DRIVEMEINSANE.COM has been running since 1997. It is a webcam site where you can control things in the person's home - mainly lights. You can turn five different lights on or off (Christmas lights, regular lamps, plasma lamps, etc.). Every time I've gone over the past few days there has been someone there. It's really disconcerting. I feel like Buffalo Bill. It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again!
Labels: VIDEO
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/31/2009 -
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I had seen, but nearly forgotten about, GOTTFRIED HELNWEIN'S self-portraits from the 1980s (above). So perfect. I had not, however, seen his paintings (below). I've been drawing lately. I really suck. But I'm making improvements. Every drawing I do comes out looking like a picture made by the fat quiet girl in the back seat of math class obsessing about the quarterback sitting in front of her. Not far off, really...
Labels: ART, JEALOUSY, PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/31/2009 -
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Walter Partos, of PARTOS CO, has started his own blog. I recently said that although I hope to benefit others by linking to them from my blog, I recognized that This Is A Race is a pretty selfish outlet and that I mainly do it so I get more hits to my site. I don't feel that way about Walter having a blog. I'm really excited to hear more from him:
There are few things are narcissistic as a blog. My whole life, I have loved getting others to think, to consider the world in a new way. Hopefully, along the way to get them to laugh. To have fun. There is a look people have when you have gotten through, when you have changed their world view even a little bit, I live for those moments.
I want to do interviews and get to understand that person. All walks of life. There is a news story about a surgeon who hurt quite a few people by his actions. I would like to find out,"what was his internal monologue that allowed him to keep going, to keep hurting people." I want to interview Noam Chomsky about what an "ideal state is, how does it function? what would his place in it be?". I want to understand. I believe that we have to understand what it is before we can have any meaningful conversation about what we would like it to be. I think the deepest enjoyment in the world comes from understanding.
Make me understand, Walter!
Labels: MAYBE THE FUTURE WILL BE BETTER
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/30/2009 -
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Since when did David Lynch get all NPR? I'm kind of over This American Life - too many "explaining the economy" episodes and borezystorezies. This series of people from THE INTERVIEW PROJECT will fill that gap for now.
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/29/2009 -
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Labels: ART, JEALOUSY, MAYBE THE FUTURE WILL BE BETTER
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/28/2009 -
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In 1518 a plague broke out in Strasbourg causing the residents to dance until they died:
She was still dancing several days later. Within a week about 100 people had been consumed by the same irresistible urge to dance. The authorities were convinced that the afflicted would only recover if they danced day and night. So guildhalls were set aside for them to dance in, musicians were hired to play pipes and drums to keep them moving, and professional dancers were paid to keep them on their feet. Within days those with weak hearts started to die.
By the end of August 1518 about 400 people had experienced the madness. Finally they were loaded aboard wagons and taken to a healing shrine. Not until early September did the epidemic recede.(Source)
The theory is that the people began dancing because of the extreme distress caused by famine, disease, and poverty. The need to dance was so strong that when the urge finally overtook every reason not to dance it ended up killing them.
This reminds me of a documentary I saw in an experimental film class in university. The people of an African (I believe - might have been Haitian...?) village would set aside a day every year or so to go into trances. They would induce themselves into feverish and violent dancing and convulse until they frothed at the mouth, claiming spirits had overtaken them. Animal sacrifices were made. Child shamans spoke in tongues. Huge riotous gatherings took place. And then, the next day, everything went back to normal. People behaved as if nothing unusual had happened. Any indiscretions were not addressed. It was as if it simply did not happen.
Apparently this was a way for them to release stress - these trance dance rituals. They ascribed a higher power to the act of dancing so that they could completely release themselves and be as violent and frenetic as needed without being self-conscious about their movements. I guess it's the same reason that people drink before they feel comfortable dancing. It would appear that the need to dance is inherent, but only when we're either completely desperate for it or we are sure our movements will have no consequences can it really be released. Looking at these examples, it seems that dancing is not at all a frivolous or unimportant activity. A night out on the town could very well save your life.
Labels: DEATH AND DRAMA, YOUTUBE
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/28/2009 -
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Upon entering the room housing Katie Paterson's installation, Earth-Moon-Earth, my first understanding of the piece was that a ghost was supposed to have been playing Moonlight Sonata, badly. I then though that the player-piano had been programmed incorrectly on purpose to mimic the endearing qualities of human error. Finally I wandered to the wall where there was a pair of headphones next to the score of the piece. In the headphones a crackly morse code was being tapped out. Beside the score was an explanation:
E.M.E (Earth-Moon-Earth) is a form of radio transmission whereby messages are sent in Morse code from earth, reflected from the surface of the moon, and then received back on earth.
The moon reflects only part of the information back - some is absorbed in its shadows, "lost" in its craters.
For this work, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata has been translated into Morse code
and sent to the moon via E.M.E. Returning to earth "fragmented" by the moon's surface, it has been re-translated into a new score, the gaps and absences becoming intervals and rests.
