Saturday, August 16, 2003
Used to be that sleeping in late on weekends was what I lived for. These days, I seem to be waking up even earlier Saturday morning than I do during the week. Although I've frittered away a good part of the mornig by dawdling over an extra cup of coffee and slowly coming alive, I haven't been a total slug yet. There are three emulsion transfers drying, made using the leftover positives from earlier Polaroid image transfers, samples of plastic art bags have been ordered from Impact Images to see how well they'll work for display of some smaller works, and I'm trying to get motivated enough to brave the heat, humidity and crowds at Home Depot for the supplies I need to start on a UV light source.
Don't get the idea that I'm bursting with energy. It's one of those hot sticky days when the slightest movement wears you out, where a cool bath and a nap in front of the air conditioner are more likely futures than anything resembling productivity. I may have to force myself to move, though. The weekend is too short for all I want to get done. The light's lousy for any photo adventures outside but the Daylab's set up and I've got one pack of 669 film left. There are prints to mount and mat, bills to pay, housework and plenty of other chores.
Damn, but that nap sounds good, though.
Posted by coldmarble @ 10:25 AM ET [Link] [blab]
Thursday, August 14, 2003
I don't think this afternoon at the gallery could have gone any better. Had a very pleasant chat with Steve, one of the partners in the gallery. Not only are things looking good for getting a show on their schedule next year but as soon as I can find some appropriate poly bags to protect my smaller alt-process prints from fingerprint damage, they want me to display some of them as "affordable art" in their cafe area. Makes sense to me... not everyone has a spare $500 for a sculpture or $5,000 for a painting, but damn few patrons of a gallery will choke at $50 for a small one-of-a-kind handmade print.
No firm date on the show yet, but I'll be getting some of my pieces out of the house and into the public eye. At the worst, it'll help declutter this place and may even finance some new photo toys. I'm sure there are some who'd turn their noses up at the notion of "carry-out art" or "art-to-go" but I've got better things to worry about than the opinions of pretentious asshats.
During our chat at the gallery, I felt relaxed enough to mention how absolutely terrifying it was to stumble through the door with my arms full of prints. A long discussion followed, taking in the standard "Impostor Phenomenon or Syndrome" and going on to explore its implications in the art world. I was stunned to hear how many artists come into the gallery to discuss the possibility of a show and start apologizing for their work. Looking around the gallery, at all the marvelous work hanging in the current show, I couldn't imagine anyone feeling the need to apoplogize for any of it (except for that strange stuff off in the far corner ;-) ). Why are we so fearful of our own imagined shortcomings? Is it so hard to see that despite the apparent skills, technique and talents of those around us, there are things we know and do that are equally and uniquely valuable and important? Well, yeah, I guess it is or this dummy wouldn't have been such a scaredy-cat walking in the gallery door this afternoon, now, would I? ;-)
Posted by coldmarble @ 08:58 PM ET [Link] [1 blab]
It's not the thick humidity or the heat that has me sweating a little this morning. It's anticipation of swinging by a local gallery with a collection of my prints later this afternoon. I stopped by on my way home from work yesterday to inquire about the possibility of showing my work and set up an appointment to meet with them today. I hope they have the patience to deal with a bumbling amateur, as this will be the first time I've approached a real gallery about showing my work. I'm clueless about the process, have no idea what to expect, what to do or say, or perhaps more importantly, what *not* to do or say.
They seem friendly and laid back enough to make the experience almost a fun one, if my nerves will allow that to happen. I always get a bit jumpy before something new, and this is as about as different as anything I've done. My mind's chasing after phantoms, all the things I've not done or things I don't even know to worry about yet. Part of me wonders if the whole idea isn't merely an execise in hubris, that I'm not really ready, that my work needs to grow and get much better before I even contemplate a step like this.
Then another part says, "Fuck it, dude! Go for it!"
So, yeah, maybe I've taken complete leave of my senses.
Wish me luck this afternoon?
Posted by coldmarble @ 09:34 AM ET [Link] [3 blabs]
Monday, August 11, 2003
And one more negative Polaroid transfer to start Dan's day with a smile.
Posted by coldmarble @ 07:58 AM ET [Link] [2 blabs]
Sunday, August 10, 2003
I was a good boy and organized my slides, set aside new prints for the next mounting and matting session and then decided to reward myself with a little photo play. The weather's too hot, hazy and humid to make lugging a bag full of camera equipment around town. I was reading Polaroid Transfers: A Complete Visual Guide to Creating Image and Emulsion Transfers so I dug out the Daylab slide printer and a pack of Polaroid 669 film. It'd been a while since I'd made any transfers, so I started with the easiest of the image transfers, the wet process. My attempts there worked fairly well, so I got brave and tried a dry transfer. Both of these were from a color slide shot at the Farmers Market a few months ago, just a pile of apples in an old wooden crate.
In reading Carr's transfer book, I discovered that my Daylab printer could also handle negative strips as well as slides. Feeling a bit cocky from my earlier successes with the slide, I took a shot at printing an IR negative shot last winter at the train museum. With some yellow filtration to warm it and add some color, it didn't turn out half bad for a first try. This is a technique I may play with some more. Of course, the exposure and filtration can be refined quite a bit to improve the image, but for an experiment I can live with the results for now.
Posted by coldmarble @ 06:34 PM ET [Link] [blab]
