I'm reading a book about songwriter Warren Zevon. At a challenging point in his life, he joked "My career has all the promise of a Civil War leg wound." I loved that phrase with all of it's honesty and irony. With photography, as everyone knows, there are times when really no one wants to hear about you...no matter what you do, you are invisible. And there are other times when you are a magnet. The key to survival is not to invest too much brain space / heart space in the highs or in the lows.
Here I am in a stylized black and white room, the penthouse bar of a SF ad agency. The namesake of the company comes up to me, he is wearing a lucha libre mask. He greets me as if he knows me, explaining to me that he owns a copy of my first book, his voice semi muffled by the mask. I'm stunned and excited. The book he is referencing sold terribly...I thought it was long forgotten. I'm embarrased and flattered by this mix of art and commerce. It leaves me feeling very good.
Someone catches my attention and asks me what I'm working on. I immediately cringe. I'm working on nothing really...I hate when people ask me that...I'm always so dead, but catch myself and realize the truth, for this moment, and speak it. The words surprise me as they come out of my mouth : Oh...in LA to photograph Frank Gehry on Monday, then grabbing my son and flying to Atlanta for our opening and lecture for the book we did together. The project is also in National Geographic...I just picked it up at the supermarket, want to see it...?
I'm shocked at how together this all sounds...as if I actually have a plan. But everyone will have a moment...even for 30 seconds...where they seem to have become everything they always felt they were meant to become. I had that moment there...I think it lasted 20 seconds really. I sounded like a player! Art and commerce, the elusive mix we all hunger for...it's all working there for a moment!
And I do appreciate it, and am so thankful for it, cuz those seconds tick away. But there, above, is a copy of this month's National Geographic, laying on the supermarket parkinglot.
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This week at Emory University in Atlanta:
A Conversation with Timothy Archibald
Thursday, October 27th at 6:00pm / Center for Ethics Commons, Room 102
Moderated by Dr. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, with introductory remarks by Dr. Paul Root Wolpe, Director of Center for Ethics and Dr. Ami Klin, Director of Marcus Autism Center.
Timothy Archibald / ECHOLILIA
Friday, October 28th at 7:00pm / Emory University School of Medicine, Room 110
Exhibit Opening, Artist Talk, and Reception
Read more about the event HERE.
7 comments:
Great post! I am glad you had that moment. I don't know if I ever will...
Thank you Gerry! I think the idea is that we all have these moments...they are fleeting, but you gotta embrace them when they appear...even if it is like...a mirage, you know?
Perfectly put, Tim.
Tim: Thank you for that!
And congratulations on all the attention ECHOLILIA has received. Well deserved!
I just opened my NG magazine and saw your pictures and brief story. Congrats on all that. You describe that feeling of having it all together very well. I wish I could remember that feeling at times of feeling so defeated. I like your advice on survival.
Hi Bill-
Oh...I don't practice those things I preach. I wish I could...but of course I get as despondent as anyone during the lows and as manic as everyone during the good times. But it would be "ideal" if one could not invest too much in either....
thanks for posting my friend
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