the Indian Cabbie

flights are booked, and hotel reservations are made for Rochester. we're taking the red eye from Fairbanks to Chicago on the 11th/12th. Dea's studying, so i wandered downtown to watch the tourists. nothing like watching the Texans walk around our struggling downtown, muttering to each other "where's alaska"?

i often forget that i look like a tourist myself this time of year. i asked Jim if i could take his photo, and he gave me a glare and said "i'm an Indian, but i ain't no Eskimo. no"



"no worries" i said, and sat down next to him in the shade.
he broke the silence and asked, "where you from?"
"here, i live just down the road"
"oh, i thought you were one of them" he said as he gesticulated toward the white sock and sandal brigade. "you work for the Miner?"
"no"
"who you work for?"
"myself. i'm doing a book on Fairbanks. a book on downtown"
he let the idea simmer for a while, and asked "a book? for them or for us?"
"for us."
"good"

and with that a friendship was made. i spent a good hour with Jim, watching the tourists and talking about Alaska history. he's owned a local cab business since '75. the locals, and his friends, call him the Indian Cabbie.

we spoke about the first fire of the season burning to the South, and how the smoke that will engulf the town in a few days is unfortunate. he spoke of the '60s- when there was a fire anywhere in the state the fire chief would come down to 2nd Ave, stand on the back of his truck, and yell "who wants to fight the fire?". he'd ask "are you drunk?". if you said "no", then you were in. you didn't know where you were going, and for how long, but you would get fed and paid.

i asked him when he first moved to Alaska.
"1967"
"have you lived here all this time?"
"yah. i thought i'd have to leave, for good, back in the 80's though. had cancer in one of my kidneys. i had to go to the outside to have it taken out"
"really? did you have to have a transplant?
"nope. they just pulled 'er out. you don't need them both. you can live on just one. you know that?"
"yep" i said, "i've heard that"


thanks Jim

listening to Sparklehorse

madness, anchorage, and Alex

finally a day that resembles spring here in the interior. heading out in a bit to shoot amongst the long shadows, but first wanted to get a few things out there that i've been stewing about today. i'm a list guy, so here goes...

1. Chad Muthard's March Madness brackets have been making their way around the blogosphere, and the banter has been hilarious. the image of countless photo nerds straining over this sheet with the intensity of a thesis or grant proposal makes me smile. i use the word 'nerd' proudly by the way. i've broken a couple trusty #2s and have a pile of eraser dust on my desk, but i'll be damned if i can declare a winner. first, the absence of Freidlander stinks of a fixed tourney, but anyway i can't get past Eggleston up against Sternfeld in the quarter finals.

2. great post by Martin Fuchs today. i respect his work a lot. it's good to see others have these types of lists.

3. Anchorage is rolling out their brand spanking new branding campaign.... Big Wild Life. Nerland has some tv, and print teasers. i'm interested to hear what the Alaska folk think...do they hit it? my money says - not even close.

4. and for the Fairbanks folks, can someone please tell me why Cafe Alex closed? they were the best damn restaurant in town.

"worst palce in America?"

a good weekend here in Alaska with good friends, wine, and food.

i saw a funny thing at Gulliver's yesterday. there is a new book on the shelves that ranks the "the worst towns in America"- of course Fairbanks was on the list. The lead sentence states:

"take the worst place you've ever been, and subtract the sun- that's Fairbanks"

i had to laugh- part out of absurdity, and partly because i feel that way intermittently. i have a true love/hate relationship with this town. 'the land that design forgot' can get under your skin. when i begin to get frustrated, a trip North is mandatory. truth is i would defend this town ferociously if pushed. Fairbanks can be insufferable at times, but it's home, and our proximity to the playground that is the real Alaska is priceless.


listenining to American Music Club

sun without heat

what's happening friday

when things get crazy, i seem to look to other worlds to escape to. the following are friendly diversions i have found this week...

i caught the new issue of Orion yesterday and was taken by a photo essay by Trish Carney. a quick search on 'the google' found a larger segment of the same work at Lens Culture from 2005. it's a stunning view of a morbid subject.

the Matter release party for the new issue is tonight in Fort Collins. Todd always hosts a riot of a party- wish i could be there. the issue should be on sale this weekend at most stores in Colorado, and online. i'm anxious to see my "Tundra & Steel" essay- probably in the mail as i write this.

finally, winter is almost upon us here in the interior. with the darkens comes a slow trickle of talent and shows to our little burg of aurora and ice fog- a few of the highlights...

- the Whitpsaws are playing at the Marlin the weekend

- Far North Film Festival makes it's annual appearance. We went last year to see a few- impressed by some, and let down by others, but a positive injection of creativity.

