Status Update

Jander Yat- Photo: Robert Gumpert

Pete Brook recently informed me of his co-curated group exhibit: Status Update. Hadn't seen anything worthwhile up close and personal in months, and happily, this didn't disappoint- not one weak link in the entire show. Robert Gumpert's prison portraits (go to Take A Picture, Tell A Story for some seriously devastating, one-two combinations of portraits/oral histories), and Elizabeth Lo's tightly edited, well executed video were my two personal faves. I can't ever say enough about the simplicity and power of Gumpert's portraiture, and Lo's short video, Hotel 22, just took me by surprise with it's oh so revealing tale of a mobile 'homeless shelter' shuttling about one of the most prosperous strips of American realty. This is one show that seriously needs to be seen, heard and discussed in much larger public venues, throughout the country...

Hotel 22 from The New York Times - Video on Vimeo.

The Photo Essay Waiting To Be Done...

Had I the $, I'd jump in the car (I don't have) and hit the road for a few years to photograph these places, one sick name at a time... I hope someone with the resources and necessary sensitivity does just that!

Meanwhile, to see what could be possible from such an undertaking - Eva Leitlolf's work is somewhat of a similar vein (and sets one very high standard).

"We Need To See Them...

Because we created them."

Army Spc. Jerral Hancock sits for a portrait with his son Julius. It is believed that Hancock was trapped under the wreckage of his Army tank in Iraq for half an hour before he was rescued.

Courtesy of David Jay/Unknown Soldier

And for what? We're all made to feel guilty for not "supporting our boys" once the shit hits the fan- but we're never, ever asked to question why we put them in harm's way to begin with.

There are now countless people in and around Iraq who hate us; perhaps because they had nothing to do with 9/11, and yet had to suffer the revenge and full onslaught of the world's foremost military might. An yet the thousands we killed and maimed there for no good (or sane) reason will never get even this most perfunctory of acknowledgements.


Addendum:  David Guttenfelder also has an amazing essay on the plight of vets w/PTSD who are taking their own lives at home- an alarming 22 suicides each and every day! (via: PetaPixel)

Salt Of The Earth: Epilogue

Finally, saw Salt Of The Earth. And what can I say... a better than expected film about a great photographer who has seen, experienced and documented many incredible, as well as horrendous things that life has created, and man has wrought. And as alluded to before, with all that said and done, with all the good he has (obviously) done in his life- why oh why, would he then so casually ally himself with an entity whose very existence threatens and belies everything he's ever stood for? 

US Marshalls- Art And Testosterone

Photo: Brian Finke

No doubt that Brian Finke can take one helluva photo. This guy's got chops, period. He can take high adrenaline action shots and formalize them into "fine art" color photography that can compete with the best of 'em. Not only does he make masterful use of the color palette, he also artfully composes his shots so that the action (or lack of it), staged or real, grabs your attention and holds it. And his use of lighting is just the right balance to complement and define the shot without sanitizing or commercializing it. It's interesting to examine just how this guy sees and work, and how he brings that complexity of vision to this particular "action genre."



Photo: Brian Finke

Do ya sense a but here? That's because I could not help but feel a tad queasy while viewing U.S. Marshalls. They no doubt do some really great work, dangerous work, necessary work that has to be done. But I'm also leery of all the gun ho, militarization of today's various police forces, and their glamorization. While millions upon millions are being poured into this nation's law enforcement agencies, many, if not most prisons today get little to no dollars for: rehabilitation, drug rehab, job training or education programs. Why, oh why, should prisons get funding for such programs? Because the vast majority of those prisoners will be coming out unto our streets once again at some point. Banned by law from public housing and effectively banned from most jobs when they are made to confess their personal history on job applications- wouldn't we all feel considerably safer if they had something constructive to do with their time? And maybe, just maybe, that is in large part why prisons nationwide hover around a 70% recidivism rate- what other business is allowed to operate with such a ridiculously high failure rate?



Photo: Brian Finke

If anything, this book reads as much recruitment poster, as it does art. Perhaps that's not entirely fair to throw in when judging a monograph solely on artistic merit, but eminently fair when considering and judging as a work of art.

Mr. Finke was allowed access to the world of US Marshalls through a childhood friend, now agent. During that time, effectively as an embed, they talked of mutual childhood acquaintances that were currently incarcerated. Perhaps one day Mr. Finke will also allow us a view into the federal prison system. And at that point, I may even accuse him of painting too alluring a picture of prison life...

