Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A walk and an Idea
08.04.2007I walked around the peninsula today. About 15km. Not long, but far enough to feel a blister forming on my right heel, so I realize I got to break myself in slowly.
After a moring of feeling the sour stomach, I decided to get out there and explore a bit. The snow was fresh, powdery, and crunchy underfoot. And as it was Easter Sunday there were few automobiles on the road, allowing me to walk down the middle of the street most of the time. I commented to Thorbjørn that the landscape really looks artic here. To which he replied that it is the arctic.
Strange.
I came up with my concept for the festival today. Here is the general idea, and mind you, its not all ironed out yet. It's an interactive piece, surprising. Almost on the opposite end of the island is a place called Eggum. There, one will find a stature, which, according to some, is the ideal of a "perfect" work. Containing both classical and contemporary elements, handcraft and concept, located in arguablly one of the most beautiful locations in the world. I may be exagerating a bit here. Never-the-less, this is my destination. During the festival I'll spend three to four days walking there, and perhaps back again. I will leave at the opening cermony amongst a blaze of flashes and lighting from press organizations around the world (this too could be an exageration), while on my walk people will have the ability to call me on my phone, at which point I'll ask them a couple of questions, to get an idea of who they are (inner landscape), then make a photograph specifically for them. I will be availiable during the whole period of the wandering to make photographs. Allow me to remind you, dear reader, that we are above the arctic circle here and at the time of the festival we will be experiencing what in Russia they call White Nights (as opposed to White Knights). In other words the midnight sun. Does this make sense?
Upon my return to Stamsund and the last day of the Festival, I will give a slideshow/lecture of my trip and the pictures I made for everyone. And perhaps some deeper insights into humanity and the envrionment from a suburban city kid.I can now say that I feel well with this concept. My days will be now filled with researching a good route to Eggum, exercising my photography muscles once again (as its been month since I've last photographed anything of consequence) not to mention working out the old Glutious Maximus.
I have a couple other ideas for photographic pieces while I'm here, but I'd rather keep those to myself for now and surprise you with images if they pan out. For now, I'll be taking the days as they come, as one can't really plan what the next day will bring. Something that is overly apparent up here, its snowing again, as the weather changes from minute to minute. As is displayed in these photographs here which are take over a two hour period. Thats the end of this entry, now I'm just filling space because, aesthetically speaking, I don't like the look of a photograph hangin out of the bottom of the text. It reminds me of the bear with the bald ass in the national lampoons vacation movie. So please stop reading now, I'm just filling up space, there is no worth in reading this, you won't learn anything more, nor become a more enriched person. And I still don't understand why you don't take my word for this. There is no content here, it is just filler, just like the newspapers. It is meaningless this text now. Stop reading please! How do I know you're still reading? We'll you read that didn't you, it doesn't take a genius to understand people. Jeeze, stop reading. Unless you have nothing better to do, well, I will admit it is better than the news, ok, if it'll keep you away from the news, keep on reading.
That sour feeling in the stomach.
07.04.2007
I went on a short walk today. The weather changes so fast that I'm not feeling up to a long walk away from my warm, comfortable dwelling. I've also been sucked into a book called Labyrinth, sort of the feminist answer to the Davinci Code, and equally addicting. This books functions as a bit of escapeism, as I don't know what my project is going to be. What will I present at the festival? I'm beginning to feel that thing in my stomach, I can best describe it as something sour. I realize I've only been here a couple of days, no pressure, but I am getting an inkling of it never-the-less, against my better sense.
I also feel like I should be walking, getting out there for a week or so and staying there. At this time that would be against my better judgment, as I know, and most who know me, I'm not really an outdoors person. I'm really just a suburban city kid. I'm here to become an outdoors person, and thus I must be patient.
I went on a short walk today. The weather changes so fast that I'm not feeling up to a long walk away from my warm, comfortable dwelling. I've also been sucked into a book called Labyrinth, sort of the feminist answer to the Davinci Code, and equally addicting. This books functions as a bit of escapeism, as I don't know what my project is going to be. What will I present at the festival? I'm beginning to feel that thing in my stomach, I can best describe it as something sour. I realize I've only been here a couple of days, no pressure, but I am getting an inkling of it never-the-less, against my better sense. I also feel like I should be walking, getting out there for a week or so and staying there. At this time that would be against my better judgment, as I know, and most who know me, I'm not really an outdoors person. I'm really just a suburban city kid. I'm here to become an outdoors person, and thus I must be patient.
Arrival
04.04.2007
What shall I say... I am above the arctic circle, and I'm here to make something new, about 1500km from Oslo. The seas were rough all the way up from Bodø, so naturally I laid down and slept for four hours on the boat until we were within sight of Stamsund. Which is where I took these pictures, the left is facing east the right toward the west. One could say that the weather system is dynamic here. It changes constantly, it may be snowing in one direction and sunny in the other.
This is where I live. Stop by any time, I've got two guest rooms and four extra beds. I even have a T.V.
OK, here's the thing. This is a blog chronicalling my process up here. So the idea isn't to make some sort of fantastic site, just to record my thoughts and processes during my stay here, as best I can.
The title of my residency is:
Into the Environment and out of the Self.
Out of the Environment and into the Self.
...or something like that.
And what does that mean?
You got me. I plan on doing a lot of walking up here, spending time outdoors and by myself. If anyone knows my previous work, at least that from Art School on, one may see a departure in content, as I'm not here to photograph people necessarily. Not directly at least (this will make more sense when you learn of the performance I'll be making for the Festival at the end of May). No, I'll be taking a lot of pictures of the landscape, and in a cliché sort of way, my inner landscape projected onto the outer landscape. What ever that means.
What shall I say... I am above the arctic circle, and I'm here to make something new, about 1500km from Oslo. The seas were rough all the way up from Bodø, so naturally I laid down and slept for four hours on the boat until we were within sight of Stamsund. Which is where I took these pictures, the left is facing east the right toward the west. One could say that the weather system is dynamic here. It changes constantly, it may be snowing in one direction and sunny in the other.
This is where I live. Stop by any time, I've got two guest rooms and four extra beds. I even have a T.V.OK, here's the thing. This is a blog chronicalling my process up here. So the idea isn't to make some sort of fantastic site, just to record my thoughts and processes during my stay here, as best I can.
The title of my residency is:
Into the Environment and out of the Self.
Out of the Environment and into the Self.
...or something like that.
And what does that mean?
You got me. I plan on doing a lot of walking up here, spending time outdoors and by myself. If anyone knows my previous work, at least that from Art School on, one may see a departure in content, as I'm not here to photograph people necessarily. Not directly at least (this will make more sense when you learn of the performance I'll be making for the Festival at the end of May). No, I'll be taking a lot of pictures of the landscape, and in a cliché sort of way, my inner landscape projected onto the outer landscape. What ever that means.
