You inspire me

© Allen , my new photographic inspiration

2011-12-21T15:14:00.000-06:00

Thank you Allen for inspiring me...

Paul Phung

2011-02-24T00:09:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by Paul Phung.

This man.
Is.
Brilliant...

haunt

2011-02-23T23:42:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by Cyrius.

it's been a while.
i have been uninspired and weary but thanks to some very talented flickr folk, I stumble upon an image that moves me so deeply, that I can' t help but to want to pick up my camera again.

thank you Cyrius for this visual poetic inspiration

caught up in the sticky shame of what I am, and what I am not...

2010-11-26T02:21:00.001-06:00

I wish I could take credit for being the creative mind behind this photo, because it says so much about what i feel right now. It's by one of my favorite photographers: Francesca Woodman.

A beautiful young woman who was tormented by so many personal demons, she took her life too soon (she was only 22), but her images will forever remain powerful resonating moments of pain, excitement, sensuality and vulnerability of self discovery through her self portraits.

I will call this image: "caught up in the sticky shame of what i am, and what I am not..."

Thank you dearest Francesca for inspiring me.

liquid poetry

2010-11-10T17:43:00.001-06:00

We all feel the need to find purpose in our lives.

I have been struggling with this for many decades.

Thought i found meaning, but it was fleeting.

Am still searching but it seems more and more elusive as time goes by.

I wish I were able to create art that impacted the world like this brilliant man.

Jason DeCaries Taylor, underwater magician

Thank you Jason for inspiring me...

le langage secret des toubibs

2010-09-30T20:58:00.001-05:00

le langage secret des toubibs, originally uploaded by tristia.

Tristia - what can i say? Her images speak what a thousand voices could, in one celluloid whisper. I linger upon each frame, as if hypnotized. Incredible work. Thank you Tristia for inspiring me :-)

suffocation

2010-09-08T00:39:00.000-05:00

MaxZip, i have felt this many times.
Thank you for being able to visually articulate it for me.
I needed to know it was real...

Thank you for inspiring me.

Benjamin

2010-09-08T00:32:00.001-05:00

Benjamin, originally uploaded by amerhadiazmi.

Fire in the belly.
Fire in the soul...

It's been a while since i posted here, but I just love this image so much. It says so much without saying a word.

Thank you amerhadiazmi for inspiring me

I'm on TV

2010-08-08T03:19:00.001-05:00

I'm on TV, originally uploaded by Jan Bakker.

Jan is another flickr friend.
His images - still frames of life in the most abstract way.
Poetry in their own way.

This image haunts and entices me. Maybe it's too late for me to find the words, so I will let the image speak for itself.

Thank you Jan for inspiring me.

Meditation II

2010-08-08T03:17:00.001-05:00

Meditation II
Originally uploaded by Tim McDonough

Tim has been a flickr fave of mine for some time.
His images are fragments of the collective subconscious and in his work, i willingly close my eyes and enter.

Now he is exploring video and I can't wait to see more.

Thank you Tim for inspiring me!

Thank you - you, now viewed 6,120 times...

2010-05-07T17:12:00.002-05:00

I rarely thank myself, or appreciate anything I do, especially when it comes to my art.
I'm my own worst enemy and harshest critic.

One doctor said that my need to please came from the fact that I had a very unresponsive father figure, and that when I needed validation, he was not there for that.

I say it's because I always wanted to please, to be the best, to be good enough.

Always the outcast, always the oddball, always the shy one who liked to blend into the background and other obscure surround objects, it was my modus operandi to take the attention away from myself. Who would have ever guess that 30+ years later, I would be doing the exact opposite for the exact opposite reasons?

this image still gets hits.
this image still shakes people up.

this image never gets old
this image will always speak more than 1000 single words shouted from the rooftops

and to that courage, that bravery I tapped into when taking this self portrait, I thank myself for being who I am.

The final validation that I need of nobody except myself.

thank you - you, now viewed 6,120 times :-)

Elliot Erwitt by Alec Soth

2010-02-13T20:05:00.000-06:00

Brilliant.

Both men.

Thank you...

Boxi at Primary Flight 2008

2010-02-06T19:46:00.001-06:00

Boxi at Primary Flight 2008, originally uploaded by N10Z.

Boxi

two words:

inspires me...

You learn something new every day...

2010-01-13T13:47:00.001-06:00

in pain for most of the time now. I can't sit for long periods of time. Walking is a chore. Must lie down a lot. When I found this, it made me smile.

I never knew she took photos in color.

Thank you Francesca Woodman for taking the pain away today...

Neighboring Eyes

2009-12-08T14:12:00.001-06:00

Neighboring Eyes, originally uploaded by DerrickT.

Derrick has to be one of the rare gems of photographers who is not only a brilliant photographer but is indeed one of the very few enlightened souls i have ever met. This image speaks of his spiritualtiy. Can you see the 2nd face in this photo? Cover the right side of his face. Don't focus on the burnt eye, but on his real one on the left. A tromp d'oeil in every sense...

thank you Derrick for inspiring me, as always...

“The propositional exactitude of a certain absence”

2009-11-07T18:41:00.001-06:00

“The propositional exactitude of a certain absence”, originally uploaded by DerrickT.

Derrick, I cannot say enough about your work - each image, an incredibly intimate journey into the complex web of your magnificent mind. Fragments of whispers through cinematic geographical shadow-play haunt and seduce me. You hypnotize with structural photographic visions, incantations of primal elemental quests for discovery and evolution. I can never truly express how deeply you inspire me, but perhaps one day, you will receive a delightful and delicate surprise.

The Landlord from Will Ferrell and Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay - Video

2009-11-03T13:34:00.000-06:00

The Landlord from Will Ferrell and Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay - Video

sometimes, it's the funny things in life that inspire me.

Will Ferrel, you are (excuse my language) are a fucken genius.

Thank you for inspiring me.

2009-09-17T17:52:00.003-05:00

another one

Ralph Gibson - sans titre

since my pro account is going to expire soon...

2009-09-17T17:49:00.002-05:00

since my pro-flickr account is going to expire soon, i think blogger will be the place to keep my fave photos.

We wills start with this one...

Ken Graves - two businessmen.

Thank you Mark

2009-08-07T11:40:00.002-05:00

The recipe of a work of art its ingredients how to make it. The formula:

1. There must be a clear preoccupation with death-intimations of morality.

2. Sensuality-Our basis of being concrete about the world. it’s a lustful relationship to things that exist.

3. Tension either conflict or curbed desire.

4. Irony. This is a modern ingredient the self effacement and examination to which a man for one instant can go on to something else.

5. Wit an play for the human element.

6. The ephemeral and chance for the human element.

7. Hope 10% to make the tragic concept more endurable.

I measure these ingredients very carefully when I paint a picutre. It’s always the form that follows these elements and the picture results from the proposition of the elements.

Mark Rothko Nov 1958

something that speaks to me...

2009-07-25T00:21:00.001-05:00

-, originally uploaded by gövernance..

it's been a while since i have posted anything here.
It's taken a lot to get me inspired.
My camera has been something that has given me more pain than pleasure. The world around me as I see it through the lens of my viewing machine has turned dark and foreboding.
Nothing i see anymore gives me any joy.

I have closed my eyes to the outside.

But this image, this photographer, gövernance, has inspired me in such a tremendous way.

This image - dark, mysterious, haunting. But at the same time, there is light, beauty, a serenity that is almost meditative.

Thank you gövernance.
You have perhaps, singlehandedly saved my creative sanity.

A Moment Of Silence

2009-03-12T12:31:00.001-05:00

A Moment Of Silence, originally uploaded by TawneeLynne{still very ill}.

thank you TawneeLynne.

one photo can say so much, do so much to life my spirits, give me hope and know that I am loved so very very much.

thank you
oxoxxoox

whatever "it" the eyes are having

2008-08-27T23:33:00.002-05:00

whatever "it" the eyes are having, originally uploaded by languisity.

