Quotes: Page McConnell

 Added to July 31, 2017
Jul 312017
 

Sunset Quotes: Page McConnell

“Keep it simple and true, let a spirit flow through. Every note that you play, like you’ve got something to say. Every note is a light, if it’s gonna burn bright. You’ll be out of its way. But don’t worry if the stars don’t align. Rule number one, have a good time.” – I was reminded of this song because recently I have been on a huge Phish kick. The band is currently playing the Baker’s Dozen, 13 shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC. An amazing amount of shows! I have been listening to them all, and then recalled some musical side projects of the band. I saw Page McConnell (the keyboardist from Phish) and his side project Vida Blue in 2003 or 2004. They were a really great group. I liked the positive vibe and Page’s voice in this song, Electra Glide.

Devotion

 Added to July 20, 2017
Jul 202017
 

Back in January I began a project with a group of photographer friends where we would be given a weekly theme to create work about, one theme per week for all of 2017. Well, last night I decided to quit the group, but for exciting reasons… Doing this challenge for half the year has really got me working with some new and interesting ideas, and pushed me into a new style of shooting. I have decided that I am at the point where I no longer want to be GIVEN themes but rather CREATE them myself. I shall continue my black and white self-portraits, however I plan to branch out and come up with my own themes or just create work and decide what it means to me after the fact.

This is my first work as I go solo. I had no idea, no theme, but instead forced myself to simply think and make something new. I collected sticks in my yard and built this circle. I then posed under it many different ways. This position won because of the power of the arms and the hint of my face on top. I felt that the word “Devotion” was the best to describe my feelings.

Inspire: Kenneth Josephson

 Added to July 11, 2017
Jul 112017
 

Kenneth Josephson, Chicago, 1973

Josephson is a very early influential practitioner of conceptual photography. He studied with Minor White at RIT and was later inspired by Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan. His work uses various techniques such as double exposures, holding objects into the scene, combining photographic prints within the exposure itself, and so on – speaking about the process and ideas relating to the medium itself.

Window

 Added to July 4, 2017
Jul 042017
 

I suspended a large piece of glass in my studio that would act as a layer between myself and the camera. I sprayed the glass with water so that it flowed downward and beaded up on the surface… The idea here was to make a portrait (self portrait) that feels as if a person is peering out through a window on a rainy night. The formal pose and dramatic lighting angle creates a strange tension, and this dark emotion mixes with the texture and distortion from the “Window”.

Tombstone

 Added to July 2, 2017
Jul 022017
 

Death. Remembrance. Tradition. Ritual… In thinking about these things, I had a vision of a single stone with candle wax melting and dripping down the sides. All that we see in the scene is the stone and a hand coming in to light the last candle. Although there are no visible signs of death, like a grave or body, the eerie emotion given off by the image connects to that of lose, and a moment of remembrance and reflection.

The Dreaming State