"ITS ON", '66 & '70 Redux

TYPE 55 and some cross processed

To end the Polaroid week, how about this, assisting days 4x5 Type 55 Pos/neg portrait by Robert Maxwell. Thank you for my new profile pic Bobby.

Type 59

Polaroid Record

Estimate $10,000 - $15,000.

SOLD $245,000

Inside 20x24 Studio

Its all Polaroid all the time it seems. Not only do we have Polaroid: Instant Joy on Friday but the large Polaroid Auction is at Sotheby's all this week and now here is the BBC with an inside look at the 20x24 Studio with Jennifer Trausch. Freakin jealous!!!!

The Chocolate Genius and the Talking Head

These are the two images I will be showing this weekend at Polaroid: Instant Joy at A.M. Richard Fine Art in Williamsburg. They are of musicians David Byrne and Marc Anthony Thompson. David one time leader of Talking Heads and Marc founder of the music cooperative Chocolate genius Inc. I created this series at the rehearsals for the Tibet House concert series at Carnegie Hall. Shot on Polaroid only, combining the 8x10 809 and 804, a cross processing of Color and Black & White film. Everyone has their own favorite Polaroid and this is mine. This was not that long ago, 2005, but even then this was one the only ways to get the acquired look of sepia, unlike today's digi effects.
I shot on Polaroid because I knew I wouldn't have much time and wanted the subjects to be as comfortable as possible quickly, also its expensive so it was either one or the other. 8x10 is a real ice breaker especially when people, musicians, actors etc are(were) used to much smaller versions. Today they would think you were insane to show them 2 1/4 Polaroid. So we pinned them up and more and more of the musicians showed up for their shot and I did it two years running. Still love the shots and had an awesome time doing it.

Polaroid: Instant Joy!

I was thrilled to get the call from Photographer and curator Andrew Garn to be a part of his new group show, Polaroid: Instant Joy, which will be opening on July 19th at A.M Richard Fine Art in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Included in the show are illustrious Large Polaroid practitioners, William Wegman, Chuck Close, Bill Day (his Warhol to the left), Jennifer Trausch, Barbara Mensch, Sally Mann to name a few. Andrew is a unique character who most certainly marches to his own tune. His last show "Lost Amazon", his work in the Brazilian Rain Forrest, was a combination of images and video. Moving and thought provoking, Andrew showed up dressed in a full Has-Mat outfit. His shows are a full contact experience. For this upcoming one covered in Polaroid goo is a possibility I am told. Please come on over and see some great large and small format artists using one of the worlds most enjoyable mediums.The opening reception will be Fri June 25th 6-8pm. To Coincide with the show, over the next week I will be showing Polaroids amassed through the years, of all sizes and embarrassing hair stages.

BRAZIL '70

Brazil open today and here they are, 40 years ago, perhaps a couple of years younger when the cards were made, but none the less, the most exciting and beloved international team of all time. O.K except for England '66 and maybe Holland '74 and Ireland '90. Forget it. We loved 'em. The best. And of course Revilino has no tache in the card!!! This is how we loved him

ITALIA '70

Seeing as the World Champs are opening today it would seem only fair to mention that the Azzuri was the other team that played in the 1970 World Cup Final in Mexico. A Tremendous team, who many thought might be able to shut down the high powered Brazilians. Gianna Rivera, Luigi Riva, Faccechitti and of course the great Dino Zoff, who for that whole summer I called Koff cause I got my Ks and Z's mixed up. A slap on the ear from Brendy Murphy, " ya eeejit", changed that quirk quicker that any teacher could. These cards are from James Doyle's original collection. His mother Rita mailed them to him last week. James is not quite sure if this was from "Shoot" magazine or "Sweetie Fags". Either way we didn't get any of the double entendre as kids in cloistered Ireland.
Thanks Rita. Click on the image for a closer look at pre hippie, late sixties Euro hairdo

Polaroid: Instant Joy

I was thrilled to get the call from Photographer and curator Andrew Garn to be a part of his new show, Polaroid: Instant Joy, which will be opening on July 19th at A.M Richard Fine Art in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Included in the show are illustrious Large Polaroid practitioners, William Wegman, Chuck Close, Bill Day (his Warhol to the left), Jennifer Trausch, Barbara Mensch, Sally Mann to name a few. Andrew is a unique character who most certainly marches to his own tune. His last show "Lost Amazon", his work in the Brazilian Rain Forrest, was a combination of images and video. Moving and thought provoking, Andrew showed up dressed in a full Has-Mat outfit. His shows are a full contact experience. For this upcoming one covered in Polaroid goo is a possibility I am told. Please come on over and see some great large and small format artists using one of the worlds most enjoyable mediums.The opening reception will be Fri June 25thth

My First Time.