What she said:
I've been thinking about the lag and the lack I'm feeling lately, and I had a moment of Artist's Under-Appreciation Syndrome. Not enough comments. Not the "right" comments.

And then I got over the entitlement and realized that's not really the problem.

The problem is the expectation of it. (That people will have something to say, that people SHOULD have something to say.)

So, I'm just gonna cut that off until I get over myself.

I'm thinking this'll last a week.

stop. look. listen. rinse. repeat "

what I wrote:

i love this shot too, and all that it stands for.

I too feel this way, more often than I like to say, and it bites when Artist's Under-Appreciation Syndrome strikes, but please know this - even though I don't visit as much as I wish I could, you were one of the handful of inspirational flickr women I had encountered here many many moons ago. Please don't stop creating/pushing the boundaries/exploring/discovering - you make magic possible for so many of us.

thank you languisity for being you

martha graham - she inspires me

2008-07-31T21:46:00.002-05:00

wanted to keep these quotes handy
they inspire me and speak for my photos when I can't find anything to say...

• All things I do are in every woman. Every woman is Medea. Every woman is Jocasta. There comes a time when a woman is a mother to her husband. Clytemnestra is every woman when she kills.

• You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost.

• Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.

• The body is a sacred garment.

• There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.

• The body says what words cannot.

• The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.

• Our arms start from the back because they were once wings.

• No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time. It is just that the others are behind the time.

• Dance is the hidden language of the soul.

• Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery.

• Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.

• Dance is a song of the body. Either of joy or pain.

• I did not want to be a tree, a flower or a wave. In a dancer's body, we as audience must see ourselves, not the imitated behavior of everyday actions, not the phenomenon of nature, not exotic creatures from another planet, but something of the miracle that is a human being.

• I am absorbed in the magic of movement and light. Movement never lies. It is the magic of what I call the outer space of the imagination. There is a great deal of outer space, distant from our daily lives, where I feel our imagination wanders sometimes. It will find a planet or it will not find a planet, and that is what a dancer does.

• We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. One becomes in some area an athlete of God.

• It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you to know it completely.

• Misery is a communicable disease.

• I'm asked so often at ninety-six whether I believe in life after death. I do believe in the sanctity of life, the continuity of life and of energy. I know the anonymity of death has no appeal for me. It is the now that I must face and want to face.

Gulli & Kiddi

2008-07-27T15:52:00.001-05:00

Gulli & Kiddi, originally uploaded by _annamarin.

look closely
very closely

I would guess that these two are closely related
very closely related

meshed, attached at the hip or perhaps something higher up?

thank you _annamarin for your beautiful, bizarre and breathtaking photos

Quotes to use with images...

2008-07-21T20:16:00.008-05:00

I love these quotes - and will one day use them with my images, but until then, I'll post them here for safe keeping...

My all time fave so far:

All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up.
James Baldwin

The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.
Auguste Rodin

Now the work of art also represents a state of final equilibrium, of accomplished order and maximum relative entropy, and there are those who resent it. But art is not meant to stop the stream of life. Within a narrow span of duration and space the work of art concentrates a view of the human condition; and sometimes it marks the steps of progression, just as a man climbing the dark stairs of a medieval tower assures himself by the changing sights glimpsed through its narrow windows that he is getting somewhere after all.
Rudolph Arnheim - entropy and art

The man who can but sketch his purpose beforehand in words is regarded as a wonder, and every artist and writer possesses that faculty. But gestation, fruition, the laborious rearing of the offspring, putting it to bed every night full fed with milk, embracing it anew every morning with the inexhaustible affection of a mother's heart, licking it clean, dressing it a hundred times in the richest garb only to be instantly destroyed; then never to be cast down at the convulsions of this headlong life till the living masterpiece is perfected which in sculpture speaks to every eye, in literature to every intellect, in painting to every memory, in music to every heart! --this is the task of execution. The hand must be ready at every moment to work in obedience to the mind.
Henri de Balzac - cousin bette

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
henry ward beecher

Without freedom, no art; art lives only on the restraints it imposes on itself, and dies of all others."
alber camus

“We work in the dark, We do what we can, We give what we have, Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task, The rest is the madness of art.”
Henry James

Popular art is normally decried as vulgar by the cultivated people of its time; then it loses favor with its original audience as a new generation grows up; then it begins to merge into the softer lighting of “quaint,” and cultivated people become interested in it, and finally it begins to take on the archaic dignity of the primitive.

Northrop Frye - Mythical Phase - symbol as Archetype

What the human eye observes causally and curiously, the eye of the camera notes with relentless fidelity.
Bernice abbott

I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to do -- that was one of my favorite things about it, and when I first did it, I felt very perverse.
Diane Arbus

A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.
Diane Arbus

All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.

John Berger

moving to stand still

2008-07-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by soleá.

Solea is a brilliant photographer and has been one of my contacts for the longest time, and each time I visit her stream, it's like a new adventure into the world behind her eyes.

This image just seems to resonate with me tonight. For some reason, it speaks to my subconscious, whispers strange cryptic syllables I have yet to decipher.

Thank you Solea for sharing your waking dreams with us...

The carnival is over

2008-07-17T15:47:00.001-05:00

The carnival is over, originally uploaded by Jan Bakker.

Als das Kind Kind war,
wußte es nicht, daß es Kind war,
alles war ihm beseelt,
und alle Seelen waren eins.

When the child was a child,
it didn’t know that it was a child,
everything was soulful,
and all souls were one.

Wings of Desire - Wim Wenders

this is one of the few movies that changed my life after I saw it - I knew that I wanted to become a filmmaker.

thank you Jan for bringing the magic, wonder of a child's eyes and soul back to us again through your images...

SNL inspires me

2008-07-06T13:29:00.002-05:00

(they did in fact, speak Japanese - here is the translation/or)
Thnks Mitcho!

I had always wished that I could be a writer for snl.

I have always been inspired by that show, but this skit, now that not only inspired me, it made me laugh so hard I cried.

Thank you snl for inspiring me...

Francesca woodman was here

2008-07-02T12:19:00.003-05:00

This is an old old image
back in the days when I used to shoot film
back in the days when I first began to experiment with self portraiture.
Actually, I think this was the 2nd roll of images of myself that I shot (and processed myself - ahh the good old days. Oh to have a darkroom again...)

But this was even before I knew who francesca woodman was

perhaps she was channeling through me - even back then

Thank you Francesca - wherever you are

dead investment banker

2008-06-21T02:18:00.001-05:00

dead investment banker, originally uploaded by matt duke.

Matt - you always come up with the coolest concept photos - and I've seen your work grow and transform over the time you've been on flickr. I don't come by as often as I would like to, but whenever I do, I am always surprised and inspired by your work!

This is one that I will have to mimic in a series soon.
You've sparked the creative fire in me!!

Thank you so much Matt for inspiring me!!!

green lights mean get out of the way

2008-06-20T00:46:00.001-05:00

green light means go, originally uploaded by Everything and Nothing at All /Gonzo®.

There are little signs all around me - telling me to move forward, keep on going where I am going. Green lights.

I guess this is a good thing

but a little unnerving as well.
i have to trust my instincts
those skills have been a bit rusty lately

but with all those crazy signs (and the one I almost literally ran into) - "you need only to let go - the universe then beings to create life for you effortlessly because you have gotten out of the way..."

I guess this a sign, one that I can't ignore.

Thank you Everything and Nothing at All /Gonzo® for making this color my mantra.

for what it's worth

2008-06-18T10:16:00.000-05:00

"A man should write for all he is worth, about whatever state
he is in at the time, however little he knows about it.
You only stumble on poetic truth in the dark, in the light
it is too easy to step around it."

