Third Studio term- eleventh week thru April 24th

Preparing for my next critique with my artist teacher-mentor. I have been studying the materials of The Atlas Group. Ra'ad's offerings provide numerous models to extrapolate different means to voice my concerns for the contemporary social landscape and land use. It is playful to write my own history book. I have invented characters to explore the historical materials I have and connect to the present. The Atlas Group is a great model to juxtapose my competing concerns such as access, land rights, development, conservation, preserving traditions, and retaining industry. Life is a puzzle and all the pieces do not fit together nicely. This is indeed my life.
Learning the Blurb software is lame. I thought my edits looked good, but now I need to alter the images in photoshop again. I wanted to accomplish more this month. The process of making a book is not fun, at least not today. I love the photographing and collecting stories. I have been very stressed by the process. I have all these pages laid out but getting the scans right and the graphic design of the piece together takes another whole set of skills. I have decided to do a dumbie book for my critique and focus this next month on the technical execution of the piece. I need to focus on achievement of my project. I get too distracted and engaged in chasing every idea related to my proposition that I do not have the time to test and edit the final. This is a challenge in my writing too. I need to set limits to stop reading and layout the paper and in the studio to focus. Well, those are my faults besides sugar and swearing like a sailor [my grandfather was in the Navy and seldom swore, but I love this saying. I think of cute boys in sailor suits. I also think of the west village gay parade. All these things make me smile. See, I digress...]. Hope I get this is a good place. I am very stressed at present.
I love photography. It sustains my curiousity of what things are, who people are, and how things are so similar yet so different. I love to ask questions. The 8x10 camera is my favorite because it allows me to look. The practice of seeing the world around me, truly studying it, is a most joyful practice. I love the sending away of film and the recieving of images, 8x10 slides–so clear and present as the present moment. I love that. The power of memory as an affect is delightful. The current project is about the question of memory, mine and the viewer's, to connect meaning and it uses photography but photography is just a tool. This is a separation from practice as work to practice of an idea. This is the crust of conceptual work versus commercial. I want an affect not an object. Hummmmmmm. >^..^<

Third Studio term- tenth week thru April 17th

Editing and playing with versions of my pictures and collected materials.

Big news. The Plum Creek rezoning plan was thrown out by a state judge because the previous judge did not follow legal procedures of public comment. I hope the plan does not get thrown away. I want it to be over, but I do not want some of what it will bring—people, more people. So much was acomplished in all the hearings and many people contributed to the changes that matter to Maine people. They will need to run public hearings on the last version and LURC will vote again. I cannot emphasize the volumes of work done to protect and perserve important places, and there are still parts that do not make sense and that people do not like, but change is inevitable. I had thought that when the individual sites sought development, that would be the time for redress and critical analysis. People are tired and frustrated by constant negative banter and the power of money. It seems everyone was paid off by Plum Creek to get the plan through. Representative Davis of Sangerville complained that a corporation paid 25 million to seek rezoning. This amount does not shock me; they retained law firms, marketing firms, economists, every expert and scholar, and donated to community groups too. The five years of litigation was long and divisive. It may have put Moosehead on the map, but it hurt the social integrity of our community. People want and need jobs. Plum Creek makes promises of jobs. The truth of what will be in the region in twenty years cannot be seen. There are hundreds more homes here than when I was a child, but there are far less jobs and less opportunities for entrepreneurship. The mills closed because of cost. Even the internet can not counter the overbearing costs of transportation and heating. This territory is beyond the pale. I love it, but times change and people need to accept it or it will just happen around them. I want to fight for the quality of life in the region, but development is going to happen. We need to strike a balance and protect special places and the contiguous silvaculture that is the future of any industry in the region.

Third Studio term- nineth week thru April 10th

The Maine legislature has a constant news line these days and it is not their efforts to improve the economy, environment or Maine's quality of life. The news is the mouth on the new Governor. His actions and words are getting international attention. If the "Obama-Kiss my butt," "NAACP- Go to hell," and the "Women with little mustaches" remarks were not enough of his bad behavior, bad sense of humor, and disrespect, than you need to follow his recent actions. The governor decided to remodel the Maine Department of Labor from a space celebrating all labor's contributions to one focused on the business owners. He decided to remove a commissioned art mural that depicted the history of labor in Maine. This was not a dramatic piece like The Jungle. It depicted children, men and women whose labor built the industries and history of Maine. The piece is somber and historical. The mural was secretly taken down over a weekend, is being stored at an undisclosed location, and is at another example of LePage's restructuring of Maine's government. His actions speech loudly against our bill of rights and democracy. In LePage's government, the people do not have participation [The artist was not notified and no public process was followed to remove the mural], freedom of speech [The governor has a gag order on the state employees], and democracy [The first amendment is a right to Americans].The work was commissioned and approved by the people of Maine. The federal money, the artist, and the people are contractually connected to the work being displayed for the public at the Department of Labor. Governor LePage intends to construct a space where the business owners are the focus. This new take of Maine history will not represent the people of Maine. The twentieth century does not exist in LePage's take. It is a sad day. The businesses do not run without employees. Their labor is crucial to any production. Mutual respect is essential to good business, good neighbors and good government. Mr. LePage missed his critical lesson in good citizenship.

On this matter a lawsuit has been filed and a rally will take place at the statehouse hall of flags. The turnout was marvelous. The speakers stretched across the state. Over two hundred people attended.

In the studio I am collecting newspapers and digesting all the actions of the new government. This is not republican; this is insanity. I am saddened and appalled by the disrespect and mean character of our governor. Sad.

I have shoot a lot of film of the region's businesses, homes, signs, public spaces, tracks, and a dozen other categories. The film will be processed this week and I am eager to edit and organize my books.

My mood is low with the political climate and the weather. Snow forecasted until May. Somehow this year seems worse than ever. The cold is bitting.