Why Do I Even Bother?

What We Do Best…

by keith on March 16, 2011 in Uncategorized

I got this tattoo a few months ago with my great friend Vanessa. At the time, I was going through a rough patch in life and needed a daily reminder to myself that things will be okay…it’s often the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see peeking out of the covers in the morning. I knew that it always meant something to me…skateboarding and life references both applied to this one…but now more than ever I really feel that I’m capable of pushing through…regardless of what hurdle is tossed in my way. It’s an interesting moment of self-realization that I’ve faced with but I wouldn’t change it for the world and eagerly anticipate the next venture.

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Yesterday

by keith on March 12, 2011 in Uncategorized

I bought a book in typography because I thought that it’d be fun to mess around with and eventually learn to dabble in it…design and photography are so intertwined to the point that it would seem almost stupid to not have some skills from both sects. I want to continually post half-assed designs that I finish so that I can track my progression into next __________________(insert famous typographers name here).

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Jim Houser – Stormfront

by keith on March 11, 2011 in Uncategorized

Jim Houser – Stormfront – 18×24 inches – 5-Color Hand Pulled Screen Print

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Todd McLellan: Disassembly

by keith on March 11, 2011 in Uncategorized

While his work has been just about everywhere as of late, I’m posting it here too…because whoever has missed it thus far deserves an opportunity to fall equally in love with the work of Canadian born and bred Todd McLellan. Allowing himself to slowly dismantle and intricately arrange pieces of various common goods, McLellan creates a singular planed-image that has a unique presentation that proves to be very visually stimulating while incredibly subtle. Although all images share a similar resemblance, they all have their own individual identity due to the careful selection of subject matter; McLellan focuses on goods that have lived life and show actual wear opposed to those polished and directly from the factory assembly line. On his personal site, you’re able to see a sped-up version of his creation process…

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My Grandmother

by keith on March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized

Is by far one of the most amazing women in the world and recently was in a bit of a mishap. While my religious views are more chaotic than a pinball game, I’d like to ask you everyone out there to say a prayer for her. I know many of you may think that this is silly, but to me it would mean the world…thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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Barbour Dickens = Mine…I hope…

by keith on March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized

I’ve always wanted a nice spring jacket…not just something that I’ve been toting around for the past 4 years…not one of those jackets that has a ripped cuff and a missing button or two that is horribly unflattering to my manly figure (yeah I said it…#manstuff)…something that makes me look refined and adult-esque. Ever since I’ve seen a few of my friends in their Barbour Jackets I knew that I would not rest until I owned one for myself. After perusing through their new line in the store recently I have decided upon the Dickens jacket…it will prove a worthy addition to my closet full of awesomeness. Now…who to rob in order to acquire the necessary funds…hmmm….

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Fons Schiedon

by keith on March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized

Discovered thanks to Elephant(see post below), I’ve fallen in love with a great deal of work that I’d otherwise overlook. The accompanying text to his interview in Issue #5 made Fons Schiedon out to be not only the type of artist I admire and would love to collect a piece or two from, but rather as an individual I’d love to be friends with. It also makes Berlin appear to be a possible destination for future conquests after I establish dominance over the five boroughs. I certainly would not mind sweating through a shirt or two enjoying some crackers and water in Volkspark Fredrichshain Park. Who knows though…but his work sure is swell.

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Elephant Magazine

by keith on March 9, 2011 in Uncategorized

In preparation for today’s waiting room excursion, I headed to Barnes and Noble in search of some quality literature to putz around with. While making my way to the cashier, my attention was grasped by a magazine with the word “Elephant” written on it with large black and pink letters(truthfully, who isn’t a sucker for big pink letters…I mean it gets your attention right?). At a first glance, I had absolutely no idea what the publication was about but to be honest, I didn’t really care as it is a wonderfully made book…something that truly stood out amongst the generically design dribble that I’ve been seeing variations of for the past decade. From the binding, to the texture of the cover, to the actual scent of the ink on paper…I knew that I’d love this book. The UK based publication is an infant that focuses on Arts & Visuals…no artistic medium is discriminated here. Within the 200+ pages you can find anything from collage to sculpture or typography to paper mache figurines. While the price point of $19.99 is a bit steep for your general publication, after viewing all that it has to offer Elephant is certainly well worth the extra coin. Unlike other magazines in it’s genre, Elephant is more comparable to a coffee table book that will remain a major contender on your bookshelf for years to come as opposed to being tossed under your bed in a rubber-maid storage bin that only sees the light of day when you’re digging for your other Puma sneaker.

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The Whitney Today…

by keith on March 9, 2011 in Uncategorized

About a year or so ago I made a pact with myself that I’d attend at least one gallery/museum per month…the end result…about a year of not going to any shows. Today, amidst the insanity that is my daily life, I managed to stop into The Whitney at an opportune time; due to the proximity to closing time I was granted admission to the museum for free. I managed to view nearly every piece in the museum in under 30 minutes and have to say that there were certainly a few standouts for me. As of late I’ve noticed that my overall creative outlook is greatly enhanced by viewing work of varied mediums…not necessarily just those I directly practice in. For those of you look to score an equally sweet deal on the entrance fee…just go at roughly 5:25 and tell them Keith sent you…it’s a guarantee win.

Valley of Doubt – Mark Tansey – 1990

The Act of Letting A Person Into Your Home – Ed Ruscha – 1983

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Current State of Photographic Mind

by keith on March 7, 2011 in Uncategorized

I am currently scanning my my newest roll of medium format film; the last roll I had picked up was some 4 months ago…maybe more. I haven’t been happy with much of what I’ve shot but I’ve beginning to care less and less. I remember when photography was a competition to me…I was the young guy working in a pool of seasoned veterans…they had nothing to prove and seemingly, I had to prove everything. I used to shoot and shoot and shoot away…blasting countless actuations in hopes of acquiring the next photo that would gain me a bit of recognition amongst my peers…allowing me to make the next step…to get the better assignment. After a while it lost its luster…what you may ask? Photography. I lost my drive to create…not because I didn’t love it but because I had spent so much time modeling my creative mind after what I thought others would like…not what I liked…and when I stopped to think about what it was that I liked, I had no idea.

Photography was created to establish lasting memories not to create another competitive outlet for those who weren’t a fan of organized sports anymore. I saw myself fall into the habit of composing my shots identically to that of the artist whose latest book I just read…Renaldi, Soth, Hido, Abel…all of them. I lost MY own train of thought…I lost my identity…my photographic life. Since I’ve worked in the field of photography here in New York, it’s been quite a love hate relationship…working in the news industry has shown me that the best photograph doesn’t always see the light of day but rather the image that best accompanies the text. As a photographer your goal is to have the image do the talking…a photo is worth a thousand words but a great photo is worth an million words. What am I getting at? To be honest…I don’t really know but this is how my head works so I’m writing it down. I sometimes wish that I was a photographer…that I never gave up the dream that I started back with so long ago between the crowds and the barricades of my favorite bands when I was just a teen…when I used to carry around my N65 proudly and drop my film off weekly at the Neshaminy mall…back then things were easy and autofocus was just fine because the pictures came out in the end…but I guess this is growing up.