P J Kavanagh.

beautiful

gives me courage to write, photograph and live
again

memories on the fly

2008-06-18T01:10:00.001-05:00

memories on the fly, originally uploaded by ruudpakua.

"Sometimes we decide to bury a longing that seems impossible to fulfill because we cannot bear the pain. The danger in doing so is that we forget the name of that longing and if we cannot find it again, we lose a piece of ourselves."

-oriah mountaindreamer-

Ruudpakua
sometimes we have to be reminded of these things

it keeps us real, it keeps us honest - for those who want to be real, and those who want to be honest.

love this - all of it...

thank you for inspiring me

She's thinking.

2008-06-17T13:50:00.001-05:00

She's thinking., originally uploaded by Jan Bakker.

CBT - in neon no less...

how is that for being obvious
hello

I'm thinking and by virtue of this action, doing.

thank you Jan Bakker for inspiring me...

~I hold the power~

2008-06-17T13:45:00.001-05:00

~I hold the power~, originally uploaded by John T.2.

"To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will."

Ronald Reagan

Thank you John T.2 for inspiring me.

Your image and the meaning behind it come at a perfect time - more perfect than you know. Taking back the power is what it's all about. And being reminded about that is a powerful thing indeed.

Moi in all of my fabness

2008-06-15T01:29:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by Brunocerous.

Brunocerous - thank you for your conversation, thank you for your insight and thank you for this photo ;-)

valueless

2008-06-08T20:03:00.001-05:00

valueless, originally uploaded by helveticaneue.

"Too fast and no values"

We can all cop to being in this state of mind sometime in our lives...

"the soul is dyed the color of thoughts"

How brilliant is that?

No speedometer in this car,
all pride and caution thrown out the window

no stopping by the curbside for this gal

and the grey, oh how deep and muddy the grey...

Thank you helveticaneue .

I love the way you see the world...

Instinct

2008-06-04T23:30:00.001-05:00

Instinct, originally uploaded by englishpianobloke.

I have been talking a lot about this thing called instinct lately.

It's strange how it just keeps on popping up in conversations, images, songs...

is it trying to tell me something?

Sometimes I need a hammer on my head to get the obvious thing in life - I have a hard skull, so it takes a while for things to sink in...

(no pun intended in reference to this photo)

englishpianobloke - thank you for posting this and having me find it.

The moral of the story here is not to think twice - just jump - do, feel, live, experience, live.

and I will - off the deep end with eyes and mind open!!

2008-05-20T13:17:00.002-05:00

fiftyone_eggs - this video shakes me to the core.

1968 was the year that I was born
and 20 years later, I would be in a similar position as these children - lost, afraid and isolated. Mind you, 20 years later - medicine and treatment of the mentally ill had improved by leaps and bounds, but the stigma, oh the stigma still remains, and like a splinter, it lies just beneath the surface, painful and yet, almost out of sight...

Thank you for daring to explore and expose.

when you leave earth, all this shit dont matter.

2008-05-01T11:36:00.001-05:00

when you leave earth, all this shit dont matter., originally uploaded by Mettā.

So much talk about death - everybody is dying, things are dying, pets are dying all around me. I feel it closing in. Scary thing is that I don't hear about any births, renewals or new beginnings. Just endings.
Perhaps there is a new energy, some mysterious force on mankind's horizon that will sweep through our lives like a huge spring cleaning, but till then, life falls away at an alarming rate and I'm left to wonder - does this all matter?

Mettā - you are accurate in your observation and insight - when you leave this earth, all this shit don't matter.

Thank you for inspiring and enlightening me...

in memory...

2008-04-29T15:15:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by aikithereska.

i have been out of the flickr loop for a few days, so i was sad to see that aikithereska's father had passed away over the weekend.

She has been such an inspirational photographer for me, and has gone through so many personal changes and transformations over the past year - I have seen her work follow the same trajectory, and have felt privileged to be a witness to it, but grief is never an easy thing to deal with - and the loss of a parent is so very very hard.

I hope that you may find peace in the loving memories you have of him, and that the healing process has already begun...

Emilio's Bathroom

2008-04-11T16:52:00.001-05:00

Emilio's Bathroom, originally uploaded by emiliocamarin.

It's been a while since I posted an image that inspired me - it's been a rough ride with my mom's surgery and me trying to do damage control while she was in the hospital from hell, but looking for inspiration is something I need to do now, since I feel as if I'm lacking in it...

Emiliocamarin - thank you for inspiring me - this image makes me realize that dreams can hold magic...

Why Aren’t There More Old Criminals?

2008-03-13T12:09:00.001-05:00

Why Aren’t There More Old Criminals?, originally uploaded by Federico Erra.

Somewhere, in an Italian film that has never been made, this lies on the cutting room floor.

Brilliant Frederico, simply brilliant...

The Cancer project - final image

2008-03-01T00:15:00.001-06:00

The Cancer project - final image, originally uploaded by hellophotokitty.

This portrait is of my mom, who I asked to be part of The Cancer Project since she is a cancer survivor of a rare form of melanoma. She had a chunk taken out of her back which I think is the most beautiful badge of courage I have ever seen.

Mom - you have been my hero, my guiding light, my saving grace and loved me unconditionally my whole life. You are my biggest inspiration.

Thank you so very very much. I'm glad we will have some extra time together, and hopefully more photo shoots to come!

xo

Direct gaze owned by yourself

2008-02-19T12:54:00.001-06:00

Selfportrait, originally uploaded by DearJools.

DearJools - this image is a total inspiration to me for many reasons. The main one being that I have shied away from self-portraits for many months, with reasons still unknown to me, making my struggle even greater and more painful in terms of creating something, anything.

But your direct gaze into the camera - your ownership of that gaze signifies power and confidence, which is what my self-portraits used to have, and were all about.

Please continue on this journey. Perhaps soon, I will embark on my own as well.

2008-02-18T17:18:00.000-06:00

The pit of souls
Originally uploaded by Eric Ershun

Every soul needs a good cleansing every now and then...

Thank you Eric Ershun. This photo reminds me so much of the dark and etheral quality of Tarkovsky

Touch me

2008-02-18T15:54:00.001-06:00

Attimi, originally uploaded by ilmioesseredicarne.

Oh, ghosts of Ralph Gibson's inspiration are in this photo.
Thank you ilmioesseredicarne for this window to your world.

pockets of silence...

2008-01-11T00:47:00.000-06:00

I was never a huge Rothko fan, until I saw Simon Schama's the power of art

What he said intrigued me, I had to take a deeper look at those images, and explore the artist's psyche. Then it all began to make sense...

"One morning in the spring of 1970, I went into the Tate Gallery and took a wrong, right turn and there they were, lying in wait. No it wasn't love at first site. Rothko had insisted that the lighting be kept almost pretentiously low. It was like going into the cinema, expectation in the dimness.

Something in there was throbbing steadily, pulsing like the inside of a body part, all crimson and purple. I felt I was being pulled through those black lines to some mysterious place in the universe. Rothko said his paintings begin an unknown adventure into an unknown space. I wasn't sure where that was and whether I wanted to go. I only know I had no choice and that the destination might not exactly be a picnic, but I got it all wrong that morning in 1970.

I thought a visit to the Seagram Paintings would be like a trip to the cemetery of abstraction - all dutiful reverence, a dead end. Everything Rothko did to these paintings - the column-like forms suggested rather than drawn and the loose stainings - were all meant to make the surface ambiguous, porous, perhaps softly penetrable. A space that might be where we came from or where we will end up. They're not meant to keep us out, but to embrace us; from an artist whose highest compliment was to call you a human being."

