Austin Cemetery Snowstorm

We had a rare snowstorm in Austin today. Reminds me of 1985, soon after I moved here with my parents when we had almost 10 inches of snow. Coming from Illinois it was definitely something I had seen plenty of growing up. But we were not expecting it in central Texas. Maybe we brought it with us?

My plan was to stay home today, but I also wanted to get out on this rare occasion and take some pictures. The snow will likely not last long and probably will not return. So I put on my layers and decided to take a chance. And I’m not exactly sure why, but I chose to visit Oakwood Cemetery, just east of downtown. It’s been in use for almost 200 years and I have visited there before. As far as cemeteries go, it’s a nice one to walk with many fascinating details. During my visit, the snow was coming down at a steady clip, and surprisingly there were a few other brave embodied souls with a similar idea.

Onion Creek Greenbelt

Back in the fall of 2013 and in 2014, there were floods that made many of the 70’s era homes in the Onion Creek neighborhood of Austin unlivable. The city bought out many of them and they were demolished. Visiting these abandoned streets now feels quite odd. You can tell there used to be homes and people living there, but the traces are left merely to rows of useless driveways leading only to grassy fields and trees, strewn garbage, and other artifacts of some distant human presence. It’s striking that it is so easy to wipe almost clean a place lived in for decades.

After discovering that McKinney Falls was not accepting any more visitors because of limited capacity in the park, a friend and I decided to visit the Onion Creek Greenbelt. Neither of us had ever explored it. The GPS directed us to a spot at the back of this abandoned neighborhood. There was no obvious entrance to the greenbelt, so we walked down the eerie house-less streets in search of a way onto the trails. Eventually, we just pushed our way through a wall of spiny overgrowth at the back of someone’s former back yard and meandered for a while along many unused paths. When we started seeing people and dogs we knew we had found the main trail system.

What we were not expecting to find was a huge collection of old abandoned metal and concrete pipes strewn about the landscape in one area. They look quite old and possibly dislodged from underground during a flood some years ago. The discovery and timing were perfect, as the sun was starting to set, entering the golden hour. The shadows were getting longer, with the sun approaching the horizon, and the light quality was becoming somewhat softer and warmer. My friend and I both love ruins photography, abstraction, and composing the chaos and melding of nature and the man-made. Some of the collections of pipes and their intriguing accessory parts seemed to be like the ruins of an ancient temple. The kid in me felt kind of like an archeologist, finding a lost civilization in the jungle. But also like an artist attempting to create something new from what is at hand. A playful act of looking and seeking something visually appealing or interesting in the often overlooked. Here are some of my favorites from the hike. Nothing mind-blowing, but a fun exercise in a new creative environment full of potential.

Art Collecting Stories

Collecting art is one of my favorite things to do. My most meaningful pieces have come from friends and artists I’ve worked or connected with in a personal way. When I look at each piece of art in my collection I see its visual impact and physical attributes, but then there is also my memory of how I acquired it and the joy of the relationship with its creator.

Almost as enjoyable is the search for lost or unnoticed art treasures waiting patiently to be rescued from a thrift store or estate sale. In years past I made a point to visit stores and sales weekly in search of artworks that might be valuable or a nice addition to my collection. When Goodwill was still doing auctions, allowing people to bid on their nicest donations every Saturday, I would scout the offerings ahead of time and research anything that looked promising. I’ve developed a pretty good eye for original and unique pieces.

One of my favorite stories is of a painting of a rural scene with trees and a colorful house and fence. That stood out as an interesting choice by the artist. It was in a Goodwill auction, but the starting price I felt was too high. It would be nice to have but I wasn’t totally sure. So I let the auction pass and said that if that evening I went into the store and it was discounted and on the sales floor after no bids, I would buy it.

