raw organic nature experience

Ally went with me to the headlands today for my class photoshoot. Photography in nature is something I have felt to be the most exhilarating, raw, organic, natural feeling possible over the years, and especially this summer on the nude shoots. It's a catharsis! I decided to shoot some shots in the manmade bunkers to give a juxtoposition of the nude form in the mankind creations and the nude form in nature. Ally posed increadibly well. I asked her to pose in a contorted manner to create tension with the manmade environment and then to pose soft and fluidly with the natural environment. She also had a great idea to capture some motion, be it actual motion or just a suggestion of motion. I guess the most amazing part was that not only were her poses just coming so naturally and easily (compared to most models) (probably because she is a photographer, but the shots just seemed to create themselves. There was definitely some evidence of divine inspiration. After seeing her lie on dirt, grass, wood, as well as concrete, it was apparent that she was becoming literally one with the earth...after all the dirt and scratches she had all over her. I joined her for some poses and it was such a natural and free feeling to lie nude on the earth, or on trees, and feel by body becoming part of where it was brought out of. The one shot of Ally and Me curled up in the fetal position with our bodies intertwined almost in the shape of a yin yang was something that just came naturally with no thought or planning, after litterally feeling our birthroots. Being that she was unshaven (as women are NATURALLY!) and this added the most beautiful texture, lines, curves to the shots. She was also willing to hold her body in very exact positions on high trees, in the weeds, on the dirt, concrete and branches. It was an amazing shoot.

a great quote today found on Yahoo's interactive responses to Stephen Hawking's question: "How will the Human Race survive another 100 years?"

this answer relates to the topics being covered in my Art history class in which Aristotle contradicts Plato's philosophies by giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming they will always act their worst.

The quote:

"I think the only way we can be certain that it will is by re-examining some of our most basic assumptions about politics, economics, religion, science, and each other. It's those assumptions that have lead us into this situation.

Those assumptions have created social institutions that are built around worst-case scenarios, and, not surprisingly, they often produce worse-case situations. We need systems that allow us to be our best, instead of systems that force us to do our worst."

Fireworks are an interesting institutionalized celebration...they celebrate war! It's no wonder why it always sounds like a war on the 4th of July, it was intended to. Some body in the audience tonight (of the fireworks show at the wharf in San Francisco), shouted out "LOUD NOISES, BRIGHT LIGHTS, WHOO HOO, I LOVE AMERICA".

Hmm...will we survive with that attitde?

back in action and letting go

It's been a long time since i blogged. but now i have art school to blog about. so much to write down! So i'll dive "write" in (no pun intended).

The photo intensive had been exactly that for me this summer. Intense. From my instructors critique of my work as being too "over the top", and needing to be more subtle, to David Maisel, the environmental aerial photographer talking of his evolution of being more subtle in his work with his message, it's been a lot of evolving for me already.

I have been open to learning to let go of many things in the past couple years. Now I am having to let go of the one thing that has been a consistent in my life for the past 10 years...my activism. As i just talked about with a good artist friend, Ally, this morning, activism and art are two different thigns. Sure they can be combined, but is art as effective when combined with activism? It can be...if you are making art for adbusters or some such politically oriented medium. But fine art in galleries...no, not a good idea. People are looking for a fantasy realm to escape the realities of this fucked up world. If you just remind them of it with a blazing message of what they already see everday around them...why would they want to buy that?

So I am learning to let go of my preconcieved notions of people, photography, imagry, my message, and to break all my old habits and look at the world afresh. Seeing a clearcut the other day during our photo shoot for class, i immediately stepped into my regular composition habit of putting the bulk of the image as a negative space and placing the subject to one side. I stopped and decided to just get closer and fill the frame with the trees and stumps for a more subtle themed photo. Much to learn, much to learn.