Attacked by Fashion

Foxes. Hat Sharks.

Evidence (In Memoriam Larry Sultan)

I was saddened to see the notice of the death of Larry Sultan. He was the co-creator of an exhibition and book titled Evidence back in 1977. I bought the book and was among many who were influenced by it. Occasionally I find a photograph reminiscent of those he and Mike Mandel selected for their project, and I've posted here about it before. My discovery of that book at that time was one of those moments in life that looms even larger in retrospect. Thanks, Larry.

Family Portrait

Framed group of photo portraits, as found.

A Feather in Your Cap, A Feather in Your Nest

The impulse to collect things is one of the most agreeable things about people. Of course, I would say that, since I make my living providing them with the objects of their desire. The reasons they accumulate what they do, and the strategies they use, and how they define what they're after is always interesting to me. And the variety is pretty much endless. It occurs to me now that most of the blogs I enjoy are maintained by collectors, or artists, or both.

One of the smartest people I know, in the long course of writing a dissertation about Native American imagery in the modern art of Germany, found some relief in collecting images that were sort of tangentially related to her topic. She started acquiring pictures of non-native Americans dressing themselves in costume, and eventually assembled a neat little collection. She graciously agreed to let me share a few of her prizes here.

The picture below is the scholar/collector herself. And below that, your correspondent, striking his usual contrarian pose.

Evidence

In 1977 a book titled Evidence was published by Mike Mandel and Larry Sultan. They had searched through the photographic archives of industrial laboratories, police departments, government agencies and institutions, looking for photographs made as pure documentation - as evidence. When the selected images were taken out of context, exhibited and published as an art photography project, it had an important effect on the field of photography. It also had an important effect on me, because it confirmed that other people were finding meaning in odd, inexplicable found photographs. I bought a copy of the book and got a nice handwritten note of thanks from Mr. Mandel. (That first edition now sells in the $3000 range if you can find one.) Anyway, since then I've had the good fortune to find a few orphaned pictures that just beg for explanation, which ain't gonna happen, but somehow still yield something of the mysterious internal effect that art has. Sometimes they're beautiful; sometimes it's the deranged Dada-like weirdness, like this one, an 8 x 10 glossy photo of the underside of a standard institutional table. You tell me.

More Moon Shots

A few more photos from the first moon landing, as photographed from the TV in someone's living room. The blue tube floats on a black field, carrying the vague, low-definition images.

If you have a little time to kill, Google "moon landing hoax" and read some of the doubters' rationale for why this event never happened. Not that that has anything to do with collecting these snapshots, except for proving how information breaks down as it is removed from the source, just like these images.

Double Take

Wherein the photographer by means of magic captures the doppelgangers for two sitters.

Happy Valentine's Day

"bowlegged mamma all way from yumyummer."

Unmailed real photo postcard, c. 1925.