The painting was found in a bin waiting to be shelved post auction, at a cheaper price, so I happily bought it. After researching the signature I discovered that the artist lived in San Angelo, Texas. I gave him a call and he said he would be happy to meet with me. Later that year on my way to Marfa for my 40th birthday, I made a detour to see Mr. Hugh Campbell III. We had a very nice visit. I was thrilled to have made such a connection, but I don’t think Hugh was thrilled that one of his paintings ended up in a Goodwill. He didn’t remember that specific piece but was glad that I liked it and that I decided to rescue it and hang it on my wall.

His website is not working so I am not sure if he is still around or not. But I am very thankful that a bit of synchronicity at a thrift store connected me to him and that we got to meet.

Painting from 1996 by Hugh Campbell III, found at goodwill.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg, Russia

A Second Story - The painting you see here of The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I found at an estate sale on the last day when everything was half off. Seems it was overlooked because there appeared to be damaged, but I was able to tell that the glass in the frame just made it look that way. It’s an approx 8”x12” pristine watercolor, possibly with gouache accents. The fun part was trying to figure out what it was a painting of and then getting to learn all about the history of this gorgeous structure. The artist is unknown so there is still more to the mystery. I put the painting in a better frame with museum glass and I just love it. And I got to discover a new place to visit someday.

San Angelo artist Mr Hugh Campbell III, posing in his studio back in 2014. I had not put this panorama together before today. It’s 5 photos stitched together.

Dave McClinton

God Mother, 2020 Digital Collage 36 x 24 in by Dave McClinton

God Mother, 2020 Digital Collage 36 x 24 in by Dave McClinton

A little over a year ago I interviewed artist Dave McClinton on my Austin Art Talk podcast. His work aims to tell stories, start hard conversations, and help visually define current and historical black identity and inner life. I admit I was nervous about having that conversation. Thankfully it went very well and is still one of my favorites. Dave generously answered all of my questions and I feel like I am a better person for having had that talk. More conversations like it are definitely needed.

Below is a quote from the interview, a player to listen to it, and the information and statement pertaining to his exhibition at Ivester Contemporary that I just photographed.

“The things that I think people don’t understand or misunderstand about me is that sometimes when I’m hanging out with friends or hanging out with piers, I can’t help but make a joke or a comment about race. Because it is literally always there. It’s just always there. It’s an odd thing to constantly have that in your face all of the time. It’s heavy. I think it’s why black men die sooner than everyone else. That psychological weight is always there. And sometimes I wish I could explain to my friends what that’s like. I wish there was a way to convey to people, and maybe that’s what I am trying to do with the art, what that constant pressure feels like, because it is literally constant”
— Dave McClinton - Austin Art Talk interview

Ivester contemporary - MAIN EXHIBITION SPACE

Absolute Relativism

New Work by Dave McClinton
December 5 - January 9
Reception to be held from 7pm - 10pm on December 5

Ivester Contemporary is proud to present Absolute Relativism, a solo exhibition by Austin based artist Dave McClinton. This exhibition represents a continuation of the artist’s Black Life series, an ongoing project which began in 2015 and aims to illustrate the inner life-cycle of Black people in America. McClinton’s single edition digital collages focus on the bodies and portraits of Black people embellished with textures of foundational elements, symbols related to trade and status, as well as text from historical documents derived directly from America’s long and lingering history of slavery and white supremacism.

McClinton’s work boldly initiates and engages with the realities of being Black in America. The artist encourages his viewers to acknowledge and empathize with the pain inflicted upon Black people over the course of the history of America and also to admire the power, pride, and righteousness shown despite. McClinton illustrates that no matter the realities cast upon their backgrounds and bodies; the figures depicted in his work are defiant, never ashamed.

I Picked You A Flower-Orange Roses

I Picked You A Flower is a group exhibition I participated in at the beginning of 2020. Refer to my December 19th post for details. Inspired by the theme of the exhibition and my love of plants and color, I focused on the tradition of using flowers to communicate, and the specific meanings attributed to them. One of my first ideas with this flower was the classic and melodramatic image of the passionate tango dancer with a rose in their mouth. A cliche possibly started in an old Rudolph Valentino movie. My thought was why not instead use a small bunch of roses to push it to an extreme. To somehow illustrate the themes of uncontrolled animal passion, drama, pain, and on the other side of that, the peace and beauty of death.