PS- In the interest of full disclosure, Powerhouse Books contacted me to write about this book- no money, books, or other miscellaneous swag were exchanged in the process.

Oliver Hartung

Photo: Oliver Hartung

Despite the rigid stereotype, I'm happy to report that all things are indeed, possible- not only do Germans with a sense of humor exist, some even incorporate a few laughs into their photography, thank you very much.

And speaking of stereotypes, seems Mr. Hartung's roadside Americana type curiosities are not solely limited to America, or even the Christian persuasion for that matter, as clearly evidenced in his travails throughout The Middle East.  My admiration of his work did fall into momentary jealousy when I discovered we had traversed some similar paths in the American Southwest and he had managed to come upon a few gems that had totally eluded my travels- not surprising since things are kinda "stretched out" over there,* though still subject to change more than one would think (one of the reasons I continue to love returning there). Petty "jealousies" aside, it's a joy to look at his work- been a while since I've felt the urge to get a photo book.

*Being a city boy, I'm used to experiencing change within a few city blocks. In desert environs, those same changes are measured in... hundreds of miles.



Photo: Oliver Hartung

 

Laetrile- Pure Quackery (Right?)

That's certainly what we've been told since the... seventies- when I last heard the word. But what if, what if... there really is something to it (and it's just too cheap to make an outrageous profit from)?

UPDATE: Interesting rebuttal...  (via Minnesotastan @ TYWKIWDBI)

The absolute vitriol in the rebuttal above could alone kill the most virulent of cancer cells! 

I'm not the biggest fan of Big Pharma for sure, but I don't have a particular dog in this fight. Laetrile could be complete quackery, or there could be something there. And it's also very interesting, that the major study this rebuttal quotes (the only one done on humans), was on advanced stage cancer patients- exactly what even Laetrile proponents say it is ineffective against (save for those south of the border anxious to make an American $).

I'm always particularly amused when the scientific establishment (ie- government) attempts to put down, ridicule and disavow anything "alternative" not by producing conclusive scientific evidence (the very hallmark of their existence), but by in turn putting out their own focused, emotional and anecdotal appeals and conjecture based solely on their reputation and beliefs (eg- nothing like dismissing UFO's with... swamp gas).

Going 180 in a 360 Circle...

This truly embraces so many of the complex and seemingly irrational conundrums that life constantly throws our way. It outrages, confuses, offers hope and betrays. Really, you want more?

Finding Vivian Maier

I indeed feel fortunate in having had the opportunity to view Finding Vivian Maier online this weekend, just for previously supporting Mr. Maloof's effort with such a modest contribution. I guess like many others, I thought I pretty much had a handle on the whole myth and magic of this enigmatic figure, when in truth I didn't realize, or even imagine, the task it would be to balance the many facets and dueling natures of this complex human being and gifted artist that Mr. Maloof would eventually come to uncover- along with the mountains of undeveloped film and negatives that he would unearth and sort through. And even upon her death, as he takes on the full time job of promoting and celebrating her legacy, she is still as much shunned by certain factions of the photographic hierarchy, as she was by society in general during her rather eccentric and secretive life.

Unlike The Vivian Maier Mystery by the BBC which sought in large part to bare her photographic pedigree, this project concentrates on the person, as it seeks to lay clear that this was not just some care free, devil may care Mary Poppins. And it makes for a far more interesting portrait. Vivian had some serious problems, issues she could neither fathom nor resolve. But she sure could take a picture, a fact that she did not actively promote by any measure- but that she was definitely not unaware of! And this film is a fitting tribute to an artist who was very much attuned to the humor, suffering and subtle nuances that life bequeaths upon us all. Of course, no one can say if she created her remarkable legacy because of or despite her considerable psychic trauma- but her legacy attests to the extent to which she could triumph above it.

Finally, there are those who would criticize Mr. Maloof for making a buck from the life's work of an anonymous artist who suffered an isolated and ultimately impoverished death. Without any self aggrandizement, Mr. Maloof does allude to the still ongoing amount of work that he has willingly and enthusiastically undertaken to preserve and disseminate her work in the most dignified manner possible. His may have been a chance encounter, a sheer collision of coincidence, but we can all be grateful that someone (without any previous photographic experience) had the wherewithal to successfully navigate the corridors of the art world to complement and complete the earthly mission of the lady with the floppy hat...

