographs, I got meta on it and had him sign a piece of c-print paper.
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Two shows, one now, one soon
Posted on April 12, 2010
I am proud to announce my inclusion in two shows one of which is currently on view at Center Gallery in Wichita, Kansas, called Developed Work. It was a juried show, which began on March 26th and runs till April 23rd. The upcoming show will be Columbia College’s annual event, Manifest, which opens on May 1st at 1006 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL. I will post more details closer to the date.
It will be something a little different than the work I have been doing recently. Here’s a sneak peek image that I will be using in the show.
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Beauty of Motion Control
Posted on April 11, 2010
These are images captured from a motion controlled boom camera. I came across them from a recent shoot on which I help assist. While the stylist was prepping the the lighting guys were adjusting, the camera often stopped in these random points on the set, not really pointed at anything, least not the object of desire (a sandwich). I think for all it’s worth, the time spent looking at these frames, and the time looking at the food nearly equal each other. The clients didn’t pay to see these weird looking objects. Never the less these images now exist, and not according to anyone’s specifications, just happenstance dictated by where the camera ended up.
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Updated Work / Updated blog.. almost
Posted on March 28, 2010
So I’ve update my website with new work in the Diaspora section, and also a statement for some further insight into the work. The title, in my mind, is still rather tentative and a work in progress. Please leave any comments or crits about the site!
On the blog front, I’ve switched to wordpress to further integrate it into my website. Or so I thought. At the moment I’m using a standard theme, but stay tuned and I should have a more customized version.
More posts to follow!
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