“It is the flower of desire and forgiveness. To give away when you want to let people know that you are willing conquer everything and orange roses are just the beginning of a long and passionate courtship.”

Daphne & Cloe. Language and meaning of flowers. Edizioni R.E.I., 2017.

I Picked You A Flower-Yellow Chrysanthemums

I Picked You A Flower is a group exhibition I participated in at the beginning of 2020. Refer to my December 19th post for details. Inspired by the theme of the exhibition and my love of plants and color, I focused on the tradition of using flowers to communicate, and the specific meanings attributed to them. These images with Yellow Chrysanthemums were inspired by the three sources below. Out of the whole series, these are the hardest images to share and feel the most raw and vulnerable.

“Slighted love, . . . . . Chrysanthemum, yellow.”

Wirt, Elizabeth Washington. Flora’s Dictionary. F. Lucas, 1832.

“What seemed to be a promising courtship finished on a second date, when the young Englishman presented the Ukrainian girl with eight yellow chrysanthemums. What he didn’t know was that an even number of flowers (often chrysanthemums or lilies) is for funerals only, and that yellow is the color of farewell. The girl saw the flowers as a sign that the new relationship was over”

Shevchenko, Anna. Ukraine - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. Kuperard, 2012.

“Flowers are often used as a symbol of femininity. John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums" centers around the yellow florets, which are often associated with optimism and lost love. When the protagonist, Elisa, finds her beloved chrysanthemums tossed on the ground, her hobby and womanhood have been ruined; this suffices the themes of lost appreciation and femininity in Steinbeck's work.”

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, January 17). Language of flowers. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:20, Jan 28, 2020

I Picked You A Flower Exhibition

Back in February and March, I was in a group show at the gallery Vault Stone Shop. Meghan who owns the space had asked if I wanted to create new images for the exhibition and be a part of it. I took up the challenge and as I explain in the statement for the work below, it became a personal project to test my edge when it comes to self-portraiture.

The theme was “A visual exploration of obsession, entanglement, growth, regrowth, grand gesture, gender expectation, and coded communication.” My focus was specifically on the use of different flowers and what they could communicate, along with body gestures, and obsession.

Eryngo, Red Tulips, Yellow Chrysanthemums, and Orange Roses became my selfie partners as I moved in and out of the frame of my camera, on a tripod, and at a slow shutter speed to somewhat blur my face and body. It was an experiment and took a lot of trial and error. If my neighbors could have looked in the window mid-session, they might have thought I was some kind of self-interested weirdo with a flower fetish. Understandable.

Out of the hundreds of images I took, there were five that I chose to exhibit at Meghan’s gallery, as 20 in × 14 prints on Cold Press Fine Art Paper. The rest have never been seen until now. Over the next four days of journal posts, I will share images from each flower type and group, which did not make it into the show. As I say in the statement, I really like how the work turned out.

I Picked You A Flower Statement

It is definitely a thrill to present these brand new images to you, after not having made any new work for many years. This is a big deal for me. Thankfully the theme of the exhibition and the deadline inspired me to take action. Why was my resistance so strong for so long? Is creating something new really that scary?

After doing some research I discovered Floriography, or the language of flowers. It refers to the meanings and stories that have been attributed to flowers over many thousands of years by all the cultures of the earth. Inspired by this history of symbolism, the words of books old and new, a strong love of rich color, and with a desire to push my photographic limits into self-portraiture, I created these images.

I have always had a love for flowers and nature, and have many times been on both sides of the heartache and confusion that can accompany courtship and love. My intention in relationships is to always be as straightforward and honest as possible. So in keeping with that intention towards my work, these images were mostly realized in camera and not on a computer. I’m delighted with how this work turned out and am excited to see where this new direction takes me.