Simon Schama

I was moved to tears.
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

there is one quote by Rothko which I keep playing over and over on my little tape recorder, this one sits in my chest, and like a slow burn, strips away the pretension I have about being an artist, what I want from my art, and where I want to go. It speaks to my soul, and on so many levels, I weep because I know it's true - I am desperatley seeking those pockets of silence.

"When I was a younger man, art was a lonely thing. No galleries, no collectors, no critics, no money. Yet, it was a golden age, for we all had nothing to lose and a vision to gain. Today it is not quite the same. It is a time of tonnes of verbiage, activity, consumption. Which condition is better for the world at large I shall not venture to discuss. But I do know, that many of those who are driven to this life are desperately searching for those pockets of silence where we can root and grow. We must all hope we find them." Mark Rothko

Thank you Simon for opening my eyes to the world of Rothko. Thank you Mark for your honesty and determination in finding the truest meaning of being an artist.

,,,

new yorker

2007-12-17T13:41:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by johnnypants.

While on my last trip to New York, I met a whole new gang of flickerati, which is always the highlight of my trip. I already miss that city, and when looking at johnnypants' photostream, I came across this photo which makes me think of the beautiful mystery which can be found in the wear and tear of the subway.

Thnkx johnnypants for reminding me how much I need to make this city my home away from home...

guardian angel for a dying woman

2007-11-21T12:47:00.001-06:00

guardian angel for a dying woman, originally uploaded by hellophotokitty.

My cousin, who's mother (my aunt) just died of cancer a month ago, has a best friend who is dying from cancer - melanoma. Exactly what my mother had

Crystal and her husband have a seven month old baby girl - but now the cancer has spread throughout this young woman's body. If you please could just take a minute to look here to read her story and vote here

Vibe 98.5 in Calgary has a contest, and we are trying to help Crystal win. She will get $50,000, which will help in raising Mattea, and help her and her husband Anthony . By voting, we might be able to give her and her family a well deserved "dream baby shower" -. It takes nothing to vote - no surveys, no questions. And you can vote multiple times ;-)

Because this cancer has touched my life with so many family members over the past year, I felt this was the least I could do.

Anybody who has cancer inspires me. It's a horrible disease, and those who battle it are warriors. Plain and simple.

composing my thoughts

2007-11-17T19:24:00.001-06:00

composing my thoughts, originally uploaded by Thirteen Letters Photography.

The more I look at this photo, the more I realize that Thirteen Letters perhaps has a keen insight on madness.

After a failed photo shoot this evening, I've turned to others for inspiration and insight as my well of creativity has been tapped dry by mind numbing mood stabilizers.

This photo not only inspires me, but saves me as well.

Many thanks 13 ;-)

a link to a link to a link to francesca woodman

2007-11-12T21:25:00.001-06:00

as described in the title, something that I found...
Thank you Youngna

When I mentioned I was going to Portland, Oregon, friend after friend insisted on a mandatory visit to Powell’s City of Books, because where more fitting city to take respite from the world than in a veritable city of that which I love the most. Overwhelmed upon entering with endless shelves of potential joy, I climbed many-a-staircase and then quickly deferred to the photography section.

Amongst a table-top full of recently published monographs I noticed a Tiffany blue hard-cover wrapped in plastic, the ghostly shadow of a girl printed in a square frame on it’s center. The book is a 200 image post-humously edited monograph by Francesca Woodman, a young artist whose surrealism and sexuality puncture her medium of choice–2 1/4 inch square frame black and whites, taken during her short life from 1958 - 1981, when she committed suicide at age 22. Woodman’s work–which I’m not sure how I overlooked entirely in the past–makes obvious cultural references to the feminism and hysteria of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper (or The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Freudian writing on hysteria, Sontag’s writing on pain/illness, feminist literature in the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, and more recently Sophie Calle’s Exquisite Pain). Her tragic story has been likened to the life (and early death) of Sylvia Plath, utmost the disturbed artist.

From Woodman’s photographs, just as often described as surrealist as self-portraiture, you get the sensation of images made by a precocious, prescient, and preternaturally perturbed mind. The collection often features Woodman’s own naked body in nature beginning at the young age of 13, and shows a girl whose reflection was her own muse. She knew she was her best model and used the techniques of the long exposure and double negative to often render herself on top of herself, her own spirit leaving her body.

When Woodman committed suicide in January of 1981 she had just published her first (and only) book, Some Disordered Interior Geometries. Success seems irrelevant and looking at her work one senses she was born too crazy to really know sadness, and that when she leaped from the window of a building on the Lower East Side to her untimely death, that she may have just been on another great mental flight that made her spirit–as it is palpable–so efferevescent, charged with sexuality, and sure to be legendary.

If you are only to buy one photo book this year, this is the one I’d recommend (Before Michael Kenna’s Hokkaido, William Eggleston’s 5 x 7, Sze Tsung Leong’s History Images, etc). Equal parts heartwrenching and simply beautiful, Woodman discovered and honed her own aesthetic before most people even know to develop one.

eastern penitentiary hallway

2007-11-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

eastern penitentiary hallway, originally uploaded by fiftyone_eggs.

Since my last photo shoot with Alex in that abandoned warehouse/train making monster of a space, my fascination with industrial areas has increased tenfold. I wish I knew more people in the city who knew where these places were.

So I stand in cinematic awe of this photo, and many of fiftyone eggs's photos.

Thank you sir for finding the beauty and telling the stories of these mysterious forgotten places...

Yes I can...

2007-11-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

This weekend (and last) I spent some time with some extraordinary people, and was blessed to meet a few who changed my life.

I was part of the exposed - Abilities arts festival, had a film and three photos in the show. Meeting the event organizers and some of the artists was a mind blowing eye opening experience. There was so much love and passion put into this event, moving me deeply and so very touched to be a part of it.

There was one film I saw that blew me away, and gave me hope and courage to face my demons head on.

Thank you Paul. Seeing your film and meeting you in person was indeed a gift and a life changing experience.

from the inside

2007-10-31T19:42:00.001-05:00

from the inside, originally uploaded by Rodrigo Adonis.

Rodrigo's photography does it for me every time - leaves me absolutely breathless and in awe. He has such a dynamic sensitivity for details and composition that is almost painterly yet complex and abstract.

Thank you for inspiring me Rodrigo :-)
You've lit the fire of my imagination again!
ox

water transends any language...

2007-10-31T11:37:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favourite sequences in Solaris.

And I love it when the collective unconsciousness works in mysterious ways.I took this the same afternoon I mourned the passing of summer...

Thank you David

2007-10-17T23:48:00.000-05:00

A beautiful photo taken by Mark Seliger (another huge photographic inspiration)

I just saw a profile of David Bowie on the biography channel.
It blew me away.

For an hour I sat transfixed to the tv - remembering all the songs that became part of my early teenage years, and which 20 years later, still resonate deep within my soul. He is a magician and such a gifted artist - spanning more than 40 years, he is constantly re-inventing himself. A true chameleon and a huge inspiration to me.

When I am really down, depressed or feel hopeless about my artistic vision, my mantra has become:
"what would the world have been like if David Bowie decided to not create Ziggy Stardust?"

think about it

Theatrical rock and roll would have never become such a monumental success and a groundbreaking genre.

wow...

What if he had second thoughts about what he was doing? Said to himself:
"People must think I'm a freak! I can't pull this off! Cut my losses while I still can..."

hmm...

And as I sit here typing my listless manic moment away, I think of the maestro, and tip my hat to him by saying in the most sincere way - thank you for inspiring me David. My life has changed and continues to change in so many creative ways.

Changes

I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell t hem to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time

Strange fascination, fascinating me
Changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time

xupacabras

2007-10-06T19:43:00.001-05:00

I don't know who this blogger is, but it seems as if he has stopped posting, which is a shame, but it will be a source of inspiration I will draw from in the next little while...

