Blog Archives
Silly String, in the wind
Here’s a recipe:
1. Take one teenager.
2. Add a can of Silly String.
3. Mix in a little wind (or, if you are here in Lubbock, just use the ambient wind).
4. Using a slightly slower shutter speed, take a photo.
Result: nice waves of Silly String, that never hit their intended target.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.21.2021
Slice
I happened upon this metal-building cemetery chapel at just the right time of day.* The sun was slicing across the windows on the south side, reaching toward the ones on the east. For a metal building, it wasn’t all that bad.
Idalou, Texas
photographed 1.17.2021
* I could tell you that I carefully plotted my visit to get the sun angle. But you know I’d be lying, so why even take the effort, when I can just be upfront about it all. As my friend Andy always says, “…and it has the added benefit of being the truth.”
Metal Building/Chapel
Don’t worry: I know this is in color. It had to be, even though is is a bit of a departure from my usual b+w work.
I’m trying to push myself artistically this year, in various ways. And one of those ways is to spend a little more time on color images. We’ll see how that goes, won’t we?
Idalou, Texas
photographed 1.17.2021
Death and the open door
It seemed like maybe someone accidentally left the door open, giving Death a chance to just waltz right in.
But then again, has a closed door ever really stopped Death?
Idalou, Texas
photographed 1.17.2021
Read Reader (snow)
Terry Allen – really, you should know about him. The thing is, though, it is almost impossible to know where to start. His Wikipedia page says he’s an “American Texas country and outlaw country singer-songwriter, painter and conceptual artist.” And that’s true. But barely touches the surface of what he’s done. He’s recorded several albums, including the incredible Lubbock (on everything). His songs have been recorded by everyone from Guy Clark to David Byrne.
And, so then, in his spare time, he’s also a talented visual artist and sculptor. His work can be seen in places as diverse as the New York Museum of Modern Art, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. You know, just to name a few.
Additionally, he and his wife, the artist and playwright Jo Harvey Allen, have recently established the Terry and Jo Harvey Allen Center for Creative Studies at Texas Tech, and have donated their personal papers to the university.
Want to know more? Here’s a song, Gimme a Ride to Heaven, that I’d recommend. Or, maybe you’re in the mood for a short film? (The film is produced by Lubbock’s own Paul Allen Hunton, if you were wondering.)
This piece, “Read Reader,” is made entirely out of cast books. And on a snowy morning, the figure seems to be striding with much determination toward the university library.
“Read Reader”
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.10.2021