- The Blue Loon is playing the movie Half Nelson this month. NPR had an interview with writer/director Ryan Fleck that I was fortunate to hear during my drive north to create the essay for the current Matter issue. i've been waiting for the release of this film since.

listening to Grizzly Bear

brrrrrrrr...

it was a brisk 17 degrees below zero when i woke at 6:00 this morning. it's till dark now at 9:00, but the horizon of the Alaska Range to the south is just beginning to be outlined by a lazy red sky.

i'm not proud to say that my gumption takes a break when the temps dip below the zero mark. my trigger finger gets scared, and my mind lags. my gear is much more reliable than i am at these conditions.

the light, however, is beginning to revitalize me. there is less of it this time of year, of course, but what we do have is magical. i can see the light on the horizon of my fall funk. it's cold, and i can't do a damn thing about it. time to go make photos.


an old one.

listening to Arcade Fire

explanation

friend and illustrator/photog Jeope called me yesterday on my lack of explanation of the photo i posted on 10/12. i appreciate his curiosity.

truth is, that day, i had composed a long quasi political rant about the state of this town i call home, and my on again off again love affair we have. typing in haste has gotten me in trouble before- this would have been no different.

the photo was taken in a mile long strip of green space that intersects Safeway and Sam's to the south and Walmart and Old Navy (among others) to the north. i use the term green space loosely- not as a term of protection but one simply of color. now it is green. in months it will be paved. i discovered during my wanders that this swath of tall grass and bush is home to a dozen or so homeless folk. i was drawn there by two vandalized political signs that i found interesting, but found myself among beds of dirty sheets instead.

i see many makeshift shelters on my walks, but this was as close to a community as i've seen. i felt a little uneasy being there, but made many photos. i only liked the ones that left the viewer asking questions- like the one posted on 10/12. not a literal portrait of the homeless or an indictment of my town, just an image that leaves room for interpretation.

so, i wonder what is more powerful- the image itself and the questions it evokes, or the words to set the scene? it's up to you, the bits you relate to, the bits you take away. innocence or violence? consensual or not? ambivalence?

me? i can't help but wonder where that girl is right now, and what she's wearing on her feet.


another image from the same day.

trash

S. Cushman Park

I spent some time recently at "cushman park". The 'park' is a myriad of gravel roads, dead cars riddles with gunshot, 4x4s, beer cans, and a healthy number of Fairbanks' craziest folk.

I'm finding images of people infinitely more interesting as of late, but this is uncoverign an obstacle. The fact is, and some might find this hard to believe, that I get seriously anxious approaching folk with my camera- it can create a generous invitation or the greatest resistance.

Dennis was about to loose his patience with Amy when I first saw them. She was consistently throwing every one of Dennis's clay pigeons in the dirt, and he wasn't too pleased. Being the good old Iowa pheasant slayer that I am, I offered to pitch him a few in exchange for allowing me some photos. He obliged. I lobbed several superb targets, and he shot the shit out of them.



Listening to Tapes 'n Tapes

beer and pixels

I'm working on several things tonight. Drafting a letter to an Alaska specific stock agency to get some images out there, as well as browsing images for the Annex show in October. I've stumbled across a few images that i had forgotten about- i'll print them this week and see how they produce.

Also, I learned today that i'll have one of my raven photos from last year in the October issue of Alaska Magazine.

The following image was made a couple nights ago kicking around downtown. This boy, Damon, followed me a round for a block or tow- very curious.




Listening to The Bigger Lovers.

No Rain

It was raining last night when I went to bed. I was dreading waking to a soggy scene this morning, as we haven't had a dry weekend for too damn long, but this morning- sunny skies!

First coffee, then I'll head downtown to continue work on the series.

Yesterday was Matias' race on Murphy Dome. Dea and I went up and ran, got muddy, and finished it off with cookies and a beer. He had a good turnout, and a perfect course.


Matais waiting for runners to come in

Listening to Sam Roberts

photo lunch

i went to my first 'photo lunch' today. every tuesday a group of local photogs get together for lunch at pike's. it was a good group, but apparently small compared to previous weeks. i'll be interested to see what form this takes.

i was disappointed that Charles Mason wasn't there. i had spoken with him for the first time last week, and was very much looking forward to picking his brain about a thing or two. his absence was warranted however, as he got a call this morning from the New York Times to fly to Prudhoe Bay to cover the BP field shutdown.

my own plans to go to Prudhoe Bay this month have kind of shifted. my photo essay for Todd will take place this side of the Brooks Ranges instead. i will head toward Coldfoot on Friday for a couple days wandering in the shadow of the pipeline, making photos, and writing. as luck (that isn't quite the right word i know) would have it the oil field shut down would have limited my access on the slope tremendously, and the new slant puts a greater emphasis on my time with the pipeline itself. i'm anxious to journey north.

listening to sugar.