Enough, Flickr.

2007-10-03T12:17:00.001-05:00

Enough, Flickr., originally uploaded by MegElizabeth_.

Flickr is becoming a scary place when images like this make an impact on somebody so much that they have to re-think their art.

Perhaps this gives me more reason to take a longer hiatus from flickr than I intended...

Fucken pervs....

MG - you keep on. Kick them in the photographic ball sack!

She said:

Today I received this flickrmail:

hallo

hi girl,i would like to strangle you while i fuck you for give you a very intense orgasm...then i will hang you by your thin neck..
so,add me as a contact.
take care,francesco

A couple weeks ago I received a similar message from a different man. After reporting him, flickr did nothing. I reported this man as well, but I'm confident that flickr will, again, do NOTHING.

These two men, along with 869 other flickr members,
are part of a group known as Female Hanging. ((update: it seems that the group has either been deleted or made private!))

I think I'm done with this whole flickr thing.

Reaching Out

2007-09-30T13:44:00.001-05:00

Reaching Out, originally uploaded by * Honest *.

wise words from a beautiful woman

"Discovering a place I use to be; was it a mental space or a physical? I cannot remember. Being there lead to mental anguish, yet today it’s different. I see it in an uncommon light, the veil has been lifted; It’s a new day, a brand new life to seek, another life to be born. Life is within reach, I say to myself, if I want it, then I must reach out and grab it."
-Honest

Thank you my dear - your vulnerability is more powerful than the force of 10000 horses

Good old fashioned information for us starving artists...

2007-08-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

I found this on the web and had to pass it along.
There are too many galleries who are raking in the bux from upcoming and sometimes naive and desperate artists.

(and the site is great too)

to see the original article, click here

NYFA QUARTERLY - Winter 2001

Ask Artemisia

Dr. Art on Paying to Exhibit Your Work

Matthew Deleget, Visual Artist Information Hotline, with special guest
Renee Phillips, Manhattan Arts International

Each year the Hotline receives hundreds of calls from artists who are desperate to exhibit their work. They are sometimes willing to do literally anything, which includes paying huge sums of money. Vanity galleries, national competitions, and unscrupulous dealers profit handsomely from this desperation. For this issue, Dr. Art has invited author and artist advisor Renee Phillips of Manhattan Arts International to discuss her views on artists paying to exhibit their work.

Paying to Show

"Artist shall contribute $6,500 upon the signing of this agreement as his/her share of financial responsibility. . . ."

"Exhibition: One group show. 10' high x 10' wide wall space. The non-refundable fee is $1,250."

—Excerpts from New York gallery contracts

On a regular basis I receive calls and letters from artists on the subject of New York City galleries that charge artists fees to exhibit their work. These fees can be as high as several thousands dollars, simply for the privilege of hanging their work on a wall. This is a subject I have discussed, repeatedly and passionately, in my seminars, articles, and private consultations with artists. I am sure that I will be responding to these questions for as long as there are artists in need of exposure and galleries that operate in this manner.

In this regard, I am not referring to cooperative galleries, also known as artist-run galleries, which are operated by, and for, artists, and charge membership fees. Nor do I consider galleries that are under the auspices of non-profit organizations to be included in this category, even if they ask for a financial contribution. For example, New York Artists Equity Association operates Broome Street Gallery on the premises of their office space in SoHo, which they rent to individual artists and organizations to defray their costs.

My objection is to the opportunistic gallery owner whose intention is to profit from the artists' fees rather than the sales of art, and who pretends to have the same distinction as a legitimate gallery. Legitimate galleries focus on producing buyers and recognition for their artists, not preying on the vulnerability of artists who desire a gallery exhibition at practically any cost.

In the least desirable instances, the fees the artists pay simply cover the rental of wall space (the artist is actually sub-leasing space, in my opinion), and the artist may be expected to pay for other exhibition-related expenses. Some of the galleries justify their fees by including advertisements in national magazines and color brochures and by sending out postcards, but they usually exaggerate their costs.

I have seen a number of fee-paid galleries come and go over the last two decades. In fact, I have been called upon more than once to intervene on behalf of the artist in order to retrieve money or art work.

I have looked at every angle of this scenario in order to be a fair judge, especially when I know that so many artists have chosen to exhibit in fee-paid galleries. I wish I could say that of the dozens of artists I know who have taken this route, I have heard positive responses, but I have not.

Most artists have complained that their fees far outweighed the benefits. Furthermore, many individuals who operate these galleries lack the necessary skills to be effective agents for the artists. They often behave in a condescending manner toward the artists, acting as though they were doing them a favor, instead of giving them the respect they deserve. It amazes me that artists tolerate more abuse from galleries than they would ever accept in their personal relationships. My opinion on this issue remains firm. They do more harm than good to an artist's self-esteem and career.

Consider this: If you pay a dealer a sizable fee, which covers a substantial part of the overhead expenses, how much incentive is there for the dealer to sell the work? Why do these types of galleries need to regularly advertise "Call for Artists" in art magazines? Good news travels fast through word of mouth. If the gallery was generating good will for the artists who paid to show with them, they wouldn't need to advertise aggressively.

Whether or not you pay for a show is your choice. An artist's expectations from this kind of exhibition are often very different from the reality. Make decisions with your head, not your emotions. Examine the pitfalls as well as the advantages of exhibiting your work in this manner. Remember, the gallery's commitment to you lives only until the next group of paying artists arrive.

Galleries that charge fees for exhibitions seem to have multiplied in recent years. My file containing copies of their contracts has grown. Many of them have become very adept at luring the unsuspecting artist into the palm of their hand with the right buzzwords and sales psychology. Their letters include such statements as, "We are located near the Guggenheim Museum . . . ," when they are actually located in a 12-story building down the block and are undoubtedly never visited by the same people who visit the museum. Their advertisements appear where artists are likely to look for legitimate opportunities. Always seeking new artist clients to fill their walls, they often buy artist mailing lists, so chances are they have approached you.

When faced with the temptation to pay, consider these questions: What do you hope to achieve from this venture? What role will this exhibition play in your overall career objectives? What do the leading critics, gallery owners, artists' organizations, and fellow artists say about the gallery? How many legitimate reviews has the gallery received? That's just the beginning.

Get out your calculator. Does your fee (combined with other exhibiting artists) cover a large portion of the gallery's operating expenses? What are your risks for the investment you are making? How much do you have to sell in order to cover your expenses? Don't forget to add up all of your expenses, including shipping, insurance, framing, and traveling.

Many of you will be tempted to take the risk. If you should acquiesce to a fee-paid gallery, before paying a penny, get everything that was promised to you in writing. Hire a lawyer to write up a contract that includes your entitlements, such as a partial or full refund if the gallery fails to live up to its end of the agreement.

Surprised? Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, you are entitled to services rendered. You are entitled to ask questions and receive professional respect. If you don't get it, place your checkbook back in your pocket and run! Then write to me about your experience and include the name of the gallery and director. You will not only be doing yourself a favor, but helping other artists.

Artists should refuse to pay galleries to exhibit their work, and devote more time and energy to self-promotion. By eliminating the profits earned at the expense of artists, these dealers would have to either improve their gallery operating skills or find other means of support.

If your work has merit and you are an ambitious self-promoter you could invest your money in other ways, such as printing a brochure to cultivate direct sales, hiring an administrative assistant, or consulting a publicist to build your media exposure. Join a cooperative gallery, hold "Open Studio" events, and make use of the myriad of alternative exhibition spaces in the United States and abroad.

If you want autonomy you may consider one of the New York City cooperative galleries or rent an exhibition space in which you either "sit" your own show or hire a sales attendant. In this situation you have the freedom to establish your own prices, do not have to pay a commission to the gallery, and you may have a one-person exhibition or share the rental with other artists who will also devote time and money to attract visitors and prospective buyers. 2/20 Gallery, which is owned by Miguel Herrera, an artist, has been a low-cost exhibition venue for many artist-curated shows.

