Thursday, September 10, 2009

PKD, TMAM, And A Visit.

So...what is going on?
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I've been wrapped up going over the tapes from this story I shot last week...the subject was heavily influenced by writer Philip K. Dick. To understand the subject and his work I felt I had to research PKD. That's been occupying me, trying to make sense of it and see where it all fits in. Get familiar with PKD HERE.
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Then, I'm into a blog called The Ingoing by Traci Matlock and Ashley MacLean. Sometimes its photographs, but at its best it personal thoughts and ideas, like a book of inspirations the authors carry around with them. Try it...see if you like it HERE.
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The other day a friend came over to eat lunch and look at my Echolilia project. When he left I was kind of bummed...he didn't really say anything tangible. I have nothing to leave the table with, I thought. It was fun to hang out, but it was a waste as far as Echolilia went.

I was getting ready for a trip the next day and was distracted. Over the next few days the meat and potatoes of the visit came thru. I realized what it was all about:

Photography just describes things. It doesn't do a good job addressing issues. It just shows things. Sometimes, when its done well, the showing of things ends up addressing issues as well. In Alec Soth's Niagara, the images he made of people, note, hotels, hotel rooms, they all describe the place of Niagara Falls, N.Y., but in the end the carry the punch of commenting on and addressing the frustrations of Love. Lots of photographers have tried to describe the place, this place of Niagara Falls, N.Y. but Soth was the first one to take all the parts, add them up, and come up with something that actually described an intangible.

If you want these images of your son and the scans to add up to something greater, something that transcends, you need to figure out what you are trying to make them transcend to. What is the bigger thing you are trying to address?

3 comments:

Stella said...

It was a light bulb moment for me after reading the last two paragraphs. Thanks for sharing!

Niagara Attractions said...

That's pretty cool! We took some friends for tour of Niagara Falls this past weekend from Ireland and they loved it.

Thanks for promoting my awesome city! I added your link on our twitter page so more people can find your blog: http://twitter.com/OnlineNiagara

~ cheers

Anonymous said...

I look forward to visiting this city of Echolilia you speak of.