Location Scouting: The Highline at Night

Myers of Keswick

Cookshop

Barney's NY

Chrystie Street, New York City

Eataly

On the Rocks at Mary Queen of Scots

Locking Locks

Stairway

Silver Paint in Brooklyn

Music Video: Nomakanjani by Brenda Fassie

Today's Photography Quotation

"I tell people to frame the picture. Make the greatest, most perfect composition you can... and then take a step forward. It skews it a bit and makes it more interesting."

- Larry Clark 

Studio Still Life: Orange Northface Jacket

Friedrich Kunath at Andrea Rosen Gallery

Wedding Dinner

Rehearsal Dinner

Chloe on the Couch, Twice.

First Fashion Shoot back in the Photo Studio!

Boo!

Location:E 3rd St,New York,United States

Halloween Decorations in Provincetown

Artists in Residence Director: Andy Fairgrieve

It's been a little over two weeks since my return from Scotland. I still know that the debriefing in my head will continue but as a post script I'd like to tell you a little about our director Andy Fairgrieve.

Andy was basically the first and last person I saw in Scotland, he picked me up on the first day and when I was putting my bags in the car I asked him if I should pull out my sunglasses, to which he retorted, "that's wishful thinking." That should have been a hint, not only of the lovely weather in the Highlands but about this man's sense of humor. 

Andy's tutelage of the Scottish dialect started immediately with my incorrect pronunciation of the neighboring town Craigellachie... Craig-e-lacky? Last year's residents called it craig's jelly, but eventually i got it. Edinburgh took a bit longer! Additionally he taught me all of my favorite phrases over the four months I was there (the following is a meager list of all the greats)...

Tah = thanks

Sort/sorted = work it out, arrange things, line things up

Wee = little, small

Just now = right now, as in i'll come over just now

Can't be arsed = can't be bothered

Fuck all = used as a wonderful answer to the question what did you do today?

It would be impossible to list all of Andy's duties both for the residency program and basically all that he did all over the distillery grounds. In addition to hauling all 8 of us to and fro quite a bit, he arranged basically every shoot I did this summer. He made introductions to the people at every place on the distillery where I would later photograph. He outfitted me in my PPE (personal protection equipment) gear of steel toed work boots, hi viz vest, ear plugs and eye protection. He helped me set up scaffolding, run power lines all over the place, arrange a lorry driver to haul me 5 hours in a truck, deliver packages to my cottage and call about work schedules so I could capture the proper action. He was always available when I called him on the phone. 

When it came time to mount the three gallery shows that took place over the residency, he was a one man gallerist, installer, curator and caterer, only to take it down every 3 weeks and do it again. And there were also seven other artists all needing Andy to sort out there needs everyday.

From that first morning in the car from the airport, Andy immediately said a magic word... landscape. We would often discuss the areas around the Highlands that inform so much of the history of the region, the character of the people, the traditions and the practices that are the modern day product of the place.  He showed me the most magical place, The Cabrach! And from the Picts to the Scots to Celtic history, we talked about mythology, fairies, legends and then just the best nature or science program on TV. At this time of year I'm sure we would have a great discussion of American Halloween and its roots in the ancient tradition of Samhain.

Then there was the after work Andy who would join us for drinks, dinners and even a little band practice with my neighbor Damian.  The Andy with his pony Katrina. And of course, the metal genius of Andy.

The mix CD he sent home with me of bagpipe, folk and pirate metal is one of a kind, and just the other day he sent me a link to Knights of Templar metal!

As he picked me up at 5 AM for the return trip to the airport, it was dark the whole drive to the airport. After helping me repack my overweight bags at the ticket counter, there was no quick way to say goodbye after so much time and work together and there can never be a way to truly thank him for everything. 

So instead a cheer to Andy and I look forward to seeing you in NYC this spring!

Owl in the Forest

More October in Provincetown, Massachusetts

October in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Rowayton, CT

Artist in Residence: Dan Halter

And then there was one. Dan was my best friend at camp this summer. He's still in Scotland until November 1st where today they had a snowstorm! Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe or Zim as he calls it), he went to school in Cape Town, South Africa where he currently lives and works on his art. Dan's work usually involves the idea of the immigrant or displaced person, himself included. For a show in South Africa this summer during the World Cup he created a piece called Shifting the Goalposts where we went in and took a goal post from a football (soccer) field in South Africa and exchanged it with another post in Zimbabwe.

For his work in Scotland, Dan returned to a material he has used before, the Chinese laundry bag, variously called other immigrant baggage titles around the world. Using the pattern of the plastic bag, he commissioned a local mill to weave him a bolt of tartan in this pattern. He then created another bag out of the fabric as well as dressing himself up with it in a great kilt, which I then photographed him wearing out in front of the clock tower in Dufftown. He also positioned over a thousand barrels and painted the tops in the same pattern. Which, again I photographed with him from a cherry picker over 60 feet in the air on a very cold, windy, wet morning.

I already miss you Dan and all the great grilling (on the braai), the roast potatoes, our top 40 music early evening listening parties, pantsula and generally just messing about. Hopefully I'll be seeing you in South Africa next year Brah!

Artist in Residence: Carrie Iverson

My fellow American in residence at Glenfiddich, Carrie, ships back stateside on friday. Originally from Virginia now residing in Portland via Chicago, Carrie was the first glass artist in the program. Her pieces ranged from etching on cold glass that were inspired by wear patterns found around the distillery and into Dufftown itself to rubbings and my personal favorites, the glass bungs that she recreated from the original cork and wood plugs that are aged as the whisky sits in the barrels for as long as 12 to 50 years.

Carrie had to work off site in Lybster in the upper highlands at a glass foundry so she would be around for a couple weeks to join us for our shenanigans at the ceilidhs and fire pit nights and then venture off on her own. Good luck Carrie with the culture shock back here in the U.S. and see you in the spring in NYC!

Surfer Blood

I went to see The Drums in concert tonight but apparently I was always meant to see the opening band, Surfer Blood, because they were even more amazing (although this video is subpar to their incredible music).

Final Tally of Photographs Shot in Scotland

Still image frames = 7,881
Time lapse frames = 48,233

GRAND TOTAL of 56,114 images

Gallery Crawl Winners: Flavin, Rist and Sze

Jet Lagged-y on East Third Street

Back in NYC. Whoa!