Morbid Curiosity

I knew I had these photos somewhere, but didn't realize how hard I would have to comb through ancient hard-drives to find them. It's hard to believe they are nearly 8 years old. There was an accompanying head-shot (I won't include here) that strangely doesn't look much different than I do now. I coincidentally discovered a rough sketch describing a similar idea.

As I have spent an inordinate amount of time in hotel rooms over the last ten years, I occasionally ponder the lives of others who have stayed in the same room as I have. It can be difficult since I typically stay in upper-mid-range hotels catering to business travelers. There is a sense of anonymity as my fellow travelers and I tend not to interact much aside from the occasional hotel bar, or awkward elevator silences. Otherwise, it's the same nondescript room, thankfully cleaned of any traces of the occupant before me. However, there's an unspoken dark-side us travelers don't try to think about: clandestine dalliances, suicides, and other scenes of breakdowns of the moral character.

So, I came upon the idea of a series of staged "hotel suicide" photos. Though I only snapped a couple many years ago and forgot about it, I had imagined a sort of Cindy Sherman-esque look. For those unaware, she's an American photographer known for her conceptually staged pictures which she is often the subject. She did a series where she posed as actresses from real Noir and B-movies. These are quick, raw, conceptual pics and not composed as well as I'd like. I'd probably make them B&W as well, if I was to continue.

Window Sketch

I came across this rough little sketch that I must have done on an airplane as it was scrawled on the corner of an in-flight magazine crossword page. It's probably at least five years old, so it's a wonder I still have it. It was probably inspired by my first trip to Europe, as I purchased a cheap set of drawing pencils and sketch pad from the Tate Modern museum in London. I then made a few sketches from various hotel windows of the rooftops and cityscapes of Paris and Amsterdam. I remember even doing a couple on the way home from memory, the images still fresh and imprinted in my mind. I got the idea much later to do a painting or series of paintings from the perch of a window, but brilliantly, I thought, including the elements of the window as well. I never got beyond the sketching stage, but eventually came across similar ideas in a couple early 20th Century French paintings. In fact, there was one from a famous artist I wished I could recall, that was an almost identical recreation of my sketch. Perhaps it was just to say, "Hey, look at me. I'm in a fancy new tall building, looking down upon the masses." I'm sure it sounded more elegant in French.

After writing this, I suddenly realized I have actually consciously continued to work on this same theme to the present day. As I may have previously mentioned, over the last ten years I have traveled extensively throughout the US and Canada on a weekly basis, often finding myself in high-rise hotels. Also, I may have mentioned my penchant for exploring the alleyways and nooks and crannies of urban life. I have amassed an extraordinary amount of photos and videos showing voyeuristic views from windows above onto the City/town below, and in some cases, from below, with planes and such passing overhead. I have always intended to assemble some kind of photo/video collage of this, but I think after awhile and without a particular goal, it began to seem overwhelming...or perhaps I'm just, once again, lazy.

B & W photography (Part 3)

These two pics I'm especially proud of and had completely forgotten about. They are based on a sketch I made on a cocktail napkin (I'd love to also find) I had intended to turn into a painting. Instead, I realized it would be quicker to take photos. They were taken in the house I had just purchased in Phoenix, so I date them circa 2005. You may note that the strange look of the walls are due to an awkward attempt I made of a "fresco wash," apparently to make my kitchen resemble an old Tuscan one. The title of the photos are "She Loves Me" and "She Loves Me Not."

B & W photography (Part 2)

These next two are again from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco circa 2004. There is an old oval track that people use for jogging or racing bicycles around. There are some incredible wooden bleachers that have withstood time and the elements. I don't think this is the Polo Fields, but it could be. It's the perfect place for a young gentleman to have the wind whip about his handlebar mustache as he races his penny-farthing or French Automoto, in hopes of catching the eye of an ingenue seated aside the track.

B & W photography (Part 1)

No catty rants or philosophical ponderings this time. I was going through a box of pics the other day that I hadn't looked at in a couple years. I've gone through several "film photography" phases throughout my life, the most recent in 2004 and then 2006-2007. I found a few I really like that I wanted to share. It's hard to believe that they were on the same roll, since some were from when I lived in San Francisco, and some shortly after I moved to Phoenix. I think it results from shooting half a roll, and then neglecting that particular camera for a while. Enjoy!

This first photo was taken in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco circa 2004. It's quite idyllic and reminds me a little of Monet's "Water Lillies" paintings. It looks as if it was taken in the early 19th Century and there should be women with long dresses, hats and black umbrellas milling about. I wish I would have taken more of this spot, but this is the only one.