civilized ku # 5321-24 ~ road trip

hand made baskets and bunnies ~ Amish country outside of Canton, NY (embiggenable) • µ4/3

interior ~ Canton, NY (embiggenable) • iPhone

interior / hair ~ Canton, NY (embiggenable) • iPhone

Main ST. trafiic ~ Canton, NY (embiggenable) • iPhone

Went on a 244 mile round-trip car ride with the wife yesterday. She was giving a presentation at St. Lawrence University and I went along-driving-for companionship.

While she was doing her thing, I idled away the time at The Bagelry, the oldest (but stylish) bagel / sanwich / coffeehouse in St. Lawerence County. While, in a comfortable lounge chair inside the front window, sipping my coffee and munching on my bagel, it came to my attention that there were a few picture making opportunities at hand. So, I made some pictures.

I also made a picture along the roadside in a long stretch-25-30 miles-of highway through the Amish countryside. Could have made quite a few more when shortly thereafter, we encountered a small herd of smiling and waving (to us) Amish children walking along the highway near their school. However, I didn't want to infringe upon their privacy .... some don't mind being pictured, others might strenuously object.

I was tempted-but didn't give in-to make a picture or two of the 3 Amish carriages with moms?/older female siblings? on board waiting to pickup their kids from school. Apparently, there are some suburban mom (the "English") activities that are practiced by the Amish.

tuscany redux # 1 / civilized ku # 5320 ~ tommyrot, hokum and falderol

butcher + the wife ~ Pienza / Tuscany, 2009 - (embiggenable) • APS-C

bowl of fruit, AM / PM ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone ( L) / µ4/3 (R)

I recently had to write and artist statement to accompany a submission for a solo gallery exhibition. For some reason it didn't come easy and required quite a few go-arounds in order to arrive at something which filled the bill.

Then, a few days ago, I came across an entry on TOP which contained an artist statement written by Ansel Adams. Quite obviously, it was written tongue-in-cheek and meant as a sendup of academic artspeak artist statements.

That got me to thinking about finding an online artspeak artist statement generator. I found one HERE. This is what it spit out:


MARK HOBSON
*1947, Syracuse NY, United States


I am an artist who mainly works with photography. With a conceptual approach, I create work using creative game tactics, but these are never permissive. Play is a serious matter: during the game, different rules apply than in everyday life and even everyday objects undergo transubstantiation.

My photos are characterised by the use of everyday objects in an atmosphere of middleclass mentality in which recognition plays an important role. By taking daily life as subject matter while commenting on the everyday aesthetic of middle class values, I try to develop forms that do not follow logical criteria, but are based only on subjective associations and formal parallels, which incite the viewer to make new personal associations.

My works directly respond to the surrounding environment and use everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. By choosing mainly formal solutions, I try to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way, like to involve the viewer in a way that is sometimes physical and believe in the idea of function following form in a work.

My works are based on formal associations which open a unique poetic vein. Multilayered images arise in which the fragility and instability of our seemingly certain reality is questioned.

I currently live and work in Au Sable Forks, NY.

While artspeak artist statement generators are meant to create satirical bloviating artist statements-and the above most certainly is-it is also remarkedly spot on, re: my vision and M.O., in a few of its key pronouncements.

That written, I would never use it as is. However, I will keep it on hand for future "inspiration". I will as also print it so I can give it to a few friends and watch them squirm and fiddle around trying to understand itor, quite possibly, wonder if I have gone off the deep end and lost my mind.

re-imagining ~ Life without the apa redux

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I have been re-imagining, print making wise, the look of my Life Without the APA work.

As I was preparing some of the work for submission to a gallery, I realized that, in keeping with the subhead-Nightmare Visions-to the work, the images were not visually nearly nightmare-ish enough. AKA: they did not look gloomy / threatening enough to convey the idea of "nightmare". For comparison, you can view the originals on the WORK page of my site.

For those of you not familiar with this work, the concept was to create composite images-made from blending 10-15 pieces of my existing work on a typical Adirondack scene-which depicted what the Adirondack PARK might look like without the oversight of the Adirondack Park Agency. The agency which is charged with enforcing the "Forever Wild" Amendment (Article XIV) in the New York State Constitution.

