There's a nice big article on the Marlboro Festival in the New Yorker this week by Alex Ross, who I've become a big fan of. I'll be up at the festival via bicycle in about 2 weeks. Yeeees!
I may have passed my deadline for a nice Yanni post for Quiet Color but I'll muster up something for this blog in the near future. Bigfoot shoot will be up later as well, I just think I need to get the rest of the images from the series finished before a proper post can be made. I've acquired a new studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn that I'm pretty enthusiastic about. Shoots will be happening. And items will be made for purchase.
Times Square is a wonderland of imagery and cheap tourist entertainment. This is something that I often forget when looking at my digital camera sitting in the corner of my room. After the Yanni concert at Radio City Music Hall (an in depth posting accompanied by photographs is coming very soon) I aimlessly wandered the streets and found myself in the center of this ridiculous phenomenon of Manhattan. Lots of pictures were taken...this might have to be a two-parter.
Saw a very charming Icelandic singer last week. The show was incredibly pleasant in all ways. A review/interview by Duffy and photos by me can be seen here. I highly recommend listening to the sound clip.
My friends and I are in the apartment when there's a knock at the door. It's Barack Obama. He explains that he's trying to get more in touch with the people by stopping by houses at random and hanging out with whomever's inside. We all try to act nonchalant about this to make him feel more comfortable. Obama goes into the kitchen and decides to show us a recipe he has for a tasty treat. He puts frosted wafer cookies in a pot over a heated stove and starts mixing them around. He tells us, "We need sprinkles." I frantically rummage through the cabinets and offer to go out and buy them from a nearby store but he says that isn't necessary even though he continues to stress the importance of the sprinkles. I do find some old sprinkle canisters on the top shelf but they rot and turn gray when I pour them into my hand to check for freshness. Obama then tries to tell us something but his speech slows and slurs, I think he's having a stroke. Ends up he's just sleepy and goes to my room for bed. It's only 7:45pm but we all decide that it must be very tiring being President.
A nice Chris Duffy illustration can be seen attached to the Dark Was The Night concert review for Quiet Color featuring Feist, Sharon Jones, and the great Mr. David Byrne.
Yanni concert = success. Pictures and review to be compiled in the next couple of days.
Photographed a burlesque show on Saturday with my sister and got a few rolls backstage. Never thought I'd shoot any more of that action again, but the show was pretty fantastic. Really good live music which I don't always associate with burlesque performances. More medium format to be uploaded as it's scanned.
And this isn't an X-Rated posting, those breasts are covered. That woman is also incredibly pregnant.
I'm getting a little itchy feeling for my second stint at the Marlboro festival. Ahhhhh. Three more months to go. These pictures are a repeat, posted in a Facebook album a long time ago - but room organization has been accomplished so scanning will resume. In the process I found some rolls from the festival that were never developed. And there's a lot of medium format that needs to be scanned.
Due for an update. Forgot to post a link to the show I shot for Quiet Color which can be seen here. I put any additional shots up on flickr.
My Big Foot image was shot yesterday. I temporarily destroyed my living room and soiled my hands with dirt and moss in the process. Then I relaxed to The Sound of Music on the TV which was quite nice and very much needed. This was all after a large batch of chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries was prepared and consumed. My room is due for a deep session of organization before I go through the images and post something on here. That'll take place in a day or two. I think that will also lead to the scanning of many recent but neglected negatives.
Just got back from the premiere of Ashes of American Flags, the new Wilco concert/documentary film. They make me really, really happy. I found it difficult to not jiggle around in my seat.
Took my new bike out for a spin on Saturday afternoon and discovered things around the corner from my neighborhood that I didn't even know were there. I love bike rides.
An illustration of a screeching Jeff Tweedy and Wilco post by the famous C.M. Duffy can be found at Quiet Color today. In other news, there's a Yanni concert coming up soon and I'm going to try my hardest to acquire some press credentials. Fingers crossed.
I took some press shots of circus performers last week. I actually had very little to do with the setup but a light kit is about to be in my possession and I may have to snatch a contortionist or two to photograph on my own terms.
I've started making things with my hands again, which feels fantastic. If anyone wants to buy a flask, or a clock, or some sort of customized piece of functional art, you just let me know. The above were results glue, paint, gloss, a few ridiculous she-male ads in the back of the Village Voice, and some pretty amazing comics found at an upstate NY antique store.
If you're going to buy a piece of art during a recession, at least choose a piece of art you can put liquor in.
Been slightly occupied for the past couple of weeks. I did see Antony & The Johnsons this weekend and have some pictures and my sister's review at quietcolor.com
....had a few lighting/technical difficulties at the show...but I do have a new camera now that is digital and will involve quick turnaround and a larger output of work from Brittany Bartley.
One of my favorite nights at the Marlboro Music Festival involved the "international dinner" in which everyone was required to create a delicious meal based off of their home and background. Every possible food and dessert was served and eaten. Afterwards leftover bottles of wine were consumed and everyone spilled out onto the lawn and picnic tables socializing and debating whether to go to the nearby lake for a swim. It was a good night to sum up the summer.
Berlin had some pretty attractive graffiti. This neighborhood also reminded me of my contribution to Brooklyn gentrification...However, I don't see what else we're suppose to do with art degrees and no trust funds to go diggin' in.
I noticed many interesting window displays while in Berlin, including an ET shrine behind the window of someone's home as well as a festive fall display intended to sell undergarments.
Early one morning as I was browsing Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, as I used to do quite often, I discovered the dumpster in which flowers from the graves are disposed of. This makes sense, although it is also slightly unsettling.