Third Studio term- eighth week thru April 3rd

Got my paper off to Carlos finally despite two hospital and doctor visits. Now I am rereading the anthology on Situation and the MassMOCA book on the Situationists exhibition.
The blue sky is killing me. I want to shoot a selection of homes in Greenville and the full blue March sky does not work for me. The weather bureau is calling for snow on Friday—forgive me I am excited. The banks are melting slowly and spring will come by May first. I am shooting in the afternoons to get better light, but it is still not what I want. Forgive me I am whining. I explored the website Blurb and I am reviewing materials in my archive to develop my storyline. The photographs from ten years ago show many buildings and businesses gone, but the general feel of Greenville is the same. I love the old marketing materials, postcards and newspapers. This space was hopping a hundred years ago!

Third Studio term- seventh week thru March 27th

Not a good week. The chest pain and nausea make action unpleasant. Monday we drove to New Hampshire. Tuesday I drove to Boston for my artist teacher critique. It was a great meeting. I feel a clear direction, progress and the book mission is coming together nicely. I visited E.P Levine and my film developer, Color Services. It was a long day. The drive home was brutal, but showing my work and discussing my plan and ambitions is rewarding. I ended up in the hospital all day Wednesday because the pain was too much to bare. Thursday I saw my doctor as a follow up than we drove home to Maine. It was a crazy time, but I am really excited about the work and Laura asks great questions. I attended a lecture at MassArt before our meeting, The State of Ata by Mile Mandel and Chantal Zakari. Their visual critique of modern turkish culture through the popular use of iconography and Ata's cult of personality offered numerous examples of creating situations. The work is fresh and engaging as was their presentation of it. I loved the Zine in their book, Taxi Rides. The graphic use of the comic book and playful setting of situations with taxi drivers to find new statues of Ata was fun and revealing of the presence and depth of Ata in Turkish society. Great work!

Third Studio term- sixth week thru March 20th

Outlining paper for first mailing of visual culture project. I examined a few of my favorite photography books and ones suggested to me. The works of Bill Burke, An-My Le, Alec Soth, and Alan Sekula shared their passions and perspective while requiring different degrees of knowledge: aesthetic and contemporary. When ideas are communicated effectively, they have a curious contagious effect and led you to more ideas and so forth. This is the beauty of lifelong learning and all these artists achieve this. Their work lives on beyond them, independent with each new viewer. I love books.
Thursday was St. Patrick's Day and it was not a celebration. I had a gallblader attack and plurasey—not fun. Writing between wenses.

Third Studio term- fifth week thru March 13th

Drove to Rockwood and photographed sites: road in and out with views of Squaw Ski area, Moose Mt. and of Kineo, closed elementary school, post office, churchs, store, school bus, snowmobile trail, House for sale et more. The afternoon sun cast surprizingly harsh shadows for this time of year. I reluctantly stopped. Deer were graving through the snow in Maynards front lawn. I will defineately return once the rain and snow subside. On the Lily Bay side of Moosehead, I photographed signs of the season, road limits. There are points in the road that I acknowledge each trip. The first sign of Squaw Mt Ski Area's trails lined up with the icy Lily Bay Rd. The condition of the road is a study in itself [of cource I have been shooting that too ;)]. The stricking difference between county and state standards shocked me when I drove to Rockwood. It was black pavement the whole way. The Lily Bay road is a luge course of snow packed by log trucks. It is a significant economic corridor for the timber industry.
I am all settled back into my studio. Jocko did a great job. It is more crozy and warm and especially nice it is consistent. Cheers to Robinson Oil's Jocko!

Third Studio term- forth week thru March 6th

Photographed bussinesses in Greenville. The number of closed sites is twice the usual plus due to winter and the economy. Sites included the old A and P, soon to close Chamber of Commerce, gas station, book store, AMC office, et more. Laying out the images on my floor the nature of winter and its crush upon our economy is stricking. The storms stop commerce. So many driveways are closed up with the number storms that have hit. The stricking difference of the townscape in summer will be an interesting pairing.

My heating system has been replaced and I am cleaning up and resituating all my things into workable spaces. It was a very hard three weeks. To not be able to get to my books let alone migrate between my usual work spaces was a shock to my system. I am eager to get back into the groove and try the scanning technique Laura's assistant adviced. Time is flying by. We have had unbelievable cold; Too cold to photograph. I tried and all my layers and glooves were not enough. Below zero is an awful space to try to achieve any mechanical operation.

Third Studio term- third week thru February 27th

I have been shooting the Frenchtown Road and along Lily Bay Rd., in Greenville and around the camps. I read the anthology, Situation as a primer for the ideas I am working through this term. I acquired the books from my bibliography and supplimentary materials. I am disecting books: their structure and substance. The use of text and supplementary imagry [found materials] interests me. The book's arc makes me think of fly fishing, that beautiful hock, pull, catch and release. My favorite books are Bill Burke's I want to Take Your Picture, Alec Soth's From Here to There, August Sanders' Face of Our Time, Fazel Sheikh's The Victor Weaps, and Alan Sekula's Fish Story. I have narrowed it to ten but these are the big five. I am in awe of August Sanders' People of the Twentith Century. I have shoot in the Moosehead Lake region for over twenty years and the archetypes are an easy pause on the nature of space.