I'll Take Care Of You

Started working on a new project, tentatively called I'll Take Care Of You. This came out a little softer than I would have liked, but I think it's a nice beginning. I really like the tension in the way Ryan's hand is placed on top of mine; how strange and awkward it feels to suddenly be aware that you are touching another person, not really being sure of what that means about your relationship. I'm really excited to see how the rest of the images come out as I work on them over the holiday. It's a little nerve wracking to throw myself back into self-portraits, as I haven't really photographed myself since graduating from college in 2005, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Like I said, just a beginning, but definitely more to come in the near future.

Alec Soth's Glass Jars Video

Glass Jars from LBM A/V Dept. on Vimeo.

Found via Little Brown Mushroom Blog.

Larry Sultan

Larry Sultan died yesterday of cancer at the age of 63. I paid monumental late fees at the Purchase College Library because I had kept out "Pictures From Home" for an entire semester because I just couldn't stop looking at it. I carried that book around with me everywhere I went for most of the fall of 2003. It was, and still is, one of the most influential books and bodies of work I've ever come across in my life. I am currently in the process of applying to the California College of the Arts, mainly because I wanted to study with him.

A really great description of his father's reactions to his photographs of him that ran in his obituary in the times this morning:
"Mr. Sultan’s father, Irving, speaking of a picture of himself in a suit sitting on the edge of a bed with a vacant stare on his face, related how his son had instructed him not to smile and had created a portrait that the elder Mr. Sultan felt was much more about the photographer than the photographed.

“ ‘Any time you show that picture,’ ” Mr. Sultan said his father told him, “‘you tell people that that’s not me sitting on the bed looking all dressed up and nowhere to go, depressed. That’s you sitting on the bed, and I am happy to help you with the project, but let’s get things straight here.’ ” His parents died not long after the work was completed."

Rest in peace, Larry.

Jason Lazarus

Just got Jason Lazarus' Otis Redding Motivational Poster in the mail last night when I got home from the Metropolitan with my friend Pacifico. It is now above my workspace in my studio, alongside my crappy scanner and from-the-dawn-of-time iBook. I am glad to be giving it a good home! And only a few hours before I submitted my Columbia College Chicago application!

Hannah Whitaker NY Mag Shoot

Totally awesome spread on NYmag.com by Hannah Whitaker about objects made obsolete in the '00's.

Google Alerts December 7, 2009.

Dream

I dreamt last night that i was photographing a gallery opening at some big, nameless art gallery in a high rise overlooking central park for PMC, because all of our real photographers were in Hawaii on vacation. They gave me a little plastic rectangular camera, the kind kodak used to make when I was a kid that used the tiny 8mm film, and told me to use the on camera flash if there wasn't enough light. I got to the gallery and suddenly everyone was praising me for the pictures I was taking, even though they hadn't seen them and I was totally inadequate. Afterwords, I went to develop the film and there was nothing inside the camera: it was just a black plastic box.

Man.

Why have I never looked at William Gendey before?!

Google Alerts - December 3, 2009

Cady Noland and I

Oh Cady Noland, I love you.

Google Alert - Tuesday, December 1, 2009