Everyone remembers their first time. Where you were, what it was like. How your heart raced right up to the minute it started, hoping it was going to be everything everyone had said it would be. You have been waiting for this all your life. All those long, long seven years. The boys jump up and down at the center circle, the ref blows the whistle and your off. Mexico '70. That was my first time. My first World Cup.
With the onslaught of the 2010 World Cup media attention, the images of my first have been feverishly replaying in my mind of late. It was the year the greatest international football team of all time, Brazil, came together and meshed perfectly like the scab on a healthy child's knee. Tostao, Jairzhino, Gerson, Carlos Alberto. The revelation of the tournament, he of the 70's detective tache, Rivelino. Kieran Healy in Cork still wears one proudly today in tribute to the great Corinthian. And of course, #10 Pele. The Black Pearl, he was that precious. It was the tournament of the Adidas Telstar football, that of the black and white diamonds, so you could see it better on TV. Every kid had to have Adidas boots and ball after that. It was the year I watched my idol, Bobby Charlton, look like the old man he was becoming under the sweltering Leon sun, and holding back the tears after England were knocked out by West Germany. "There will be no cryin for England in this house" someone muttered loudly enough for me to hear. I ran out into the street looking for consolation, found Timmy McCarthy who was jumping for joy. "The English were beaten" he screamed. "But we support Manchester United" I said, "and Bobby Charlton is one of ours", "So Whaaat" he sneared. I was absolutely lost. And actually this a very good synopsis of 100 years of Irish-English relations.
It was also that summer, for the first time, my father left me stay late up to watch something on TV. I didn't even know the match was being televised but my father woke me at 11:00pm, our grainy black & white box brought up to our bedroom, rabbit ears searching for the signal. My two brothers, my father and I all sat on the bed watching the worlds greatest sporting event. Tea and cream crackers for everyone. It came to light in a roar of fuzz, a hazy mish mash of movement. There was something there alright, yeah a football, is that the crowd? - that's Clodoaldho!!!! And the names, could they be more exotic? I don't think so. Then, clear as day it appeared on the screen, the two South American giants pushing the ball around as if we were all playing five-a-side up in Cassidy's Avenue. Cool as cucumbers. Could it even be real. Brazil vs Uruguay, Semi-Finals, watching football, in bed, at night, Live!!!!! This is the life isn't it?. Even though it wasn't in color I still remember the harshness of the afternoon light on the players, and the sweat. Real man sweat. Summer in Ireland never saw a sun like that day in Guadalajara. Couldn't we do this every summer? Why was it four years apart, no wonder Bobby only played two tournaments, and why was this my first time to glimpse the artistry of Edison Arantes do Naciemento, Pele. But in the end the Gods made it right, its the intervals between the tourny that make the event so much sweeter and special. The expectations for ones country to do well, or even qualify. Having those years to smolder, waiting for the first whistle to blow, to sound a new generation of Football Gods. Nobody remembers every single summer, or every game of every World Series, but everyone remembers their first like it was yesterday. Their first World Cup. The 19th World Cup kicks off in South Africa today. We will all be at Slane pub NYC tomorrow for England vs USA.

Lets hear it for the Boys

With the 19th Fifa World Cup starting tomorrow on the other side of the globe in South Africa, and all the glamor and glitz that goes with it, lets not forget the lads who show up every weekend for some basic, good old fashioned footy. Who dreamed they would be on the big stage one day, with their hero's, but only made to the field down the road. Doesn't matter, their still playing. And let's not forget photographers like Duchman Hans van der Meer who's project European Fields the landscape of lower league football has become my favorite sports monograph. No screaming fans, no wags, no world renowned stadiums. Just guys, a ball and a pitch. And if your lucky, sometimes a ref. And if your really lucky a pitch that doesn't slope.

All in a days work

Back in the saddle again, the old song went. Among the days jobs, were shooting at the dawn in Maspeth Queens, the railway lines still functioning behind me as a mode of transportation for the innumerable factories and plants dotted along the creek just beyond. Then collecting the 17 students from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta GA, along with Professors Simon Sparks and Guggenheim recipient Alan Loehle , we charted the progress of my "Sleeping Giant | 11101 rezoned" project. The students visit was dubbed "And just what does count as art ...?", I hope they weren't looking for any answers from my direction. It was a great day and made me realize once again that even though it can be a struggle some times, its all about keeping the dream alive.