onward

Leaving one for another... headed to Seattle!

Have the blasts of sorrow worn thee,
Have the rocks of danger torn thee,
And thus shifted, wreck-like drifted,
Wouldst thou find a port in time?
Vain the quest! That word sublime—
God’s great one word,
Silent never, pealeth ever,
Onward! 

Hast thou done all loving duty,
Hast thou clothed thy soul with beauty,
And wouldst rest then, wholly blest then,
In some sunny lapse of time?
Vain the hope! The word sublime—
God’s great one word,
Silent never, pealeth ever,
Onward!

Hast thou won the heart of glory,
Hast thou charmed the tongue of story,
And wouldst pause then for applause then,
Underneath the stars of time?
Vain the lure! That word sublime—
God’s great one word,
Silent never, pealeth ever,
Onward!

Truth and virtue hast thou wrought for,
Faith and freedom hast thou fought for,
And then shrinkest for thou thinkest
Paid is all thy debt in time?
Vain the thought! That word sublime—
God’s great one word,
Silent never, pealeth ever,
Onward!

From endeavour to endeavour,
Journeying with hours for ever,
Or aspiring, or acquiring
This, O man, is life in time,
Urged by that primal word sublime—
God’s great one word,
Silent never, pealeth ever,
Onward! 

                       -Charles Harpur

                         1845

revise

Front Cover

 Center Booklet Image

Back Cover

Revised Album Art for Lariats up-coming release Our Native Tounge is Bad News! Images taken from an adventure long past at the Wildlife Museum in Tucson, AZ. Awaiting lyrics and additional info, but pleased with how things are shaping up!

in progress

 

Shot at a Luchador match in South Tucson with my Pentacon

Image I'm working on for the up-coming release of the band Lariat's full length record, Our Native Tongue is Bad News.  

Release is set for the holiday season! 

versailles

Image by Lauren Greenfield for her film "The Queen of Versailles"

Go see it.

middle grey

recent scan from not so recent adventure

greetings from...

Like every great polaroid, dad manages to include his thumb...

After a very intense 9 weeks working at summer camp, I'm taking a much needed reprieve from the Tucson summer, and hunkering down in the mountains of Idaho for an extended vacation. Even though I've been home less than 24 hours, it is safe to say that I am much better suited for a Northern landscape. Updates and adventures to follow!

value

In these hard economic times, I take to the estate sale circuit. For ten dollars, one can get quite a few treasures!

Project Camp

The best part of camp : making the demo projects

Spirit Sticks

It's full on summer in Tucson, and I've got my bucket of sunscreen and kiddie-pools of ice water at the ready! I've been pretty sparse on my posts as of late, but ONLY because I've been given a great opportunity to be the facilitating director of the arts programing at a wonderful summer camp in the foothills of Tucson. It's been a busy time to say the least. We just kicked off camp this Monday, and it has been so interesting to navigate children between the ages of 5-11 than it is (obviously) with my undergraduate students. There is something so refreshing about unbridled creativity that hasn't been tainted by the daunting constructs of higher art education. It's a lot of running around, but I'm enjoying it so far! I've started a sister blog for the projects we will be making for the next 9 weeks. You can check out what we are up to here.

dog day

The most accurate visual description of my physical state... Future Lisa Simpson

 I've been sick as a dog for five days, this is my first attempt to be creative : Tiny victory.

beat and measure

Forgetfulness is like a song
That, freed from beat and measure, wanders.
Forgetfulness is like a bird whose wings are reconciled,
Outspread and motionless, --
A bird that coasts the wind unwearyingly.

Forgetfulness is rain at night,
Or an old house in a forest, -- or a child.
Forgetfulness is white, -- white as a blasted tree,
And it may stun the sybil into prophecy,
Or bury the Gods.

I can remember much forgetfulness. 

                                           -Hart Crane

so super so

So Super So Sweetie on a Saturday Stroll

the false, the fake, the fabricated

I can't begin to describe how amazing the past few months have been teaching at the University of Arizona. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the brightest, hard working, and thoughtful students, and I am already feeling nostalgic as the semester is coming to a close. With that said, on May 3rd from 6-8pm, my students will be exhibiting work that they produced for class. It will be an event that one should definitely not miss! Please come and support your fellow photographers!

monday + pix pix

My expression stays the same

After the lightning to my thunder moved back to Slovakia early last summer for an amazing Fulbright project, I have been in a lull of creative darkness without our daily chats. This morning however, I had the pleasure of engaging in a futuristic conversation with pix pix via skype. It's moments like this where I can truly appreciate technology and super awesome friendships!

Spelenology

best subjects are often your worst enemies

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness.

in : dreams

series of strange dreams and spirit projections = an escape

Visions and Visionaries

My two favorite things as I welcome the dawn of spring: 

Works by Forest Bess and Songs by Grimes

Weather vs. Weather

NYC > TUS

I may need to pack a sweater

double phantasm

early morning : sun porch

Misfit

The dirt road was hilly and there were sudden washes in it and sharp curves on dangerous embankments. All at once they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of trees for miles around, then the next minute, they would be in a red depression with the dust-coated trees looking down on them. 

 -Flannery O'Connor

crazy town

I have a new muse, her name is Lisa Nowak

moonless

 Today is a special day for planting seeds: Mahashivaratri

Mahashivaratri, or the ‘The Night of Shiva,’ is celebrated with devotion in honor of Lord Shiva. Shivaratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which corresponds to the month of February - March in English Calendar. (AKA Today!!) Devotees strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri, absolves a person of sins and liberates him from the cycle of birth and death. Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious for women.Tonight I'm dedicating my Monday practice to this auspicious day, and planting conscience desires for my future. You should too!

muse - wednesday

In a dirty old town with a conscious so clean - Gram

untrue narratives

Due to a lucky turn of events, I am now an adjunct professor teaching an upper level photography class at the University of Arizona. Unlike the many foundational photo class I have taught in the past, this class (titled 'untrue narratives') is a conceptually based. Untrue Narratives explores the concept of the pseudo-event and the manner in which photography validates these events. I am so excited to take on the challenging concepts that arise, and am hoping that this will lead to more classes in the future. 

If you are interested in what we are doing, I've set up a blog where anyone in my class can post photos to engage in on-going dialogue. Feel free to post comments!

You can check out The Untrue Narrative blog here! (class just started, so give us some time to accumulate imagery!!)

feng shui

(exerpt part II from anthology)

I woke up this morning with the same empty pit that gnaws at my stomach.

On the opposite side of a backward-orientation, I pretend I’m still sleeping.

The elevator slowly moves to the 5^th floor and jolts for a split second. As I loose my balance, I am saved from the inevitable motions that propel me through the day. 

As the lift continues to move, my brief reprieve has vanished and I exit into the last waking days.

an unknown truth

“I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say.” 

-Flannery O'Connor

Tectonic

shifts

concave

(exerpt from an anthology of poems I'm putting together...)

I can spend hours, days, months trying

Slip outside of skin

I manage otherwise

To live outside

I can make mountains

I can concave

I am uncertain as to weather this whether

I am stuck

Like sticky mud that catches shoes

Suctions off to leave struggling

Balancing with an exposed white, cotton sock

Like a topiary labrinth

Where hedges grow around

Open paths

A constant: crossed wires blur

And never ending waves of static become the august of this canto

           

transient

Still image from 'miniature photograph' project a former student of mine made 

(paintbrush used for scale)