Detritus

noun. The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up [syn: debris]

From a cliché ridden examination of the bush years in “The last Days of W” by artistic photo-journalist Alec Soth via Cindy Sherman’s latest self absorbed exploration of her many faces exhibition at Metro Pictures to Meredith Allen’s literal take in her latest exhibition “Trash” detritus gets a serious work out.

Soth

Sherman

Allen

Predictable, whimsical or conceptual, whatever your take, these images provoke a reaction, enjoy.

Shooting the Messenger

Australia is seriously contemplating heading off down the draconian road of internet filtering a la China, Nth Korea and Iran et al. Under the pretext of protecting children the Australian government is seriously looking at implementing a technological fix to an education problem.

Utilizing the “Ostrich response” for questionable and the down right nasty internet sites is just plain dumb. It won’t make them go away but rather elevates them into the realm of forbidden fruits. And the internet savvy (read kids) will have little trouble circumnavigating the bureaucratically imposed restrictions. In fact to have done so and showing your mates will become a badge of school ground merit.

It’s like banning dictionaries because kids may look up the rude words.

New Work

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Study in Brown #I 2008

Archival inkjet on canvas 20" x 48"

Study in Brown # II
Archival inkjet on canvas 20" x 48"

90 + 9 + 1 = Eureka

Photography blogs have been agog with recipes for success since Alec Soth did a piece about the subject on the Magnum Blog. Jorg Colberg, Mrs Dean and Noel Rodo-Vankeulen all jumped into the fray. Who said photography blogs are like an under 8 soccer match? Well here is my 2 bob’s worth (Baa Baa).

The tried and true recipes revealed in Soth’s research rightly received the big yawn it deserved and led to a guardian piece about the subject by Malcolm Caldwell “A gift or hard graft?” Which is basically promotional piece for his new book “Outliers: The Story Of Success” Which is just the long version of the old definition of success/genius – 90% perspiration, 9% luck and 1% inspiration.

But we all knew that, didn’t we?

The O’Reilly Fracture

My ISP had an outage a couple of days ago and being an unapologetic news junkie I had cause to flick through the cable TV news programs in search of a hit. In so doing I chanced upon The O’Reilly Factor on Fox with Big Bill O’Reilly at the helm. Never having actually watched TORF, although having had heard rumors I stopped for a look see and I must say the rumors only have the half of it, this show is really desperate. For a news magazine type program its grasp of what is news, let alone any in depth examination, is incredibly tenuous.

Their lead story was about the comparison of coverage for two New York centric stories with racist overtones. Big Bill was bemoaning the fact that a driving under the influence (DUI) accident that caused the death of two innocent victims wasn’t getting the same level of coverage as a hate crime that led to the murder of an Hispanic American. I kid you not.

From Bill’s perspective that the driver in the DUI accident was an illegal immigrant from Afghanistan means it should be getting as much indignant outraged, if not more, news coverage as the seven teenagers who went out with the intention of giving grief to an Hispanic, any Hispanic, and were so successful in their quest that their randomly chosen victim died at their hands.

Not only does the spin stop at The O’Rielly factor but also rational thought. Should my ISP derail my news addiction again and I am forced back to cable TV I will not be stopping at TORF. I expect news programs, even of the magazine style, to at least have a nodding acquaintance with journalism 101.

oh Google you've done it again

From the American Civil War to Joe Frazier vs. Mohammed Ali, one of the worlds great photography archives is now on line. Google has teamed up with the no more Life Magazine to make Life's mainstay searchable with mouse clicks. You can see it here.

The Sign Says 2

3 archival inkjet on canvas panels 62.5" x 48"

The Sign Says

9 archival inkjet on canvas panels 62.5" x 146.6"

Same Old, Same Old

The much heralded web magazine Wassenaar, well in the lunch box that is the "We Can’t Paint" blog has finally hit the net. What can one say? That it under scores the concept that there is a lot of boring stuff on the net is perhaps going a tad to far, but not too far. It's not as bad as this, but does come a very close second.

See for yourself here, just be warned the navigation is at the top bar only.

Yeah, Right

One Presidential election has ended and the opening shots of the next are ricocheting about the unsuspecting electorate, well here in the Philippines at least. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay on the occasion of celebrating his 66th birthday, today announced his intention to run for president in 2010.

After 19 years at the helm of central business district city of the Philippine capital, Manila, he wants to bring his acumen to the whole country. Under the banner of "Makati ngayon, Pilipinas bukas [Today Makati, tomorrow, the Philippines]" he says he wants to be known for his "performance" and not his ambition.

In amongst the 2000 people who witnessed his declaration was a sign reading "Obama of the Philippines". OMG will it never end?

Kalbaryo

9 archival inkjet on canvas panels 62.5" x 146.5"

USA Election Redux II

To test reality we must see it on the tight rope. When the verities become acrobats, we can judge them. Oscar Wilde - Picture of Dorian Grey

USA Election Redux I

"If you want to know what a dead man's relatives really think of him, a good rough test is the weight of his tombstone." - George Orwell - Keep the Aspidistra Flying

Congratulations USA

You bloody well did it and for what is worth I concur with your decision. A skinny black man with a funny name is to become the 44th resident of The White House. I had my doubts and you showed them to be unfounded.

It will be interesting to see if his actions match his rhetoric for after all is said and done Barack Obama is a politician. My cynicism awaits to be confounded again.

2 416 329 X

Public Service Announcment

How will you have your tedium? Rare or medium?

The Guardian newspaper has a slide show of 40 Michael Parr photographs from his photographic portrayal of ten British cities. I bailed after 20, they are just really boring.

Ok, maybe the Brits are boring, I can live with that but when photographing them is it really necessary to re-invent Aunt Edna’s 1960’s slide night of “My British Holiday”.
Yep, they are that bad, quintessentially objects in front of the lens that says little more than the camera was there often with questionable compositions.

Have a look for yourself here. No, I’m not nicking an example to post here, The Expat does have some standards

The Race that Stops a Nation

Next Tuesday 4/11 or 11/4 depending what part of the world you live in sees a couple of races of national/international import.

The American’s are going to choose a president and the Aussies will stand with baited breath for 3 minutes around 3pm EST. The American race has been reported to death and if the pundits are anything to go by the result is known and historic.

In the land down under the horse race that stops the nation, The Melbourne Cup, the result is unknown until the Gee Gee’s pass the post. Although lots and lots of people, who barely known one end of a nag from the other, become instant experts and drop their hard earned at the Tote.

Throughout the wide brown land Fashions on the Field invade offices from Sydney to Perth, daily papers publish form guides that can be cut up for office sweeps and in Melbourne, the home of the race with a population of around 3 million, it is an official public holiday.

If Australia were to become a republic (bound to happen one day) and the leading contender for the Head of State was an Aborigine would it excite as much as the flashing silk?