HEART AND SOUL

The history of Joy Division sounds like it would be one of those crazy, sordid rock n roll THS. Eclectic artist commits suicide amid working class carnage of the Thatcher regime in 80's Britan. But it couldn't be further from that old chesnut. Partly true. Suicide, wastelands of young Englishmen searching for a vent from an right wing administration that had left them for dead. But Joy Division's anger was as much personal as political and their sound crafted by the band and producer Martin Hannett struck a different chord among the angry young men of the 70's music revolution. Ian Curtis, who died may 18th 1980, left a far more moving legacy than most rock deaths. Not a live fast-die young and leave a good looking corpse suicide, his was one of doom and desperation. One that many an unemployed youth could eerily identify with. The two albums, recorded a year apart, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, redefined not only the musical landscape of the time but how young men perceived themselves in the chaotic days in the height the Tory regime. Bleak, and unremitting, these guys tapped into a much more mature ennui. Once they had released She's Lost Control and Love Will Tear Us Apart, the days of Teenage Kicks had been put to bed forever. To be perfectly frank when I heard Closer for the first time, it scared the shit out of me. They were talking about life and death and love in a truly profound way. A scary way, real. A new voice that seared into ones soul. They created a sound that would be emulated, copied and revered for the next twenty five years. To say they are THE most influential band of the last quarter century is no hyperbole. They are. To see their legacy just look at the bands littered throughout the last quarter century, including the big ones, U2 and REM, and here the nerve jangling guitar first created in Factory Studios, come searing out of every pore and every chord they play. Look at New Orders critical and commercial success, to see their vision realised. "Here are the young men the weight on their shoulders"
All of this comes about with the advent of Anton Corbijn's film Control.
I am thrilled that the man who created a photographic style all his own based on his love of this one band, got to make this film. I was ready with my sweaty $10 to be first in line and but on writing this entry two weeks ago I became wistfully blue, the thought of my youth long gone, it all seemed too much to go through again, so I left it to my compadres to evaluate the film which by all accounts is just... great. Thank you once again Ian.

I AM SPARTACUS! I AM SPARTACUS! I AM SPARTACUS! I AM..... THE BP

Well the Bitter Photographer has gotten the rumour mill humming with his posts on many of the photographer bloggers. Posting annonomously, I'm sure someone will figure out who it is in time to come, but for now many names are being bandied about as to who it is. His / Her posts, are slightly disparaging but I'm sure taken with a grain of salt. Whats irony if it doesn't sting a little, right, though Alec does seem to be unfairly coming in for the brunt of it. Chin up, what doesn't break you will only make you stronger. Get some posts going and get back in the game man. I'm sure someone is in his sights next, a Photo Editor or will that bite the hand that feeds him? Now if only kubrick were alive to bring it to the screen. If BP has the same package as Kurt were all up shit creek.

ROAD TO MOROCCO

If I was ever going to hit the height of celebrity highs, this is the iconic image that I would like to be recreate for myself. Beautiful woman, exotic local, indifference to the whole surrounding, fabulous. It is 1960's billionaire John Paul Getty and his beautiful Dutch wife Talitha on the roof of their Marrakesh home, The pleasure Palace. Its a sad image in lots of ways because non of the protagonists are still alive but for me it reflects not only a place in time, but of that new young generation of globe trotters, taken to wearing local costume but still oozing European wealth and flamboyance. Taken in 1969 by the 5th Earl of Lichfield, Patrick Anson, better know as Patrick Lichfield, major celebrity in his own right and no stranger to the lifestyles of his subjects, by his own admission. I bring this up for two reasons. One, I assisted for Patrick years ago and grew very fond of him, a terrific man. After his untimely and shocking passing I tried unsuccessfully to purchase this image from his studio in London, for my own new home. It is my favorite image of his. Maybe if Ian is reading we can again try to get this going. And secondly my wife is in this historic North African City as we speak. I hope she logs on to see this and know that she is safe to enjoy her visit without me waisting every bodies time, spending days on end, trying to recreate this scene with the two of us on any Marrakesh roof top I could find. Oh, apparently I am being brought back a djellaba looking thing JP is wearing so no one is safe at Old Queechy, N.Y. next summer

AutoChrome Redux

Well its happened. The day that we all knew was approaching, the one that would descend upon us like the plague, Leave us nowhere to run and have us ready to sell the shop. No not the Mets missing the playoffs, but close. Chrome, the almost forgotten word in photographers lexicon these days, raised its ugly head to a very young art director last week, a she turned on it like an ugly step child. Alright, so she had never heard of it, but considering its my film of choice and I am very close to it, it was a shocker. Your first time always is. The day is here, the ones born into the digital age are coming home to roost. This is the platform on which many of the great modern photographers based their work, so the far away glaze in her eyes threw me when told her how I work. It was pretty dismaying to find someone in such a position of power? to have never heard or SEEN a positive. I then called it a slide and there was some recognition but it wasn't till I pulled it out and showed her, excuse me, in all its 8x10 glory, that the light bulb went on. Baffled she was. "How do you do photoshop on it, you don't, its all in camera first. " It really was like Christmas morning for a three year. Pure wonderment. Now this wasn't some podunk agency, this was one of the big ones in a large market, and when I showed her the size of the camera, well, if anyone says size doesn't matter.... So this is what we are up against. Everyday someone new and much younger than many of us, joins an agency or magazine and at times it does feel like its back to the drawing board. But hopefully I can use this meeting?, lesson? and parlay it into something at least like a job. For the kiddos all this chrome stuff is new again, little bit like discovering Joy Division 27 years later, and it can be beneficial if you can manipulate it to your advantage but you really do feel father time breathing down you back. Neg people, its not far behind you either.

THE THIRD PERSON

"Not Chelsea or Milan. I want to stay with Barcelona - that is my wish, that is the wish of Ronaldinho."
Words from the worlds greatest living football player. Does this make the BP (Bitter Photographer) the worlds greatest living photographer. Speaking in the third person, is that what I've been missing all this time, damn.

PROJECT DIVERSITY

This is the Queens Council for the Arts in NYC, new project. Going on all through September and November at a gallery near you.

PAGING Dr HEIMLICH!! PAGING Dr HEIMLICH!!

Now that our New York Mets have accomplished something no one in the annals of Major League Baseball has, the greatest choke job in sports (ehhhhh, sorry, Yankees 4-3 lose to the Red Sox must be greater) still, its time for the post mortem to begin. Two New Yorkers have written today on the agony of the every day fan. Both hit right at the core of what it is like to live and die with a sports franchise. Mark Vaccaro in the NY Post and the great Richard Cohen in the Washinton Post. Of course the NY Post came up with the heading