I am itching to get to work on this project. I have been working at the concept for some time, I think about it every hour of every day. Its been two years since I had the idea of “Unsettled” and even went to so far as to create a sample webpage for it. You can find that here if you are interested, its a little dated but it does gives a sense of the project and how long its been percolating in my mind.
It’s been documented in this earlier post, but I was gutted when I discovered that someone else had done a similar project some years ago and even worse that the name “Unsettled” was associated with it. I felt as if some of the wind was let out of my sails, that my project lost some its shine because someone else worked towards the same outcome.
This is completely the wrong attitude to take.
What I SHOULD be looking at, and WILL be looking at, is the fact that this project, created 20 years ago by a very good artist still resonates today, that the photos he took all those years ago are STILL be used in current exhibitions and publications. How exciting it is for me as a photographer to be exploring a theme that carries such weight over the years, how exciting for me to explore the areas that have seen another 20 years of time heaped upon them, to see the relentless march of time on these places and share them with you!
How humbling to think about what these places will look like in another 20 years and think I might inspire another artist to revisit them and do explorations and expressions of their own?
Amazing, what an amazing time to be creating, what an amazing place to be creating in!
So, what kind of images can you expect to see come out of MY project? Well, you can expect a variety of treatments, of a variety of subjects. The theme of my project has shifted a little, and I think its a shift that is to the betterment of the presentation. Its not only going to be a reflection of the changes wrought by resettlement, though that will still resonate throughout the works, it will be a reflection of ALL things left behind when change dictates they must be. They will be expressions of where once we stood. They might be homes, churches, stages, wharfs, vehicles, anything that speaks of being forgotten, of being left behind, of being faded from memory.
Here’s a few examples of what I am striving to present to you….
As you can see, the subject matter is varied, but each one tells a story of being forgotten, left behind…. We need to be reminded that these places exist, that they still matter, that the story they hold in their memories are worth telling.
I am so very much excited to get this work produced, to discover these forgotten or fading memories.
I won’t close every blog by talking about this, but for the next little while I have to. As an artist who is trying to make this his job, I could use a little help. I’m not looking for something for nothing. I am more than happy to share my work digitally with you all with no recompense. That being said, if you would like to help produce these works in a book, to create an exhibition of these works and help an artist take a step towards self sustainment , I ask that you please check out and support my Kickstarter.
A couple of quick updates.
I now have a very cool new feature going. I’ll have it pinned to the top of the site in the very near future. but for now you can find it here. This is MapHub, its an amazingly useful tool that allows me to share with you where I have been, what’s even cooler, is as the map gets a little more filled you will be able to explore and link back to the associated blogs etc. Its an amazing interactive way for you all to explore what I have explored.
How amazing technology is.
Speaking of technology, the other great feature that I am so happy is being provided is conversion of these blogs to audio and being made available through various podcast site. The link to each podcast in the series can be found at the top of each entry. This makes me happy beyond words. Availability of works to the visually impaired is something I want to ensure happens. It might seem ironic, given the fact that I am a visual artist working through photography, but there is some logic in it.
I am legally blind in my right eye. My biggest fear is that I lose my vision in both eyes. It’s part of the reason I want to express the world I see now while I can still see it. To be clear, my vision in my left eye isn’t deteriorating at this point, but I am painfully aware that I am 50% reduced. Its important that folks can still understand what I am doing, at least through my words.
I want to thank you all for the support to this point, the kind words, the sharing, the input, the help through Kickstarter, buy purchasing my work. It will help me continue to tell and share the story of Where Once We Stood, it will help me ensure that history is preserved, that memories are brought forward, that some of our past is not forgotten.
Old Bones Photo 