Questions to Ask before Taking the Plunge

After you have checked the Better Business Bureau, Attorney General's office, and artists' organizations for any possible complaints, the following questions should be answered to your satisfaction before exhibiting in any gallery—fees or no fees.

Is the gallery genuinely impressed with your work and why? Does the gallery offer you a contract, which obligates them to perform specific services for you or does the contract serve only to protect them?

Do they offer tangible promotional and marketing services? When you ask for specific proof of past performance, do they respond with concrete evidence?

Do they treat you in a condescending manner, as if you should be grateful to them for the opportunity to have a show?

Is the gallery easy to find? What is the appearance and attitude of the gallery and staff? Is the quality of the artwork consistent? Are the sales people courteous and knowledgeable? Is the hanging and lighting properly arranged?

Visit the gallery routinely over a period of at least two seasons, at different times of the day. Attend their receptions. Compare their style of doing business with successful galleries that are known for building their artists' reputations. Over this period of time, have you observed many qualified buyers visiting the gallery? How would you categorize the attendance at the receptions? Are they predominantly exhibiting artists and their friends and relatives? Or does the gallery have a respected following of art consultants, interior designers, architects, collectors, and members of the press?

Does the gallery consistently advertise in art publications for "Call For Artists" and "Competitions"?

If the gallery is offering you extended representation, how many exhibitions are they offering in one year? What are the costs? What month(s) are they offering you? (In New York City, January, February, July, and August are the kiss of death.)

What effort will they make to sell the work? Successful galleries don't just sit back after they hang the artwork, relying on walk-in traffic or sales; they generate sales through phone calls, press releases, advertising, mailings, and a range of networking activities.

What portion of your fee goes for advertising? What kinds of advertising vehicles—radio, TV, print—do they buy?

Do they permit you to have a role in the decision-making process about where and how they spend your money? Are they overstating their costs? Will you have to pay for invitations, receptions, advertising?

Have most of their artists remained with them for more than five years? Do you know any artists in the gallery who have had work sold through the gallery? Do they have any complaints?

Further Questions?

For additional information about paying to exhibit your work, please contact NYFA Source at our toll-free number (800) 232-2789, or by e-mail at visual@nyfa.org

About Renee Phillips

Renee Phillips is the author of the books Success Now! For Artists: A Motivational Guide for the Artrepreneur, New York Contemporary Art Galleries: The Complete Annual Guide, and Presentation Power Tools For Fine Artists. She has been a private counselor to artists and artists' agents for 20 years. Her workshop titled Artists: Learn How to Break Into New York Galleries is held monthly. For further information, contact Renee Phillips at Manhattan Arts International, 200 East 72nd Street, New York, NY 10021; by phone (212) 472-1660; by email at ManArts@aol.com; or online at www.ManhattanArts .com. The above essay was mostly excerpted from Chapter 3 of the book Success Now! For Artists: A Motivational Guide for the Artrepreneur and was reprinted with the permission of Renee Phillips, © 2000 Renee Phillips, Manhattan Arts International.

Thank You Hotline Consortium

hope (for kathy)

2007-08-12T15:11:00.001-05:00

hope (for kathy), originally uploaded by jecate.

Jen - I can't tell you enough about how much of an inspiration you have been to me in the past two years since we've met. The saying: "when it rains, it pours" is an understatement for the events that have transpired in your life. Your zen quality about yourself, the way you view life and everything about it, and your unconditional acceptance for all of those around you, especially yourself, is nothing short of incredible. The world needs more people like you. And because of you, and how many lives you have touched, we all now carry a little piece of heaven in our hearts through your love.

thank you, thank you thank you.
oxxoxoxoxo

They Inspired me

2007-07-31T13:30:00.001-05:00

They Inspired me, originally uploaded by hellophotokitty.

May you rest in peace gentlemen.

Michelangelo Antonioni (September 29, 1912 - July 30, 2007)
Ingmar Bergman (July 14, 1918 – July 30, 2007)

You inspired me more than you could ever imagine.

replite

2007-07-23T13:19:00.001-05:00

New III, originally uploaded by Fotografía Artística.

I am a big fan of nudes - only when they are done well and have an innovative take on them. Fotografía Artística is one photographer I will watch. Love the way the body circles around itself - there seems to be no head. just limbs. Reminds me of the Edward Weston photo of a green pepper. Ambiguous yet sensual.

thank you Fotografía Artística :-)

life

2007-07-19T21:26:00.001-05:00

life, originally uploaded by jecate.

I met Jen in Seattle about two years ago when I was going to SEAF. She is the type of person you meet who leaves a lasting impression on you. A rare rare gem - her beauty transcends words, and her strength? Legendary.

She bleeds through her art - she lives the pain - and comes out even more beautiful and stronger than before.

Jen - you truly inspire me and I thank you form the bottom of my heart.
xoxox

My Safe Place (Behind The Lens)

2007-07-16T16:31:00.001-05:00

My Safe Place (Behind The Lens), originally uploaded by Emma Kitten.

As I accumulate stories from people who have used photography (self portraiture in particular) as a tool for healing, I'm always amazed by how man of us find comfort behind the lens.

"This is my ‘safe place’, always behind the camera. Doing these self-portraits has been an intense experience of photo-therapy and has helped me examine my self and my illness, as well as providing therapy."

In actuality, it's just a piece of metal and pastic, right?

Thnks Emma Kitten.

borrowed - an explanation?

2007-07-06T14:00:00.002-05:00

(It is a shame that this photo was removed. It said so much and was so powerful, but hopefully the words remain...)

wimdejonge has been one of my flickr buds for ages. This photo and accompanying text spoke to me - so I had to post the whole thing...

what it said:

this is a borrowed expression, and an illustration of principle

i've been reading quite a few books lately, a lot of them dealing with the topics of virtuality and reality. i hoped, maybe expected, to learn new things. instead, i was fortunate enough to find that they enriched my mind with different points of view, even though the knowledge presented was not new to me

as my older contacts know, i used to have loads of self portraits on this stream. making self portraits is still one of my favorite things to do, but recently i sort of lacked the motivation to make them. the main reason has a lot to do with what the books re-affirmed me in, which is the tension between what we call reality and what is the image we present

self portraits are personae, and nothing more than that. they are ways to express oneself, as much as portraits are, or landscapes, or abstracts, collages, etc etc. they are layers in between the artist and the audience, portals through which messages can be conveyed

as such, they are not any more self-centred than any other type of photography, even the most scientific and methodical photography imaginable. yet, without many exceptions, the public perception is that, specifically with self portraiture, the photograph directly reflects the human condition of the photographer. i would like to argue that this is no more true for self portraits than it is for any other type of photography

as i explained this issue time after time, correcting false perceptions, assuring that i am ok, etc etc, i grew tired of it. after all, if people want to think i am the image, who the hell am i to correct them, especially since they do not know me in "offline" life

it still surprises me, though, that people assume so much based on a pose. but i decided i don't care anymore. so i'll probably make more selfies in the near future, but i will not explain myself in any way anymore

(end of transmission)
Comments

*nausika* says:

I agree with you about selfportraits..they are nothing special more than any other pics..what I realized making selfportraits is that it's a very cool support for an impatient girl like me..my face is always ready to be an utensil for experimental pics!by the way I like very much your portrait here..viking style wim!:-)

gingerbreadgirl says:
Wim, I know exactly what you mean.

I wrestle with the same issues as well. On the one hand I would like to take good pictures, whether self-portraits or otherwise. And on the other, I had wanted to get people to know me.

And with a past like mine, it becomes difficult when the general public see you only as a fixed stereotype.