The original Adirondak scenes:

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civilized ku # 5319 ~ what's in a name?

designated driver ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on desktop

For some reason, which I can't really explain other than that I think of myself as a unique individual, I have always shunned the moniker photographer. For my professional career, I labeled myself as a commercial photographer but when I undertook the making of photographs, aka: pictures (my preferred word), in the making of "art", I didn't like to be labeled as a photographer. And, to be honest, I also did not like the idea of making "art".

My preference in my current picture making activities is to be labeled as a picture maker who makes pictures (not photographs).

Part of my reasoning for wanting to be known as a picture maker is that the label photographer conjures up, iMo, to many stereotypes, especially, but not limited to, the one that implies the concept of gearhead. Ditto for the word photographs because I make pictures, not photographs.

I also eschew the notion that I am making art, especially so that I am making fine art. I make pictures and whether or not they are art/fine art is not for me to decide. I leave that exclusively to the viewers of my pictures to decide.

So I guess what I am trying to convey with my various nomenclatures is a total lack of pretense regarding my picture making activities. However, I must admit, that is not to write that I hope I am making art/fine art-defined as, creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.

But, as I mentioned, whether or not I have accomplished that is not for me to judge.

kitchen life # 43 / civilized ku # 5318 ~ encountering the light

(embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on my desktop

(embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on my desktop

(embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on my iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on my iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone - processed on my iPhone

Spent the last few days chasing the light around the inside of my house. Although, to be honest and as I have previously written, the light was chasing me. I just happened to be in the right place at an opportune time.

kitchen life # 42 ~ here's hoping

(embiggenable) • iPhone

At times I can be a bit dense inasmuch as something, in this case a picture making thing, can be right in front of me and I don't get it until some time has passed.

Case in point, after recently making a couple comparo pictures-same referent with iPhone and µ4/3-it has dawned on me that the HDR function-now the default setting on the iPhone Xs Max-is somewhat of a computational photography miracle. Well ... Ok, not an actual miracle but a damn handy picture making tool.

I confess that, up until quite recently, I have taken for granted the extended range pictures, from shadow to highlight (with some highlight /shadow detail recoverable if needed), that the iPhone spits out with impressive regularity. And it does so without a hint of HDR visual weirdness.

Prior to my use of the iPhone modual as my prime picture making device, I was a RAW shooter without exception. Now, it's hard for me to believe how incredibly satisfied I am with the results I obtain with JPEG files.

CAVEAT: as I previously written, the iPhone is not a perfect picture making device for all of my needs. On those occasions when it is not, I rely on my µ4/3 cameras and will continue to do so. However, that written, if computational photography moves into "traditional" cameras, I won't hesitate for a second to buy into it and drop iPhone picture making like a hot potato. 'Cause, when all is said and done, I prefer the feel of a "real' camera in my hands rather than a phone no matter how competent it might be.

polaroids ~ pushing around the emulsion

(embiggenable) • Polaroid Spectra camera

editorial / advertising assignments ~ (embiggenable) • Polaroid SX-70 camera

just for fun ~ (embiggenable) • Polaroid SX-70 camera

Based on my prior use of Polaroid film-Time Zero and professional 4x5 / 8x10 films-I'm surprised they went out of business.

I still have 3 SX-70 cameras, 2 SLR 680 cameras and 1 Spectra Onyx camera. All in perfect working (and looking) condition. Keep meaning to try some of that Impossible Polaroid film to see how well it can be manipulated. Maybe sooner than later.

single women # 38 / civilized ku # 5315-17 (triptych) ~ moving around the landscape

Ain’t airports fun ~ Washington,DC (embiggenable) • iPhone

Plattsburgh / Washington. DC / Pittsburgh ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

A busy week. Took my grandson, Hugo, to Pittsburgh, PA. for a day long visit to a prep school.

The visit included a practice skate with the school's top prep hockey team. Hugo put on enough of a show that the coach offered him a spot in the top team prep hockey program. Consequently, I may be traveling to Pittsburgh more frequently.

On the picture making front, I managed to make an addition to my single women body of work which you can view on my site front page via the WORK link above.