Confrontier- Kai Wiedenhofer

Photo: Kai Wiedenhofer

Just what I needed, another must have book. And Confrontier by Kai Wiedenhofer is just that! A beautifully edited and produced work on the monumental physical barriers throughout the world meant to separate various peoples. No angry diatribes here on the evil these walls support and project, but neither are there any Koudelkian metaphysical reflections commenting solely on their effect on the... landscape. Interesting to note both the similarities and differences between how the two look, and feel.

Like the Berlin Wall of yore, I now realize that these formidable structures are more obstacles than impenetrable barriers, and that eventually, each and every one comes written with its own due date. Large scale documentary projects such as this remind us all of the inherent power of photography, the power to preserve the fleeting present for posterity- and should also serve to remind that photography itself is not immune to the ravages of time...

 More on Confrontier here, and here...

Donna Decesare

Photo: Donna Decesare

Documentary photographer Donna Decesare will be at North Gate Hall Library, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism on Thursday Oct. 10, 7PM.

This is what the work of a dedicated photographer committed to the subjects and subject matter she is documenting looks like. It is not taken incognito at arm's length, with an extended prosthesis, behind an ever moving and concealed window. And as Ms. Decesare herself states- she goes up close, in your face and personal, not to shock and have you look away, but to grab your attention and engage you. View (and listen to) her work, as she gives voice to the voiceless and let's us into their lives- and them into ours.

Photo: Donna Decesare

What's Your Pleasure?

Pick your poison- be it still or moving, digital or film. Long Live Film above is yet to debut, Side By Side below available via Netflix...

The House I Live In

I was reading this (the comments that is- full of the bigotry and hatred of "post racial America") just before I watched the documentary above (one of the best I've ever seen), synchronicity I suppose... Is living in Detroit dangerous? I've never been, but I'd be a fool to think that it in many ways it isn't. And as I've always stated here- yes, people have to take responsibility for their own actions, just as society at large has to take responsibility for the environment it creates. It's easy to point at, ridicule, blame and demean. The symptoms of a disease are visible to everyone, and any fool can come up with their own bogus cause rooted in whatever easy prejudice they believe, that other fools in turn will quickly latch on to. Such were the Dark Ages, whose reasoning extends to this very day. It's a lot harder to go beyond the surface, behind the smoke and mirrors, to methodically pursue and dissect the root causes wherever they lie, right down to the point of origin- that often hit a lot closer to home than people are willing to admit. No one here is free of sin.

The Act Of Killing

There’s many ghosts here, because many people were killed here … They died unnatural deaths. They arrived perfectly healthy. When they got here they were beaten up and died … Dragged around ... And dumped ... At first we beat them to death. But there was too much blood. There was so much blood here ... So when we cleaned it up, it smelled awful. To avoid the blood, I used this system. Can I show you ...?

I first heard of this film on Colin Pantall's blog, but I honestly couldn't make heads or tails of it- it just sounded so freakin' bizarre! And you get a good sense of that, and a good deal more, from this interview with its director. This has got to be one of the most fascinating, revealing, and imaginative (and that's just for starters) documentaries of all freakin' time... yes, that man is smiling- while assuming the position in which hundreds (thousands?) of victims were killed, at the same exact place they were killed.

The American Scheme

 

Credit card debt rose by 53% during the '90s for the middle class; for the working poor, it rose by 184%. Not because of a sudden increase in consumer greed, but because of the wholesale elimination of living wage jobs replaced with minimum and P/T employment w/o benefits.    Photo: S. Banos

Unless you make a minimum of 50Gs a year, you're little more than a shit stain in this country. And I oughta know, just like so many of my fellow Americans who live on half that. It means you live paycheck to paycheck, counting every damn penny, buying necessities on credit, with no chance of ever quite catching up- no chance of ever breathing a sigh of blessed relief. Actually, in many ways I am truly lucky, I have some modicum of health benefits- more importantly, I have no dependents to feed and worry about. 