'you can't see denali from here'

i met with nancy at the annex yesterday, and she agreed to show three images from my “you can’t see denali from here” series in the front room of the gallery. her opinion toward the photos was positive. we spoke for some time about additional opportunities in fairbanks, which has fanned the flames. I also articulated my desire to evolve the series into a small self-published book run after one year of image collection.

the current show at the annex is an installation by ‘baggs’ mckelvey. The entire gallery is a web of grocery bags- engineered as an unusually beautiful sea of white and print. the architecture of the show was almost too much. It’s impossible to explain an installation such as this- after all it’s only plastic bags right? If you can make it to the show, I endorse it in the highest regard.

from a photography standpoint- the shadows and line were overwhelming. I could have stayed until the wee hours of the morning, and only begun to see every nuance. I show a couple images here, but it’s no substitute.







listening to the afghan whigs.

drunk. 11:00am

the annex

moving a few directions today- very productive. much simmering.

i spoke with nancy at the annex this afternoon. hard to believe that today was my first time out there. i was really impressed with the space- large and uncluttered. white walls and concrete.

there are a couple opportunities available this fall, one of which is a group show in october. i don't have anything that is begging to be shown just yet, but i'll begin making prints soon, and 'living' with some images- the strong ones eventually come forward.

roamed a bit today- scouting certain scenes, but discovering others.


possibly a photo for the contact page of my site.


listening to groove armada.

spring break up

spring break up is finally upon us here in the interior. the snow is gone, and last of the ice is heading down the chena, or melting into itself. i spent some time tonight down by the slough- looking for orphan fragments of ice that have defied the recent fifty degree days. i found this small specimen under a bridge close to home. he was hung up on a stick, or shallow bit, and was fortunate to be out of the sun. by tomorrow he will be a forgotten chill in the water, and summer will be just that much closer.

first friday

i hit the usual first friday spots last night. the alaska house, well street, and pioneer park all ran good shows. the alaska house, once again, walked a nice line between native and contemporary art. well street and the park ran photo exhibits that i was more than a little impressed with.

barry mcwayne had a solo show at pioneer park of black and white images of smartly mundane subjects. snow covered cars, frost on grainy wood surfaces, mysterious shadows- just enough to leave you wanting more. the prints were absolutely flawless, and framed impeccable. a truly excellent display.

the show at well street was entitled 'march 20th' (the spring equinox). it was a group show of photos all taken on the same day by 20 or so different photographers. such a shame that i missed this opportunity. once i realized the theme of the show i felt a lump in my gut- if i were more involved in this community i would, most likely, have an image or two hanging on the wall. last night's networking was a start.

one image, in particular, struck me in a funny way. dea was moving through the images across the room when she doubled back to show me an image that she said looked like mine. it was a kick to see barry's submission for the 'march 20th' show- it did, in fact, resemble an image i had taken myself in march. there is a ghastly orange and yellow building downtown that we were both drawn too in different ways. his image was of the exact same window- his with a colorful car parked on the street in front of the building, mine is below. i got home last night to find this image was taken on march 21st.




all in all, a pleasing evening.

listening to josh ritter.

skaters

rode up t0 the skate park on wilber st. this afternoon to shoot the kids doing their thing. man, some of those kids can get up there. it took a while for them to loosen up, but they had a good time all in all. came away with some good images. i look forward to getting back again.







the new site is a few more weeks out, but i've got an interim page up with a few more images- check it out.

tonight- listening to the avett brothers

felix

this is felix. i met him at creamer's field today. he was there watching the ducks, geese, and swans come in for the summer. we chatted for a bit, and he told me this was his first time in alaska- he traveled up from indianapolis (originally from mexico city) looking for work in the oil fields. he was a little scared to see my camera- asking me if i worked for the paper. i wondered what his immigration status was, but didn't ask- we just talked about birds. we chatted about the winter, the midwest, and the price of oil. he was a genuine guy.- hope i see him around again, and that he gets the job.

on a side note. there was a pro photographing the birds this morning with the full on nature photog set up- 500-600mm lens, tripod, vest, business face. when i snapped photos near him he watched curiously. i didn't take one photo of the field, just the people that had congregated to watch the birds. he must have thought i was a nut job with my 50mm lens, shooting things i could get close enough to touch. it's funny- one medium with two entirely different approaches.

good will

i spent an hour or so at the good will store yesterday, looking for props and shoot accessories. i'm in need of a solid briefcase for a shoot that i'm planning once the parking lots are clear of snow. also, need a lamp with a long slender body to it. always looking for solid shoes.

the good will is always a trip- never a lack of crazy folk. yelling mothers, angry grandmas, hopefull children, drunk natives, just a day in the life at the goodwill. i feel really comfortable there though.

it's funny. the good will stores in boulder housed top notch stuff. all the rich and pretty people would come down from their castles with last years fashions and decor, and cast it aside without an ounce of sentimentality. deals and steals abounded. here in fairbanks however, everything has a worn quality that is undeniable. this land is hard. people really use things- use them until their function is ultimately compromised, with little regard for it's form. everything has a hole. a dent. a rip. much character at the good will.

listening to: the twilight singers