Plants Close-up

Back in April and May of this year I had the wonderful opportunity to live in Cedar Creek, just outside of Austin. The pandemic and quarantines were ramping up, and I needed a place to live. A very good friend offered their second home in the country. It’s a nice, solid, furnished house, on eight acres, fairly secluded. The timing was great for me since my work had slowed substantially. It was a chance to take a break from the previous non-stop train of events and work that I honestly did not know where it was all headed. Time to take a breather, and get grounded, and figure some things out.

There is more to say about that time, and what I learned, but today I would just like to share some images. Every day of those two months, I walked the long driveway from the front gate to the barn at the back of the property, over and over. I like to make sure I get in as many steps as I can each day. It’s not an obsessive-compulsive thing, just a desire to move and be healthy.

Along the way and through time I noticed many things changing. Some plants receded and seemed to disappear, while others grew and presented themselves anew. One of my favorite kinds of photography is Macro. You use a specific type of lens that can get closer than most, and magnify the details of the subject. For the past 15 years, I have been using macro lenses to create some of my best photos. Here are a few of those amazing plants that I saw one day. Details you might easily miss if not looking closely.

Draft Horse & Wendell Berry

“The concept of country, homeland, dwelling place becomes simplified as “the environment” — that is, what surrounds us. Once we see our place, our part of the world, as surrounding us, we have already made a profound division between it and ourselves. We have given up the understanding — dropped it out of our language and so out of our thought— that we and our country create one another, depend on one another, are literally part of one another; that our land passes in and out of our bodies just as our bodies pass in and out of our land; that as we and our land are part of one another, so all who are living as neighbours here, human, plant and animal are part of one another, and so cannot possibly flourish alone; that, therefore, our culture must be our response to our place, our culture and our place are images of each other and inseparable from each other, and so neither can be better than the other.”
— Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture

Before being involved in the world of farming, I don’t think I’d ever heard of Wendell Berry. Maybe you haven’t yet either. Wikipedia lists him as an “American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer.” Glad I know about him now. What a gift he has with words. This past week I finally listened to one of his books, The Unsettling of America, and was impressed. It’s the kind of book which shows you a different way to look at things with a big emphasis on critical thinking. I’ll be sharing more quotes from this book in future posts as I digest them.

As with Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, it is thick with deep thoughts to ponder and reread. The kind of book that after a first pass, I’m inspired to buy a physical copy and go over it again, with patient, thoughtful, and concentrated examination. For me, these types of works feel valuable and worth trying to understand and hopefully integrate the information more permanently.

In the book, Mr. Berry defends the use of draft horse in farming and his passion for it reminded me of when I visited Sand Creek Farm in Cameron, TX in 2014. It was a magazine assignment from Acres USA, to photograph a working farm still using animals for plowing and other farm labor. They needed images for an upcoming issue about homesteading and small scale farming. Draft horse is not common these days, other than maybe with groups like the Amish, or for shows and competitions that keep it alive. Lucky that there was a great example of a working farm only a few hours from Austin. I was excited by the prospect of getting to see and learn about a different way of living and a time-honored practice.

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“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”
— Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture

As I was driving there early before sunrise, a deer jumped in front of my car and totaled it. That was how the trip started, but after that it was wonderful. I spent the night at the farm and had a very enjoyable dinner with the owner Ben Godfrey and his family. Also, my friend Sarah who had worked at Johnson’s Backyard Garden was living and working there at the time, so it was nice to spend time with her. They gave me a tour of the whole operation which included, growing vegetables in the ground and with aquaponics in greenhouses, milking cows, making cheese, and the animals and equipment needed for draft horse. It was very nice of them to put in the time and complicated work of tacking up the animals and connecting them to plows, trailers, and carts. They demonstrated many of the various ways they used draft horse as I followed along with my camera to capture the story. See the photos below and the final Acres USA cover photo. Definitely one of my favorite jobs so far. You call this work?

It was exciting to be able to drive the horses down the road near the farm for a stretch. They are such powerful animals and so gentle and intelligent. I’ll not easily forget that experience any time soon. Not common at all where I come from! Thanks to Sarah for the photo, grabbed from Instagram.

