On the Radio
[Wake Forest University]
just another phenom shoot with the Wake Radio exec staff, bright and early this morning. tune into their Christmas playlist at http://radio.wfu.edu/2011/12/12/a-holiday-playlist/ it's a winner.
Marcus Aurelius
[Winston-Salem, NC]
Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman empire between 161-180 AD. He was a philosopher and is considered the last of the five good emperors of Rome-- among Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antonius Pius. These emperors are remembered in history for being wise, benevolent, and for laying the ground work for the contemporary welfare state.
Some wisdom from Aurelius includes: "A man should be upright, not be kept upright," and famously, "Do every act as if it were your last."
Marcus Aurelius Root Keely is the gallery manager and curator at the START Gallery in Reynolda Village. As an undergrad at Wake Forest Marcus studied English with minors in studio art and history. Most days Marcus finds his way to the gallery on a black road bike-- likely dressed in tweed with a clean neck tie. He stays informed on literture, design, and all things Swiss. Rumor has it he was the recipient of a Richter Scholarship to compete research on Cuban art... but perhaps that's merely speculation. Marcus, do you care to comment?
In Other Mediums
[Delmas 33, Oil on Canvas]
Haiti's presidential palace sits on Delmas 33. In the wake of the January 2010 earthquake it became the only division between the presidential ruins and one of the city's most populated refugee camps.
This work was my first venture into the abstract and is based on some time spent in Port-Au-Prince with a medical relief team following the earthquake. (The image below was shot standing on Delmas 33, though the painting was created in a studio in North Carolina.)
Sunset on Elk Lake
[Elk Rapids, MI]
this is the first time i've returned to a house i can truly call my parents' house. a home that was never my own in a town i do not know. at some point while i was busy romping around the southern hemisphere my family relocated from a coastal Carolinian island to the northern corner of a certain mitten shaped state.
water surrounds the charming village of Elk Rapids, Michigan bringing approximately 110 feet of lake effect snow annually. the locals make the most of the harsh winter by embracing outdoor activities including snow mobile-ing, cross country skiing, ice fishing, and hunting. summer season brings a heap of tourists from around the world to vacation on Torch Lake (rated 3rd most beautiful in the world by National Geographic Magazine.) the lakes are crystal clear like the waters of the Caribbean... it is not unusual to spot a sand dune or even sea oats along its' beaches.
after a hearty Thanksgiving meal we sat at the table sipping coffee and discussing a few things we were grateful for. in a years time, blessings tend to pile up. at least five of seven guests spoke with tears in their eyes. myself included. i'm determined there's nothing better for one's wellbeing than thankfulness. it just feels so darn good to focus on the positive. don't roll your eyes. or do...
after the meal we took a walk to the lake just as the sun began to slip below the cherry orchard... the water began to reflect the sunset the same way it would every evening of our childhood and for a short moment Elk Rapids felt like home. i still don't know a single street name, have never been to the grocery store, post office, or gas station. i don't even know the address. but today this is where my heart found rest. for that reason (perhaps just four days a year) the little yellow house tucked in the cherry orchard will be synonymous with home.
Charlie
[Winston-Salem, NC]
there are countless ways to know a person-- ranging from a quick assessment to discovering his drive and the nuances in between. most times you'll get a quick hit of passion or a small scoop of allusions pointing towards a general genre of human being. this sounds unreasonable and shallow. it is. there's no way to know a man in a moment, but we all tend to give it our best shot and make decisions based upon these assessments.
a few of my favorite ways to get a feel for someone: his shoes, immediate family, and stream of consciousness. let someone feel comfortable rambling to you and its staggering what you'll discover. let a man speak about his passion and you will receive an education.
Charlie is a third year history major at Wake Forest University. he wears trendy Nike tennis shoes and a fedora most days. his family is Japanese-American and Catholic. his passion is the world of cigars.
i met Charlie this semester in a class called Latino Voting Behavior where he is a well informed leader in class debate. when he's not in class, Charlie can be found in the courtyard writing and designing one of the foremost cigar blogs in the world. during breaks he travels to tour and review factories of the world's leading tobacco producers.
in addition to a number of facts about cigars and tobacco, Charlie let me in on a secret of another area of his expertise. ever need to spot an experienced debator? look for the student twirling his ink pen.
Surplus Sid's
[Carboro, NC]
Sid's is enchanted. it's the kind of place you expect to discover the door to Narnia.
Berry Keith, opened the doors to Surplus Sid's as an army surplus outfitter in 1988. his goods have slowly expanded to costumes, furniture, vinyl, antique magazines, and a respectable collection of wigs, masks, and top hats... and in case you need a wheelchair from the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt or an imitation electric chair, he has those too.
after an initial look around i returned with my 35mm and introduced myself to Keith and his sidekick (pictured) we shared some witty banter and they were kind enough to let me snap a few shots.
Keith's business partner and friend spends many evenings with his head nestled between a line up of wigs, puppets, and masks. as customers pass through, he'll ask if they need help finding anything... most respond with a solid shriek.
On Concrete Thinking
[Winston-Salem, NC]
traffics lights against the sunrise
exhale
night sky
autumn wind comes to stir the leaves
still
most nights i dream of the sea
Wake Radio
[Wake Forest University]
today, i spent the last bits of the afternoon with none other than the exec staff of Wake Radio-- and yes, they DJ as well as they look good.
tune in http://radio.wfu.edu
On Drive by Shooting
[Boone, NC]
listen: Beth/Rest by Bon Iver
every three to four weeks i find myself heading west towards Boone. each time determined to get that appalachian rugged mountain shot. the one with a harmonica, fly fisher, and slack liner in the same frame... the one that captures the sun bursting over the blue ridge... the fall colors at golden hour as if knit together by Rumple Stiltskin himself.
but if you've ever made it to Boone town you know that with that first breath of mountain air all intentions and inhibtions are sent floating back down the mountain atop Howard's creek.
so instead of spending the weekend shooting, i tend to leave the glass behind and allow the rugged beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains make its mark where it will... an additional scuff on my boots or restoration rustled through the trees. that's how i imagine restoration anyways... rustled. a wild shaking to reset.
35mm- multiple exposures
[Winston-Salem, NC]
image one: there's a yellow iron staircase that spirals underneath the lap pool.. it winds down to a cavern of sorts. really, its just an observation room but it's been long abandoned. no joke, there are stalagmites growing on the concrete from years of some small but constant drip, drip.
the Reynolds family, as in JR Reynolds tobacco, once owned all that is now Wake Forest University. they would summer at the Reynolda House.. a mansion that was supported by a small village especially designed to cushion the family's extravagant lifestyle. what is now Reynolda Presbyterian Church was origninally built as Katherine Reynolds chapel.
image two: my roommate Mary Kate Lewis-- she's all legs couldn't be further from the truth.