Gregory Crewdson
September 1, 2010
I'm eager to see the rest of the work in Crewdson's new 'Sanctuary' project. It's been a pleasure to follow the 'Field Notes' videos released by Gagosian, but too bad that they remove the previous video every time they post a new one. Trying to retain a cloak of mystery I suppose. It's working!
Niagara Falls
September 1, 2010
Ben and I stopped by Niagara Falls on our way to my aunt's farm in upstate New York. I never tire of looking at all that liquid mass making its rapid decent towards sea level. What a site! What a sound! Judging by the mid-century modernism of the 'Emergency Crisis Hotline Phone-Pod', it is evident that while humanity was all wrapped up in the space race, with dreams of the future and the promise of touring outer space in the fashion of the Jetsons, it was still necessary to install an emergency phone booth at the edge of the mighty falls -- just in case a daredevil uncle or ambitious toddler took a step too far. The excited edge of the Niagara River (only a few yards from the 175 foot drop) is just over the shoulder of the vantage point of this image. I am interested in humanity's inherent fearfulness of nature. No doubt, a certain measure of respect for the power of natural forces is healthy, but how much is it too much, or too little? Decontextualizing our safety mechanisms (hotlines, warning signs, life-saving rings, etc.) by making photographs that isolate them apart from the risky environment they aim to save us from, may provide insight into the 'appropriate' amount of fear and risk assessment we prescribe to certain natural formations. I think too many people are unnecessarily afraid of bees and spiders, or imagine an excessive risk in venturing off the beaten paths into wilderness. At the same time, a fence around Old Faithful, and guard rails on Bolivia's 'Road of Death' are helpful and reasonable safety precautions that likely prevent horrific accidents every day. What do we lose and what do we gain by employing these sorts of safety nets? Where can we look in history to find contrasting views of nature, and the need to safeguard ourselves from it? Thankfully, in the environment of graduate school, these are questions I can spend time looking for answers. Let the fun begin! (PS - sorry about the lack of paragraphs. I'm working on it.)
Clare Richardson
September 1, 2010
Where in the world has Clare Richardson disappeared to? Her work is so good, particularly the 'Beyond The Forest series'. My plans may change, but at the moment, I intend to work on a similar project that explores the relationship between humans and land in the rural areas of Michigan. Can't wait to get started. I just have a few loose freelance projects that I need to complete and then I can get going.
Paul D'Amato
August 31, 2010
Paul D'Amato is awesome. He's fun to be around, and I suspect that I will learn very much from him over the course of the next three years. I like his work more and more every time I return to it.
Mark Steinmetz
August 28, 2010
Today I found out that Paul D'Amato is good friends with Mark Steinmetz. OMG.
Joel Sternfeld
August 27, 2010
Joel Sternfeld is one of my very favorite photographers. I hope that it is possible for him to visit Columbia sometime in the next three years. This is the new blog... Hope you like it!