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“When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound… I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
— Wendell Berry - The Peace of Wild Things

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Michael Anthony García

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Most often these days the freelance photography work that I get asked to do is related to the art world. Images of artwork in galleries and other related events. As is the case when the other day I heard from my friend, Austin artist Michael Anthony García. His work is up at Ivester Contemporary until January 9th, and he asked me to capture some images at the gallery. I love art and working in a gallery is a nice place to be. Check out the details of the exhibition, statement, and photos below.

Ivester contemporary -

Project Space

OLAS DE PERTURBACÍON (WAVES OF PERTURBATION)

New Work by Michael Anthony García

December 5, 2020 - January 9, 2021

Reception & Performance: December 18, 7-10pm

“Olas de Perturbación (Waves of Perturbation), which features new work by Michael Anthony García, explores the perception and malleability of time through a lens of Latinx Futurism. It is an exploration of the artist’s personal history growing up in El Paso, Texas (unfulfilled past futures,) reminders for a future self and the potentiality in the present. Through video, sculpture, and installation, Michael Anthony García sifts through his youth growing up five blocks from the border, which was then an inconsequential line that barely registered physically or politically as a barrier to him. Now as an adult, possessing dual Mexican and US citizenship, he crosses the barrier of time--the only thing standing between him and the memories--to guide himself to/ using his current understanding.”

Here is also an interview I did with Michael almost three years ago. That might sound out of date but as with most of my interviews, I ask a lot of questions about a person’s origin story and how they became an artist. Michael is one of the most innovative, passionate, and courageous artists I know. His performances are especially moving and poignant, often addressing issues of inequality, and the inherent humanity deserving of all people. His vulnerability and integrity always play a central role.

“My practice manifests itself through performance, sculpture, installation, photography, video and the blurred areas between them, engaging via my own personal stories and experiences navigating the human condition. Much of my work explores my layers of identity, how they shape me and affect my perception of/ by the world, in a political expression of Latinx Futurism founded in emotion, and utopian projection.”
— Michael Anthony García
An portrait I made of Michael at his Continental Divide Exhibition.

An portrait I made of Michael at his Continental Divide Exhibition.

Exploring The Armory

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While writing my post yesterday about Mueller, I was reminded of when back in 2012, I photographed the former National Guard Armory buildings. They had mostly been sitting empty I assume since the old airport closed, and that year the bond money was approved to renovate. It was not easy to get permission, but after some persistence, I was able to spend a few hours walking freely around the complex. My idea was to capture images of it exactly as it looked at that time, knowing that once it was completely renovated, a lot of the original and well-worn charm and details would be lost. Maybe someone would then like to hang some of those photos in the new space for nostalgic or artistic purposes? The intention was to be more proactive and create opportunities.

Come to find out after some searching, it is now called the Creative Media Center at Austin Studios plus Stage 7. The ribbon-cutting for the completion was almost one year ago. I honestly had forgotten all about it until now. So I dug up the photos and thought I would share my favorites with you. My photographic eye is reliably most drawn to color, texture, and line, and I search for framing that creates something more abstract than representative. Human use, time, non-use, and the elements all conspire to wear down anything man-made. Observing and capturing these kinds of artifacts, visual stories, and abandoned places is something I find enjoyable.

“The Austin Studios Expansion project is a collaboration between City of Austin and the Austin Film Society. As a part of the 2012 Bond, the City of Austin allocated $5.4 million for adaptive reuse of a 75,000 sf former armory building into a new Creative Media Center at Austin Studios. The Creative Media Center provides a collaborative environment for film and creative media makers, producers, and vendors. The project includes major renovation, construction of a new paseo and landscaped courtyards, site access and parking lot reconfiguration, security improvements, and major campus utilities work. Interior spaces include collaborative workspaces, flexible meeting rooms, tenant office spaces, and production facilities.”
— austinfilm.org

The Armory building complex as it looked in 2012.