For my final project in my Colour course this semester (two month summer semesters are BRUTAL!) we were given the assignment to create a self-portrait of ourselves. Not any old self-portrait, no, but one that represents us, or who we want to be, or something like that.
Me, I stole something. I stole years of history built by a group of Vancouver Photographers. I stole it, and made it my own, and put myself in with the old guys. The white male photographers that carved Vancouver out as a centre for North American photography - my self-portrait was made to knock my way up into their ranks.
The idea came after almost two months of listening to how the art world is and was dominated by white males. Being one myself, I can nether disagree, nor can I ignore the fact that I feel like I am being systematically made to feel bad that I was born white, and with a penis. I guess it doesn’t help my case that I am blonde and have blue eyes too…
I digress.
I realised that the only real way I could get over this fact - that no matter what I do, being a photographer learning photography in Vancouver, I will be compared to the likes of Roy Arden and Rodney Graham - was to just accept it. So, I made this photo for that purpose - accepting that I am, whether I like it or not, in this club. This is my membership card:
So, we all get those spam emails: “Paris Hilton sex video”, “Watch Britney get naked”, “See Tommy Lee with Pamela Anderson”. Fine, whatever. Nothing to see here.
I don’t know who they think this will appeal to, but I got one today with the subject, “Hilary Clinton Naked Video”.
Really?
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say, “No one wants to see that!” However, I do appreciate the spammers for coming up with new ways to entertain me when I open my inbox.
My friend Amanda (Amanda Rude) asked me to take some photos of her for a new website some friends of hers are starting, based out of L.A.
She choose the location, and kind of directed the shoot, with some input from me as we went (once I knew what she wanted for a particular shot, I would position, and reposition her). We went down to Sunset Beach and photographed her in front of a beautiful sunset. The posted image is one of my favourites, and I think it is Amanda’s favourite.
There are a couple of others on my flickr, so check them out. Hopefully one will make it on the website, at which point I will link to it. It’ll join my Schmap Vancouver photo and my self portrait as photos that are on websites that I don’t have any control over :D
But seriously, that was the subject of a spam mail I got today. Thought I’d share.
In actual bloginess posting, I think I saw a dead man today…
What?
Seriously. I was on my way to work, and right next to the TD Bank parking lot (you know, right next to my building) there was an ambulance, and the paramedics were just standing around, and seated on the brick plant box at the edge of the parking lot was this old Asian man, and I think he was dead! I checked him out while I walked past, and he didn’t make a motion, and he looked gaunt and yellow - like someone done up for a casket!
Anyway, I thought that was very strange and weird. Especially how the paramedics were acting, that is, not doing anything.
So, I thought I would share. Weird thing that I saw today.
How? I really don’t know, it was a one person wipe-out. I’m just happy there was no car behind me, otherwise I might have worse than a beat up shin and a battered elbow (not to mention a tender bum and a bruised ego!)
Anyway, the result for me is more annoying than painful. My front tire is toast, and I just bought new bike gear from MEC! I was going to tune it up, and get her riding super sweet. Now I need to do that AND get a new front tire. Eff.
I also ruined my brand new pair of shorts my mom bought me less than a week ago! How crap is that? Back to zero shorts, now :(
Anyway, if you want to see pictures of my damage, they’re below, save any photos of my bum…
Congrats, Mike! I was on my friends Blackberry in the theatre for The Dark Knight looking at the updates right up til you won, which happened to be right before the movie started! Great timing ;)
