After a busy week, I had the privilege to show some video work in Santa Fe. I performed a collaboration with the remarkable musicians Jesse Tatum and David Felberg, two core members of Chatter, Albuquerque’s hot as hell, chamber music ensemble. I created two original video pieces that I projected during a performance at SITE Santa Fe. The music was beautiful, the performers top-notch, and the crowd, appreciative. All in all, a little taste of what I hope will be more video art to be made and shared in the future.
2021:43 The White Plains
Those of you who know me won’t be surprised to hear that music means a lot to me. Music inspires my creative process. Music provides relief from stress, and helps me concentrate. Or it helps me escape. I’ve even dabbled in the world of music in past versions of myself. These days, I like to support musician friends with my photography and graphic design…when it’s a good fit for my work style, and when I get creative freedom. Recently, I was approached by my friend Otto Geist, an experimental musician who records under the name The White Plains. His music is very atmospheric, and cinematic. It sounds like soundtracks to movies that don’t yet exist. Otto asked me to create artwork for his new series of releases, and I was happy to oblige. His music is great for donning headphones, dimming the lights and taking a bit of a mental trip to someplace else. I encourage you to check out his work by clicking the album artwork below. Better yet, support the cause by making an affordable purchase on his Bandcamp page. Thank you, Otto for letting me do my thing to bring visuals to your sounds.
Music for a Quiet Tuesday Morning (or any morning)
I had the pleasure of creating a Spotify playlist for some old ABQ scenesters who run the up and coming coffee joint Signal Coffee Roasters in Alameda, CA. I would highly recommend trying out their beans. They deliver right to your doorstep and will most likely kick the ass of your current brew.
My curated playlist is the perfect soundtrack to while away a slow morning over a few cups of java and the morning paper (or online equivalent.) I hope it helps set a mood for your day.
a gift for the solstice
The year has been a challenge, and as we enter into winter, we will most certainly see more darkness. But without this season of darkness, we don’t fully understand or appreciate the light. As a celebration of the change in season, I would like to share a video I recently created. It was made in collaboration with my wife, flutist Jesse Tatum, and Chatter, the amazing chamber music ensemble based here in Albuquerque, NM. The piece is titled “Air” by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. In a year when the fight for one’s own breath, the conduit for our entire existence, has been threatened in myriad ways, this piece might serve as a reminder of our humanity, and our capacity for peace. “While I breathe, I hope.”
Chatter is a valuable part of the cultural fabric of our city and state. If you have the means, it would be a great organization to support, especially in this trying year. To donate, please visit their website.
2020: 21 (Nine Postcards)
This series of photographs is the result of my reaction to the stay at home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. I found myself experiencing a wide range of reactions to the situation. in order to help ease my mind, I started taking sunrise walks in my neighborhood here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. i would put in my earbuds and listen to a wonderful album i had stumbled upon, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s “Music For Nine Postcards.” The music is very much in the ambient style and dates from 1982. I found that the music had a calming effect on me, and it also helped me to relax my eyes as I surveyed the morning light, the flora just coming to life, the shadows cast and the brightness of the rising sun. The final set of images in the series are the result of these morning walks. I hope you can find the album on the streaming platform of your choice, and I would also suggest searching on youtube, as someone has posted the entire album there as well. I wish you good health and a still mind as we navigate this new reality.
A still from the new Beloved video, shot by Dean Mitchell
2020: 18 (Maybe Love Will Save Us)
All this time in lockdown has made me itch for a long road trip, to where…it doesn’t matter. Open highway, my camera sitting in the passenger seat, and a set of great songs on the stereo. The romance of the endless drive, with time to think, to see, to sing out loud…to feel free; these are part of our American birthright. Unfortunately, these thoughts are just dreams right now, but I can take a momentary escape, via the new video by Beloved.
The song is titled “Burning Van (Maybe Love Will Save Us) and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of driving down some New Mexico back road, the windows rolled down, the hot summer air swirling through your hair, the stereo cranked up, the sun shining a path to the horizon. David Garcia and his wife Nikelle are the beating heart of Beloved, and the vocals and violin (that they respectively bring to the track) create a lovely dance that winds its way into your soul. I’ve been privileged to see the development of Beloved from up close, and this latest track shows the band on confident, new ground.
The new video, beautifully shot by Dean Mitchell, is a visual love letter to the quintessential New Mexico experience, the summer road trip. And even thought lyrically the song may be a somber ode to loss and the fragility of things we care for, it is also, ultimately, a song of hope. I dare you to sing along with the “la la la la”s at the end of the tracking not have a big smile on your face while doing it. Maybe we’re not done for after all.
Watch the video below:
2019: 10 (March Arrives...)
March comes in like a lion or a lamb. Depends on which direction you look. Spring is in the air one day, and the next, a chill and blast of wind reminds you that it is still winter. Still, the light in New Mexico is seductive, and just a simple stop at a red light yields wonders.
Final touches are being put on my new books, but a printing snafu dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. Waiting for re-prints to arrive, but cautiously optimistic that all will look good.
Sickness and health. Anxiety and calmness. Bouncing between different poles, like a raft on the sea.
Fantastic night at Meow Wolf this week, seeing Kurt Vile. Always a thrill seeing an artist in their prime, at the peak of their powers.
Photo podcasts keep me company on long rides to Santa Fe, or when I’m having trouble falling asleep, this one in particular resonated with me. (Episode 100.)
Laura Greenfield’s documentary “Generation Wealth” should be required viewing for anyone registering for a credit card, or considering plastic surgery. Man, is it hard to look in the mirror as a society sometimes.
"Beloved: The Cabin Sessions" New book available now
I am very pleased to announce the release of my new photo book. It is a collaboration with my good friend David Garcia, a wonderful Albuquerque musician and his band, Beloved. The book is a visual interpretation of David's songs. There is a common theme of hope, loss, love and wanderlust between the songs and the photographs. My images are the result of wanderings in the American deserts of Arizona, California, and New Mexico. The book is 8 inch square, 58 pages, soft cover, perfect bound. I have a limited number available for purchase at my online shop starting today. Each book comes with a copy of the Beloved CD release. Get yours today by clicking on this link.
I've also created a new gallery on my website that features the photos I created for the joint project. Check them out here.