Friday, July 20, 2012

Friday Hometown Shootout - Public Statues

It is only ten days before we move!  We've had a yard sale and sent other bigger stuff to a local auction house.  We've moved out stuff to Goodwill and given other stuff away.  The shed, the garage, the closets have all spilled their guts into boxes and over the floor.  A direct hit by a tornado would have probably been more efficient and easier.  Preparing to close on two houses (one as seller, one as buyer) in two days.  Turning off and on water, electricity, cable...Internet is still a possible problem where we are going which freaks me out but people keep assuring me..

But I have missed my friends at Blogspot terribly!!  A few times, I've tried to grab a chance to look at my favorite bloggers or check out the Friday shoot...and the phone rings or the kids run in or, frankly, I fall asleep at the desk.  

But one of the things that fell out of old drawers was a box of work I did in 1973 in Boston (which still qualifies, I think, as a hometown since I lived there for a long time).  I was trying to get a book published on "Boston Statues."   There were hundreds of 8x10's I had done in a make-shift darkroom.  There were reams of research and typescript - white-out and all -- of some of the chapters.  Always trying to find an unusal approach to make standard public statues interesting.  There was even the correspondence from several publishers, one of which was ready to do the book if I could expand it to New England because Boston was too limited.  (I didn't have the energy or the financial independence to put another two years into the project so the book was never done).

But since I had scanned some of the pictures in the past and since this week's topic is public statues (or public art or something like that) I had to push myself to do at least one post.  I'll see you all around mid-August after we've unpacked and I've solved the Internet problem. 

In the meantime: 

BOSTON STATUES - 1973

I did do one in color - not in the darkroom, however.












I've always loved public statuary and I really hope I'll have a chance at least to see what the rest of you do with this topic. 

I really miss you all!









12 comments:

  1. A fascinating glimpse at details, and actually a shame the book was never done!
    I hope all goes well with your move and you'll soon be happily settled in at the new place, internet and all.

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  2. PS: I am surely speaking for many others when I say that we missed you, too!

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  3. Years ago I used to watch the tv series 'Spencer for Hire' where they did a lot of the filming around the the parks of Boston. I was always impressed with the public art I got glimpses of. I will make it there one day! Great set of shots. Really cool.

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  4. So good to hear from you. Those are indeed great examples of your photography. For what little I know about it myself. Sounds like things are moving right along.
    QMM

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  5. love your phrasing - "the closets have all spilled their guts into boxes and over the floor." when you are closing a home that is EXACTLY what if feels like.
    great photos my friend - especially the send - the B&W. Can't honestly say I've missed you cause I haven't been around so didn't know you were gone - thought I was gone.... lol.

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  6. Thanks for the lesson in the art of photographing public art, Mark. So glad you found the time to put this post together and join us. I think my favourite might be the second to last, it looks more like a photo of the actual faces than a statue. Good luck with the move, I don't envy you.

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  7. I enjoyed looking at your public art, and I'm glad you found time to post this week.

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  8. Wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to share, in the midst of your mess!

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  9. I LOVE the perspectives on the statues! Very creative. Hang in there with the move!

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  10. You are getting right down to the wire. Thanks for digging out your laptop and writing too. Yup, we have missed you too, but I am so glad one is done by the time the other sold. Bravo. We will be here when you get back.

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  11. Tough days, moving is not an easy matter ... and we have all become slaves of the Internet. I had a PC breakdown for a couple of days; amazing how frustrating it can be! In the meantime, thanks for your efforts! :-)

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