Wednesday, August 26, 2009

please don't hate me

So..... i'm am kicking rocks with my head down for a sec... avoiding eye-contact with everyone i have ever gone to school with.... anyone who went to art school.... quite alot of people. I was asked my metro times to interview for an article on avoiding art school cliché's. This is awesome! However answering these questions and not sounding like a complete asshole, is/was very difficult.

I tried to be honest, admitting the fact that myself and my work at times is the ultimate cliche... i guess the only thing i really tried to get across, is the fact that whatever you do, whatever kind of art you may make... if you have a valid and strong point to it, you have surpassed the cliche. What is left that is original in our visually soaked culture, your mind, your opinions, your ideas. That statement in itself can seem like some art school induced bullshit, but i believe it to be most true.

I spent years photographing the abandoned buildings in detroit because i was bored, i liked it, i thought it looked cool. At one point i had to lock myself in a room covered in hundreds of my images and decide why i was actually doing this. I ripped my hair out, stomped around the room, until i realized it was because i was curious and i wanted to learn how to use images to make a positive impact. It's a road i have still been walking down, but i have learned more about humanity and myself, then most people do in a lifetime.

Oh gosh i hope vice magazine doesn't hate me... i am in love with thier investigative reporting, and if i could make photographs like Terry Richardson, Ryan Mcguinly, or Dash Snow (rip),step into thier shoes for even one day, i would probably mess myself. I have voiced my recent addiction with shooting into the sun.... ugh. it is happening it is coming. no more excuses. i stare at images like theirs all day on ffffound.com... jeeze louise.

anyways, it is what is is. i'm excited for the opportunity, and the beautiful photo taken by my chicago friend Carey Primeau http://www.flickr.com/photos/careyprimeau from in my studio at russell

metrotimes article

also i will be showing new work in a group show at the 323 East Gallery in Royal Oak on friday.

Stay tuned for more. should be an interesting week. hope i don't get any banana peals thrown at me.