EARLY IMAGES

Spicewood, Texas October 1975

I made this image almost 37 years ago. Back then almost every weekend, Saturday or Sunday, sometimes both, two or three of us photographers would venture out early in the morning into the country around Austin to see what we could find. The groups I photographed with all used view cameras, either 4x5's or 8x10's. We all worked from a different aesthetic, but common amongst our collective image seeking was that which had been left to the elements and time to become something other than it's original intent. Hard to explain this viewpoint, but nostalgia played a large part in our subject selection. I think this image is a good example. I made this image with an old wide angle, short rail Calumet 4x5 and a 90mm f/5.6 Super Angulon. Still have the lens, but not the camera. The image still holds my interest after all these years.

PIX FOR LIB

Thorndale, Texas -- Jan 1987

PIX FOR LIB

Thrall, Texas 1990

I had ask my daughter if there were any particular images she'd like for me to put up in our "new" living room. (The room is not new, but the paint job on the walls and the refinished floor are.) She's getting married next weekend. Basically they will only hang during the dinner/reception which is here at the house, but since the walls are currently bare, I thought I'd ask her what she'd like to see in that space. I'm always a bit amazed at which image people remember. As I print each image, I'll post them.

This gaudy building was a modern "honky-tonk" is the very small town of Thrall. It's maybe 30 miles or so northeast of Austin. Evidently it wasn't too popular because it had already close when I photographed in February of 1990. I drove through Thrall two years ago, and the building is no longer standing.

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Bastrop County, Texas December 1975

There is something very poignant about seeing a dead coyote strung-up on a fence line next to a well traveled highway. In the Texas ranch country, it's not an uncommon sight. Once I saw six such animals strung in a row on six fence post. I have never quite understood why these ranchers feel it necessary to display these dead animals in such a manner. Where the animal is hung is rarely where it was killed. One has to wonder, is this a warning to other coyotes as to their fate if they are found trespassing on this rancher's land, or is this some sort of alpha male statement from the rancher saying no poaching of cattle by man nor beast will be tolerated. In the case of the latter, wouldn't a sign work just as well? Funny thing about the coyote, even after many years of eradication programs, not only has the species survived, but has been successful in extending its range. We have coyotes here in the northeast. I have been amazed at the "death snarl" has been on just about every dead coyote I have ever seen.

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With this entry, my "This Old Texas Place" series comes to an end. I was only shooting for six days and have now posted 42 images I thought were worth looking seeing. Whenever I have a body of work compiled such as TOTP, I like to make a small book of the work. No, not "publish on demand" (POD) books, but labor intensive, time consuming handmade books. I design and lay them out in Photoshop, print them with my ink jet printer, sew the pages together, and glue on a cover. They look somewhat like you might get from Blurb.....except they are far better printed. Material cost is about the same as a Blurb publication, and from what I hear (I've never done a Blurb book myself) from friends, just about as time consuming. But unlike POD books, the layout can be anything I can think of that will support the idea of the image collection. I get to design it all. I don't have to follow pre-formed template layouts, etc. And since I choose my materials very carefully, my books are fully archival. Above is the cover for the collection of images presented on this blog as TOTP. I decided to call it "Road Sides" because everyone of the images is made on the side of the road probably no further than 20 feet from my parked vehicle. BTW, these book maquettes are not for sale, so don't ask. I would have to price them in the neighborhood of $400-500 each mostly because of the time it take to produce one. Their primary purpose is promotion of the work to collections, galleries, museums, and grant applications. It a very nice way to show someone what I do. Easy to pack several of these books for showing my work while I'm traveling.

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Winchester, Texas 2008

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Serbin, Texas 2008

I love these ceramic portraits that adorn the older stones in some cemeteries. There are some cemeteries in central Texas where almost every stone has one. Maybe it's the style of portrature -- looks to be natural lighting from north facing large windows -- and rendering of the flesh tones by the orthro films of yesteryear. They measure only about four inches tall, and seem to weather not at all, well, at least most of the time. It was the weathering that drew me to photograph the top image. I've never seen that effect before. As to the bottom image, rarely do you see any of the writing on the stone so close to the image. I like the way the title -- "PASTOR" -- formed an arch across the bottom of the letters opposite the curve of the portrait. And I liked how the cement was breaking away from the still perfect image. I have photographed a few of these before, and have a project in mind if ever time permits. For those who are interested, Serbin was founded by Wends in the late 19th century. You can read about it here.

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Lexington, Texas 2008

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Urban Cemetery, Milam County, Texas 2008

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San Gabriel, Texas 2008

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Davilla, Texas 2008

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Davilla, Texas 2008

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Seaton, Texas 2008

Along with yesterday's entry, I have three different versions of this porch with the "Rainbo Bread" sign on the screen doors. You'd get very nice screen doors if you let the advertise their bread. I'm still deciding which I like best -- care to express your opinion? However, a comment about the "rust spots" on the ceiling and wall from yesterday's posting prompted me to put up these other views from this old dance hall. Not rust spots at all, but merely little friendly spiders and their webs that have collected not only the insects that swarm around the light bulb on warm Texas nights, but also collect the dust and dirt kicked up by the swarms of pickup trucks that travel the dirt road about 30 feet from this building and the dirt parking lot wrapped around it. This image was made at the beginning of March and the placed hasn't been cleaned, yet, for the coming summer's activities. That said, another question: I bet very few people know why the ceiling of the porch is painted such a lovely shade of light blue. You find this is the color of choice for a lot of southern and southwestern porch ceilings. If you know why, please add a comment. BTW, I know the reason for the color.

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Seaton, Texas 2008

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Red Ranger, Texas 2008

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Ratibor, Texas 2008

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Leon County, Texas 2008

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Wortham, Texas 2008

That column of bricks on the right side of this image is the same column of bricks seen on the left side of yesterday's entry.....this is the side wall, the other is the front of the building. I'm never sure what attacts me to make images like this. Probably the randomness of the decay and distruction, and how my eye seeks order in the way this wall is falling apart. It's color fields and forms much like an abstract painter would perform, but here a slow natural progression has revealed the same process. I have at times told my students these images are sequences, not in the traditon of multiple images, but a "single image sequence" where the passage of time can be expressed. Some would argue that all images are "single image sequences" in that no subject is truly static -- even rocks age. I like to think some of my images as showing the pealing back the layers showing a progression of the aging process. Or not. I'm not a visual anthropologist trying to unravel the past to explain the present/future. That would be a bit too complicated, and too much like work. Mostly I'm just curious, and let's just leave it at that.

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Wortham, Texas 2008

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Coolidge, Texas 2008