So I gave up in the end and went private.

But I still wrestle with the same issues. And In the end I realized that no amount of posting pictures, whether excellent or not will allow people to get to know me as a real person.

I mostly now take pictures for my own self. Only a fraction of which I am comfortable enough for others to see.

Glad you're one of them.

Nibes says:
Free yourself. :)

doublevelvet says:
I see myself as the only person foolish enough to be totally accessible to myself and totally unafraid to make an idiot of myself for me to record. I do not possess an 'ideal' body or anything that could vaguely pass for one, so self-portraits could never be an act of vanity. I see the self-portrait more as an investigative tool. I like the way Cindy Sherman uses this, although she is more or less in every picture, you never actually see her. I think of my ridiculous character with the orange pubes and fig leaf as a cypher. I think the build up of these cyphers might begin to describe a time and place rather than a person.

palomabay says:
MMMM... I wrote about this in my blog... but is in Spanish, you can translate using google...

blog.paloma.cl/2007/06/lo-que-no-veo-de-m.html

point of view...

2007-06-11T13:35:00.001-05:00

7277sm, originally uploaded by ian weintraub.

What can I say about ian weintraub ?

Brilliant, innovative, curious, come to mind.

So does strange, bizarre, and mystery.

Put all of those words together and you have images that make you dizzy with confusion and wonder.

Love love this stuff.

Bravo Ian!! Super bravo! I am a huge fan ;-))))

My Eye

2007-06-11T09:10:00.001-05:00

My Eye, originally uploaded by * Honest *.

Her eye:

What *Honest* said about this photo:

Another day, another photograph… Today another time and place emerges in the distance. I try and capture what I see the way I see it and not the way others do. I want to invite people to view through my eyes; but how can I do that? How can I make others read my visual story the way I see it ?

We all bring our own history to existing stories and translate them from this starting point. So does this mean we overlap different cultural fingerprints creating a new culture and a new belief? Is this how new culture reveals itself to its surroundings?

I’m just wondering and exploring the world again through my usual ramblings and photography…

What I replied:

what a deeply profound 'rambling" - but oh so poetic!

Hmm.
"I want to invite people to view through my eyes; but how can I do that? How can I make others read my visual story the way I see it ?"

"The collective unconscious refers to that part of a person's unconscious which is common to all human beings. It contains archetypes, which are forms or symbols that are manifested by all people in all cultures. They are said to exist prior to experience, and are in this sense instinctual. Critics have argued that this is an ethnocentrist view, which universalized Jung's European-styled archetypes into human beings' archetypes.

I think that as a photographer, we are more attuned to the power of certain symbols that resonate deeply within us and are able to translate that through the manipulation of selective framing, composition, and exploring elements of light and dark - basically having a photographic eye. I have been amazed over and over again by the frequency of how many times a photo I take looks exactly like someone else in my stream took a few days/weeks/months ago - without either of us having prior knowledge of the other's work. Coincidence? Synchronicity? Perhaps. But these similarities might also be part of a larger collective unconscious we all share as humans.

As I said - being a photographer, you are more in tune with the importance of all visual elements that make up an image, therefore, the chances are very very good that something in your shot will resonate deeply within someone's memory and trigger some sort of shared experience. As a photographer, this is something I strive for on a regular basis; but I also think that some people are just better story tellers than others, and you my dear, are someone I can spend hours listening to :-)
(*hellophotokitty replies in a like minded rambling stream of consciousness...)

H and

2007-06-07T09:34:00.001-05:00

H and, originally uploaded by koincidence.

koincidence - this photo rocks.

I love the fact that the intensity of the information in this shot is almost overwhelming, yet it is in the tiny detail - the small dark shadow of a hand that brings the whole image together...

This made my day :-)

j'aime, moi non plus

2007-06-06T07:56:00.001-05:00

j'aime, moi non plus, originally uploaded by donjopi3.

Sigh...

Lost love, love expired.

Love any way you slice it cuts to the bone...

merci donjopi3

I'm gorgeous inside...

2007-06-04T09:53:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by eeblet.

This is priceless.
So very Asian kitsch, yet at the same time, there is a wounded innocence about it that I find melancholy.

But I love the foundation of the message.

(no pun intended)

thanks eeblet.
You made m week ;-)

What and or why?

2007-06-02T18:39:00.001-05:00

empty room, originally uploaded by Jan Bakker.

What is it about this photo that disturbs me so much? Is it the lack of real color? Everything looks so washed out, sad, decrepit. Why do I feel sad? Does it feel like something has been abandoned? Neglect?

I can't put my finger on it and I find this really disturbing.
That's what good photography is supposed to be..

thanks Jan

Mario's spectre

2007-06-01T10:32:00.001-05:00

Mario's spectre, originally uploaded by Caroline Bonarde Ucci.

Caroline Bonarde Ucci - I just discovered her stream and I'm so happy I did...

My love for cinema has been rekindled. After finding out that my film "clair Obscure" had been accepted into the "Exposed - Abilities arts festival" in Toronto in October, I realized how much I enjoyed making that film. How much it moved me to see the finished product, and how much I miss making movies.

I have begun to see cinematically again - in technicolor and in stereo.

Thank you Caroline Bonarde Ucci :-)

Horizon

2007-04-24T15:46:00.001-05:00

cloud me, originally uploaded by Janesdead.

Janesdead has been on of my flickr faves for a long time. From his sensual self portraits to the delicate exploration of the nature around him, each image tells a story that is so real, so beautiful, one can't help but to be moved to tears with its honesty.

This image comes just at the right time for me - having gone through watching my mom weather chemo, living through my own turmoil, and now with the approach of spring and the promise of renewal, I look to this photo for inspiration - telling me that the sum of it all is greater than the parts. That I can survive, that I have done so in the past, and that this will be easier with each passing day.

Sheldon, thank you so very very much for touching my life through your visions.
ox

on my knees

2007-04-22T23:21:00.001-05:00

on my knees, originally uploaded by matt duke.

Matt, this rocks.
You always manage to push the envelope of create self-portraits into the realm of mystery and sensuality.

You inspire me.
And this photo really really does too.

And happy belated birthday ;-)

my mom

2007-04-17T23:53:00.000-05:00

My mom inspires me.

It's her final day of chemotherapy treatment on Friday.
It's been 365 days since her first day.

Thank you mom for being my hero.

it is not all that it seems sometimes...

2007-04-13T14:41:00.001-05:00

fix you, originally uploaded by Quizz....

Quizz - one of the many amazing women photographers on flickr. I have become a huge fan of her work - she consistently creates breathtaking images that capture the imagination and mesmerize the spirit.

This is a new fave.

why?

Perhaps it reflects my inner state today somehow.
Life -
it is not all that it seems sometimes...

flutter

2007-04-13T12:18:00.001-05:00

A.anges, originally uploaded by fred.c.fred.

standing
moving
wishing on a wish
praying like it's my last breath
in or out
imobilized hypnotized
fantasize
cover my eyes with lies

i am
i am
i was
i wish
crying
falling
wishing on a wish

merci fred.c.fred

Sun worship

2007-04-11T20:16:00.001-05:00

self march sun # 15, originally uploaded by lars nyc.

Lars nyc is such a great photographer - and captures so many intriguing sides to himself through his images. Self portraits are not an easy thing to do - let alone do them in such a way that leaves the viewer wanting to know more: why did he pose like this? Was he aware that his face would cast such an interesting shadow? What was he thinking?

Lars - I hope to meet you one day and create some stunning images together - because I'm sure it would be nothing less than that.

Into the Storm

2007-04-02T23:55:00.001-05:00

Into the Storm, originally uploaded by esam.

I'm on the precipice of a storm.
I can either stand firm on my ground, or be swept away by the force of nature.

