Girl Who Wed Another Girl

Girl Who Wed Another Girl: Pre-1950 Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Marriages in the U.S. is a small photographic exhibit that is currently at the San Francisco Main Library. This exhibit shows about 16 photographs, newspaper clippings, court documents and marriage licenses for about four or five documented same-sex marriages.

I think that this is a large topic that was just barely skimmed in this show. I think that with the extensive access to the local archives at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, that whomever put this show together could have found further material to further build the historical references that they were drawing.

I found the exploration of gender informative, specifically with the given time period. That women would literally choose to take male names in order to live as men, marry women and/or because at least one woman felt like she had always been assigned the wrong sex at birth really relevant to the times that we are living in. It is phenomenal that a man would be able to marry three times to different men and live as a wife to these men and not have the public know of his biological sex until his death.

Specifically, I felt that it was a good beginning to show some understanding of gender differences and how things have changed socially, if only for the worse. The women whom were investigated were charged with misrepresenting themselves, simply impersonation. However, the idea, at least at that time, that there was something "wrong" with same-sex marriage apparently wasn't as widespread as it is today based on how judges and juries settled these cases. However, the newspaper articles are rather limited and redundant. I would like to know what exactly has changed in our society, (the Cold War, Sexual Revolution?) that would cause us to go backwards, from acceptance to intolerance?

Debra Pincus: Old Fonts and Stuff

It still makes me laugh how a lecture on The Renaissance Rediscovery of Ancient Writing can be so full that people have to pull up chairs and sit on the floor of the aisles. On the one hand, I appreciate the passion and efforts of the Debra Pincuses (Pincii...?) in this world, but it still blows my mind how much their work is valued, as seen in the size of the audience and the fancy catered reception that followed. Or maybe my beef isn’t with how much this work is valued, but with the fact that other work should be equally (or more) valued?

The main thing I learned was that the rediscovery of ancient Roman typography was extremely important to the Renaissance. This one important artist (whose name started with a "B") changed how he signed his name from one Roman typeface in one painting to another (Uppercase to lowercase) and this meant something groundbreaking and profound about Renaissance humanism, what exactly I’m not sure.

The more important lesson: I am not interested in Renaissance typography. I also do not want to ever enter a field that requires me to specialize in an extremely narrow time period and place and to present new analyses of it for ever and eternity. So: steering clear of art history and English Literature. Check!

Call for Emerging Artists! (that's you guys)

I hope some of you will consider submitting your work! Talk to me for more info.

"Young Ampersand invites emerging Bay Area artists to participate in an upcoming group exhibition scheduled for June 2009.

Ampersand International Arts in San Francisco has invited young local art aficianados to curate the first ever Young Ampersand exhibition.

Choosing a subject familiar to all, the Young Ampersand curators with to explore individual interpretations of the idea of Home by artists living and working in the Bay Area."

Eligibility:
• open to young artists
• all media expect film and large-scale installation will be considered
• each artist can submit up to 5 pieces
• deadline for entry is Friday, January 16th, 2009
• selected artists will be notified by Friday, January 30th, 2009


For more info email: youngampersandsf@gmail.com

Or see me for more information.

Resources for Fabricating/Altering a Camera

Strip Camera Resources:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/2043

Stanford University: Photography w/o Lenses


How to Build a Panoramic Camera



How to Build a Pinhole Panoramic Camera
(scroll down to download an instructional PDF)

A Brief History of Photography

Kate Pszotka Lecture at Mills (Friday Fun Time)

Kate Pszotka
Artist Lecture at Mills
Friday 14 November 2008

Unfortunately I entered the artist lecture late (apologies- didn’t mean to be disruptive) so I missed Kate’s introduction about where her work had originated and some of what she said about her work in undergrad. What I immediately identified with and was curious about was her exploration of place identification and attachment, as those are themes with which I am constantly preoccupied as I move about the earth.
Kate expressed her interest in objects that you move from place to place with, but that have no meaning outside of the sentimental significance that you attach to them. To get at this idea, she made a piece that spelled out ‘HOME’ with casted and mounted spools of thread. Interesting. It struck me how so many of us can ponder many of the same themes and yet pursue them and conceive of them so differently.
Kate was also very interested in mapping. An apt artistic vehicle for one dealing with place. One of the projects she showed was an Oakland murder map, in which she had posted a series of fluorescent-colored dots that marked out the murders that had occurred in Oakland in 2007. It wasn’t finished, as was true of a lot of her work. Also something with which I could strongly identify. Kate had a lot of cool ideas, all of which seemed to be about three steps away from being fully executed and realized. I know such territory well. It reminded me of the importance of following through on ideas, because I kept wanting to see more of what Kate was getting at, since the ideas were very compelling. I think the lecture was interesting precisely because she seemed to be fleshing out a lot of her ideas. I’d like to see what work she makes after the presentation and how she chooses to complete her mapping projects.

My Portrait of a Stranger Shoot

I went to the Lake Merrit farmer’s market yesterday to shoot my portrait of a stranger project. I sat down on the ground with that sign and read a book until people approached me.

It was interesting the kinds of people that approached me. They were mostly families or couples, only a few individuals. Several of the people I took pictures of either had gone to Mills or had friends at Mills.

Also I think that my appearance factored into people’s levels of comfortability around having their picture taken. For a lot of people (for whatever reasons) the way I look does not signify something dangerous or creepy. Maybe if my body had been presenting other signifiers, they would have felt creeped out. I think I was perceived in a non-threatening way (despite the angry look on my face in this picture) and this helped me garner photographs of strangers. Also, many strangers presented their kids to me to be photographed. That weirded me out—how willing people are to have images made of their kids.

Anyway, we'll see how it turns out.

Excerpted Story from This American Life_Reflections on Photography

Sorting through old links I came again across this amazing story from This American Life. I encourage you to check it out.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid494808731?bctid=666401814