Blog Archives
Art Planet
Big chunks of downtown Lubbock don’t have anything going on, but the north end is turning into a interesting arts center. It’s anchored by the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts and the Charles Adams Studio Project, and there is nearly always something interesting going on. Last winter I took letterpress classes down here, and the other night – when I made this image – I was taking part in a drink-and-draw event hosted by one of the CASP artists in residence.
I like to think about the “traditional” efforts at downtown revitalization in Lubbock, that haven’t always been successful, and compare them with how much the arts have transformed this area. Maybe there’s a lesson here?
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 2.10.2017
Doing their job, whatever it is
First of all, this was taken on Main Street. MAIN STREET. Downtown. You know, like the heart of the city. It was taken on a Sunday afternoon, but still – it doesn’t look particularly vibrant or anything, does it?
Next, if you don’t mind, spend just a little bit of time looking at the way the afternoon sun reflected off one building and put those bright leopardy spots on the other one. That’s pretty cool.
But now: those two traffic cones, blocking off two not-in-high-demand parking spaces. Kudos to them for sticking with their job. No matter how silly it seems. Way to go, cones!
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 2.5.2017
The prevailing themes
In a certain part of town, most of the buildings have to do with agri-industrial uses. And while they are not lovely in a traditional sense, they do catch the light in a certain way late in the afternoon.
At least I think so.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 2.5.2017
All but one
This place. I have a strange fascination with it.
It used to be a fancy downtown hotel called (I think) the In Town Inn. It’s been mostly vacant since I can remember, but there are a few hints of its former grandeur. Ha! Ha! Of course there’s no such thing. It’s just another empty building. Its most recent reincarnation was a residential treatment center for people with substance abuse issues; that didn’t last, but the name it went by – the Jim Kimmel Center* – is still there.
But look at that wall of rooms. And lamps. Except for that one, lampless room.
Anyway, I really REALLY want to get in there and take a few (thousand) pictures. But I want to do it without breaking in or anything. I’m sort of legal, when it comes right down to it.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 2.5.2017
* I know, right?
Old Silver
A lot of things came together here.
Part One
My collection of mismatched silverware was inspired by the Tom Robbins novel Skinny Legs and All, where one of the characters is a silver spoon. My friend Carlos and I found an exceptionally beautiful – though tarnished – silver soup spoon at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Austin, and my description of our finding and later polishing it ended up in a poem that my friend Laurie Wagner Buyer wrote*. At the time (1998-ish), Laurie was encouraging me to find my voice as a poet. I was trying to ignore her, but when I read how she’d spun a simple story about tarnish, a spoon, and silver polish into a beautiful poem, I decided to give it a go.
Part Two
Two Christmases ago, my patient spouse gave me a LensBaby Sweet 50 lens. I tried it a few times, but wasn’t happy with the results. Too much of the shots were out of focus. Or out of focus in a way I didn’t like. Or something.
Part Three
My photography has evolved a little over the past two years.
Part Four
I’m still off work, rehabbing that new knee I got last month. It’s been more of a struggle than I’d anticipated, both mentally and physically. On Tuesday, my physical therapist told me to go home and get out my camera and do ME.
Part Five
So I did what he said. I saw the LensBaby in the drawer and decided to see what I could do. And I saw that collection of mismatched silverware, inspired by the book, which inspired a poem.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.12.2017
*That poem, also titled “Old Silver,” is in her book Red Colt Canyon. And for those of you keeping score at home, she’s the same poet (now known as Laurie Jameson) whose daily haiku comments inspired me to start my blog The Poetry Photography. I can’t imagine where I’d be without her influence.
One Day | One Image 