The beauty of the chaos mesmerizes me
Perhaps that is why so many things perish in a storm.
Surrender to the force....

thank you esam.

coffee and cigarettes and other NASTY things...

2007-03-30T12:21:00.001-05:00

coffee and cigarettes, originally uploaded by Quizz....

And so the flickr debate rages on.
Now anything with even the hint of a breast outline is considered offensive.

This is what Quizz rcd from a flickr admin about posting this photo into their pool...

E-mail from Infinity Rain:

Hello Quizz
I just wanted to let you know that as an Admin of the Karma group I had to delete the following photo you submitted:
www.flickr.com/photos/quizz/431694042/ from both the pool and the contest.

One of our group guidelines is that no nudity can be represented in the picture pool. The admins police the pool on a regular basis and this shot was brought to our attention. While I find this shot to be of a very artistic nature, we are a family group and some members may not understand or be too young to see photos of this type.

I hope you understand and look forward to viewing any future pics you post.
Thank you
Rain

REPLY: I am NOT naked on this photo!
Soon there will be a law around here not to pose from profile so the boob wouldn't be visible...
I'm sorry I have those, but having breasts is NOT a pornography....I won't cut them off to look flatter from a side for the sake of the community and not to offend anybody...

But no problem....

Flickr is going...slightly mad... :/

And this is what she wrote to me after I added her as a friend to see my pix...

She is too classic and brilliant a woman - I had to post this...

Hi K!

I'm happy you added me to friends, at last somebody normally build...with breast and all - everybody else seem to deny they have those....
I feel like hit by train those days...I can not understand this false modesty and overprotective trend.
To make a big deal about seeing a piece of boob is un*be*li*va*ble!

I paint nudes, draw nudes, sculp nudes for over 10 years now, I understand there is porn (i like it too! damn it!) and there is nude art...I understand there is beauty in human form, I understand that human figure is fabulous and there is nothing shameful in having penis, nipple or ...christ - EVEN clitoris (will I burn in hell for spelling that out of loud!?!?!)
And NOBODY should dare to say it's disgraceful or shameful...

They try to protect children from bad evil nude people...I ask you - who, for fuck sakes, surf thrue Flickr with kids on lap??? Well i say if that's quality family time for them , instead of going to use a reall pool or something, then i say there is something disfunctional there...
If brats are big enough to surf themselves, I'm sure they will find some more interesting source of naked ladies around...
Damn www.wiredpussy.com is not blocked by any terms! you can enter the page with one click ! and they feel threat with my shiluette???
The only underaged person on flickr, as far as I recall, is Lara Jade!!!!! I' feel for Lara Jade! she must be shocked after 3 years of seeing naked people around...

I'm sorry - there are so many more examples and bad words that cross my mind now , that I better finish my email on such a short list of ridiculous things, becouse I could go on till evening and who cares lol

Nice to see your photos...

Hug...but, god forbid, not a tight one! ;)

B

thanks B.
You f-ing rock!

light at the end of the bathroom

2007-03-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

bathroom, originally uploaded by lieberkater.

Sometimes life shuts the door right on your face. The darkness fills your breathing space and everything goes black.

There is no hope, clarity, no answers

but sometimes there is a light at the end of the bathroom - you can walk up to the mirror, splash your face with water, and begin a new day.

Thank you lieberkater.
You flicked the switch in this flickr'er's head :-))

The Drop

2007-03-20T23:53:00.001-05:00

The Drop, originally uploaded by Darin Clisby.

Less is more is more than less but more than more...

Darin - your stuff rocks.

More than more....

it's the way you look at it...

2007-03-20T22:21:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by Fooolintherain.

Sometimes, life looks really shitty, but it's important to look at it in many different ways. And sometimes holding a mirror up to it, turn a little this way, and a little that way might yeild some interesting results....

Thanks Fooolintherain .
Your images are simply marvelous!

Bring on da funk, baby!

2007-03-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

Bring on da funk, baby!, originally uploaded by The Toymaker.

Toymaker - you rock!

Shannon

2007-03-18T15:26:00.001-05:00

Shannon, originally uploaded by Darin Clisby.

love love love this image....

Thnk Darin for your wonderful vision

pour en finir avec la...(haine).

2007-03-18T15:07:00.001-05:00

pour en finir avec la...(haine)., originally uploaded by fred.c.fred.

another I could not resist

casse-tête

2007-03-18T15:04:00.001-05:00

casse-tête, originally uploaded by fred.c.fred.

sometimes we need to deconstruct our lives to live them day by day.

Thanks fred.c.fred for this delightful image...

the kalidescope of decay

2007-03-12T16:22:00.001-05:00

untitled, originally uploaded by vintagecamera.

Thank you vintagecamera for capturing such a poetic decay of metal and paint.

me me

2007-03-03T18:09:00.001-06:00

me me, originally uploaded by Fooolintherain.

a wonderful new discovery: Fooolintherain

She says she's on her way to become a professional photographer - if you ask me, I would say that aside from the general technical knowledge that comes with study, she's halfway there...

NYC 2007 circa 1960

2007-03-03T11:37:00.001-06:00

NYC, originally uploaded by *ivo*.

*ivo* has captured the style I long to mimic - the polished classics of Erwin Blumenfeld.

Thank you *ivo* for brining the art back into photography!

Morning

2007-02-25T18:40:00.001-06:00

Morning, originally uploaded by TedSher.

Every once and a while, i come across a non-professional photographer who has the seeds of cinematic vision inside of them. Ted is one of them.

I'm floored by this shot - it's so odd, yet so familliar. I can't put my finger on it...

Sometimes shots like this just 'are'

Thanks tedsher.

This rocks

"that is when my heart blooms: from within, from memory, only with my eyes closed"

2007-02-25T12:43:00.000-06:00

T is such an amazing woman in so many ways - I'm blessed to have had the chance to meet her in person when I was in detroit

So many of her self-portraits inspire me to push my own artistic limits through my photos. And her words, well they too resonate so deeply within my psyche.

What she wrote here matches this photo.

in so much of my work there's a heat in producing an image but then later i feel this cool detachment, and that's something i get from the wenders -- a sense of heartbreakingly icy detachment, an enforced distance full of ache.

weird shit

2007-02-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

this is an image from a film I took many moons ago - Mr. Wittgenstein apparently had something along the same lines....

Nothingelse to lose

2007-02-17T18:59:00.001-06:00

Nothingelse to lose, originally uploaded by Victoria Frigerio/ Photography.

Indeed, sometimes we just got to take a gamble.

And the now famous line that I wrote in my play:
"Sometimes you just gotta take a leap and know that a net will always appear..."

Thank you Victoria.

Mona Lisa Overdrive

2007-02-16T22:16:00.001-06:00

Mona Lisa Overdrive, originally uploaded by The Toymaker.

The Toymaker - an exciting discovery on Flickr today...

wow
wow
wow...

I'm so very impressed!

inspired by me...

2007-02-06T13:35:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by TLA8.

I am always floored and flattered beyond belief when somebody says that I inspired them to take a certian photo. Each image like this is not a photographic image in my cap, it's a hand on my shoulder telling me "you're on the right path. You're touching people with your art, and that is the greatest gift any artist can ask for..."

So TLA8 - I thank you from the deepest part of my soul.
oxoxo

filthy

2007-02-06T00:01:00.001-06:00

filthy, originally uploaded by Jerry Aaron Hazard.

Jerry.
A mysterious artistic enigma who's work mesmerizes and scares me. Like an open door to a dark room, i am drawn in by the sounds and smells that are foreign to me, yet resonate within my mind, striking chords that are familiar - perhaps in another language, or from a past experience which has left an ambiguous residue in my memory.

Raw, painful, beautiful - this is his work. This is him. All of him, and I am blessed to have seen this magic with my own eyes.