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24-7-24

 Classics.

24-7-23

 Monique brought me back a can of foie gras, in a tin, from Europe. She knows me. The highest of class packed in the most basic of vessels. 

24-7-22

 

24-7-21

 

24-7-20

 Self portrait.

24-7-19

 

24-7-18

 

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24-7-15

I can't believe I'm in Paris.

I can't believe I'm in Paris.

I can't believe I'm in Paris.

24-7-14

When you take a photograph of someone else's art, are simply documenting art? Is documentation legitimate in the world of photography? Or is it just picture taking at that point. I met with my friend a couple of days ago. He's a very good photographer. He was asked to take photographs of a memorial wall that was slated for demolition. "I have a photography assignment for you" said Matt's Manager. "I can take a picture, sure," was his response. Photographs vs. Pictures. Is this a picture? 

 So I followed up with this photo. It's more my style. 

24-7-13

I took this photograph wondering what it was about. Light and shadow. Public and private realm. Depth in a flat facade. History. Integrity. I don't know. I could tack on pretty much any descriptor. But I felt drawn to it. And then wondered why. 

The next day I walked by the same place and saw a happy photography couple photographing the same building. Him with a Rolleiflex, her with some large bodied, big lensed DSLR. 120 film is expensive. It must be a good photo for him to spend a frame on this house, standing pretty much exactly where I was standing. She, spending electrons, took several photos from the street. I only took photos of the facade above. So now the question is, did I see brilliance? Or am I part of a herd of sheep with a camera or two pretending to take magical photographs, but they are the same photographs everyone takes so how good can they be? Monkeys and typewriters and cameras....

 So I followed up with this photo. It's more my style. 

24-7-12

 Big Bad John's. 

Gerry hasn't worked there in a while but he did the first time I went. The patron next to me asked to start a tab. He looked at her gruffly and said, "Get off yer purse!" He said this to her not five minutes after he started a tab for me. 

It's a good place to read a book, drink a beer, eat some peanuts, and make an afternoon blissfully disappear. 

24-7-11

 Transitional spaces. 

24-7-10

 I don't know. I felt like it needed both photographs for the dialogue I wanted to inspire. An idea about a view, accidental, and seductive. Is it? Maybe. Maybe not. They are similar. The idea that the viewer is sitting in the dark and secret room. It's a grounded and safe place, but open to the world. Public realm, alluded to by the lamp post. Urban? Maybe. I don't know if the fill light showing some context helps, other than to help the viewer understand the context in the darker image. The darker image is more about a painting hung on a wall. Divisions of space, context to the right suggesting it's part of a larger scene, a lamp post in a thirds position in the distance, context provided by the framing. The viewer is inserted by the black foreground. I like the idea. I might even like the photograph. 

24-7-9

Heatwave. 
 

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24-7-7

Merci. 

So, so good. 

 

24-7-6

 Bike rides through the city at twilight is food for the soul. 

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24-6-28

 I need to go back at night and see if the "*A* BOXING" sign still lights up at night.

One bike was gone by the morning. The other was still there a day later. 

24-6-27

 The Balmoral Hotel. I walked through this building to discuss saving it as an ongoing social housing project. It was too far gone. They are taking it down brick by brick as the old bricks apparently have value. The buildings next to it mysteriously burnt down. How convenient that is for a developer who may want 3 adjacent lots to avoid the long, narrow buildings that traditionally exist in the Downtown East Side.