This documentary, which follows the lives of two families over twenty years, exposes what has now become largely myth- that the American worth ethic will determine your success. It is no longer sage advice, simple logic or even common sense- it is now the exception to the rule. Your toil will no longer set you free, your dedication and perseverance simply prolongs your survival. The robust economy of yesteryear was never at the mercy of welfare queens driving pink Cadillacs as Reagan would have had us believe, just as it is not the victim of illegal immigrants today. Plentiful, decent paying jobs have been purposely dissipated overseas, along with our dreams, our benefits, and the billions of tax dollars that banks, corporations and CEOs once invested in this country. On any given day you can stand and watch the container ships from China parade under the Golden Gate in the beautiful California sunlight loaded with the economic bounty that was once ours. We are no longer meant to share in this country's great bounty, we are simply the means to increase that bounty for those already enriched.

The American Dream now exists solely as just that, an unattainable goal for the masses, a leftover legacy held high above our heads to first delude us, and ultimately, to shame us when we fall short in a system that is now largely rigged.

 When will we ever wake up?

Watch Two American Families on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Fireworks!

Like errant children denying their guilt when caught red handed with fireworks, so go our official investigative agencies when it involves those close to their realm. 

The video below concerning TWA Fl# 800 documents a step by step accounting of how government agencies supposedly under public scrutiny can nevertheless coerce witnesses, subvert investigatory procedures, and suppress and alter facts involving investigations where the evidence is readily available, and explainable. And yet, people continue to insist that the government could never keep a secret as large as UFO's under wraps.

Ask Mr. Snowden about what does, and (and more importantly, these days) doesn't happen when the truth gets out. Then ask why so few dare to risk it all. Does it really take any stretch of the imagination as to what investigative and governmental abuses and aberrations can occur concerning true phenomena when not under the microscope of the public eye? Law enforcement that threatens both livelihood (careers, pensions, grants) and well being (convenient "accidents"), together with a media both complacent and complicit (automatic ridicule, condemnation or avoidance): the perfect marriage, the perfect nightmare.

FBI Investigator: "No, you didn't see that."

Dirty Wars...

"The American Taliban- that is what we call the American soldiers with beards." 
--Afghan grandfather who had half his family killed (mistakenly) by American Special Ops

One has to wonder if the dozens, hundreds, thousands of new enemies we create every single time we kill innocent men, women and children all over the world is the real goal all along- a never ceasing supply of potential enemies the world over to feed the perpetual war machine ad infinitum!?!? An endless stream of money for the merchants of death- Gen. Smedley Butler's War Is A Racket on remote control steroids...

Chris Arnade- Beneath The Surface

Charlie- Hunts Point, The Bronx;  Photo: Chris Arnade

The first time I looked at Chris Arnade's work, my photo snobbery dismissed it offhand: photos can't stand on their own two feet, too much like snapshots, not "artistic" enough. And then perusing The NY Times article, I also felt perhaps exploitative to boot- well to do white guy banker/wanker getting off photographing the usual down and out stereotypes of brown and black people... please!

Recently, I came upon his work again, and actually made the time to look into what he does, how he does it, and how long he's been doing it- and one can only be impressed by the commitment and dedication he has expended on his "hobby," a hobby that has become an active conduit into other people's lives and an instrument for understanding a side of life most will happily deny, condemn and ignore all in a second's passing.

Scott Sothern also empathized and commiserated with addicts and prostitutes, but the ol' rascal also went along for the ride (quite literally). Arnade's modus operandi more closely approaches Tony Foushe's, who actually collaborated with one of his subjects in the making of the book Live Through This. To be fair, Arnade's work must be seen in its more comprehensive story telling and humanist context, where the subject's background, life story and plight take center stage. And that is Arnade's saving grace, a body of work that cannot be denied when seen and appreciated in context, photographically and otherwise.

We Destroy Around Us Everything...

Yes, we can do this, it can still be done; we can save what remains of our home (planet) even this late in the game. But we won't- at least, not in time. We rather destroy whatever's left for the next iPhone, the next mega plasma HDTV screen, the next bright and mesmerizingly shiny new object that will occupy the next five minutes of our attention span. Plant a tree??? There's a sale on high capacity magazines! Lohan, Kardashians, I'm a Belieber...

350+

This is some scary shit, and it affects each and everyone of us- there's no hiding, no running away, no ignoring. And it will bite us all- BIGTIME!

"Carbon in the atmosphere greater than 350PPM is not compatible with life on earth. Today we are at 395..." Now watch it in earnest---