In the exhibition space the new "moon-altered" score plays on a Disklavier grand piano.
Such an elegant and tightly realized installation. Earth-Moon-Earth is on display as a part of the UNIVERSAL CODE exhibition at The Power Plant in Toronto until August 30th.
See a video and more images from the installation on KATIE PATERSON'S WEBSITE.
Labels: ART
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/26/2009 -
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I've been telling my friends about my aunt who became an Italian Disco Star/Model/Artist forever now, and finally there's proof on YouTube. Here's Mary performing Casino with The Passengers in a sparkling Pierre Cardin dress. Wink.
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/26/2009 -
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Here are some words I'd like to put out of circulation:
Hipster: The only people who use this word are old people, people who are classifiable hipsters themselves, or people who feel excluded. Describing someone as a "hipster" has about the same clout as calling something "funky" or "groovy". It's become a huge blanket term to describe a huge part of the population. Within this population there are subsets of annoying people, and there are subsets of really creative amazing people. It is so frustrating to see art/artists/music/musicians/huge areas of a city/restaurants/bars etc. cast aside and shunned because of the quick and easy label "hipster" being applied to them. And usually it's the worst of the bunch attacking from within. It's like the people who make fun of American Apparel are there the most. The ones who make fun of MGMT are the ones who secretly listen to them. It's basically akin to latent homosexuality. The word has always annoyed me, but I'm fed up with it right now because I'm moving to Williamsburg and I'm sick of people telling me not to move there cause it's full of hipsters. It's cheap, it's nice, it's convenient, and I like it. There, I've said it. Now fuck off.
Fashion-Forward: This term is used only by people who have no clue what they are talking about. If they were truly aware of what fashion is they would never say these words together. Accordingly, anything they label as fashion-forward is definitely not.
Random: This word is used by people who are too lazy to think of even one valid word to describe an event properly. Usually, people say "random" when it's not at all appropriate - such as running into someone on the street. It's not "random" to see someone you know when you're outside of your house or at an event.
Weird: I only want this word to be banned in the context of art or when describing a person. "That picture is weird." This is such a terribly boring way to dismiss something without even taking a moment to consider said thing. "Charlie's weird." I would bet that Charlie isn't weird. I would bet that you're a snore.
Exceptions: Ja'mie can say "random" as much as she likes because she's in private school. Also, you can have a weird day or a weird encounter. Otherwise please stop overusing these words.
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/24/2009 -
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My old frenemy KYLE TRYHORN has got some really nice images up on his NEW WEBSITE. Kyle and his partner in crime have made lots of images for BLEND MAGAZINE in The Netherlands.
Labels: FASHION, PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/20/2009 -
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As promised, I am now selling DVDs from the NEW RITUALS series:
New Rituals - 2009 - 9:00
DVD of 9 animated images on a loop. Plays in any standard DVD player. Each DVD is hand-stamped with the New Rituals insignia and comes packaged in a sacrificial refuse bag. A lock of the artist's hair is sparkled to the front of each package.
To order a DVD please send $30 via Paypal to graydon@graydonsheppard.com. An address request will follow. If you are ordering from the United States, the cost is $30USD including shipping. If you are ordering from Canada the cost is $30CAD including shipping. Please inquire for international rates.
Supply is limited!
Labels: ART, I MADE THIS. ME. GRAYDON., PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/20/2009 -
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Danish artist MADS LYNNERUP (maybe the best name of an artist I've ever heard) did his MFA at Columbia University:
Lynnerup's work is often diverse, but has remained consistent and recognizable in its approach throughout his career as an artist. Many of the themes in Lynnerup's work has roots in his constant interest in the everyday and his surroundings, whether it's the influence of billboards and advertisement texts, that inspired him to make the poster series "If you see anything interesting, please let someone know immediately," that are based on anti-terrorist posters in the subway of New York City.
I also see the series as a jab at the way we exchange information today. I have a blog, a website, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. I don't need all of this, obviously, but I've always seen them as a way to increase traffic to my site. I post things I find interesting as a way of sharing them with other people I think might like them, but they're also like little trophies on my blog. I feel like I score points if I find something original to put up. That's why I called this blog This is a Race. One can't really just sit by and hope for people to discover their work anymore - an active involvement in the online world greatly increases your chance of circulation. So, I won't pretend this isn't mostly a selfish endeavour, but I do hope that the people I blog about and link to get something out of it, too.
Thanks to Sparkles for showing me this.
Labels: ART
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/20/2009 -
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I'm always so flattered when I find people who do great work have linked to me. GABRIEL SABANDO is a Spanish photographer doing some lovely innovative work out of Madrid. Gabriel did his Master's at EFTI. He also has a nice BLOG with some great stills from Three Women and pictures of black holes and so on.
Labels: PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/20/2009 -
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Every once in a while I break up with myself. It's painful, but it has to happen. For the dumper side of me it's a relief and I look forward to moving on to bigger and better stuff. For the dumped side of me, I go down the rabbit-hole and am forced to painstakingly analyze everything I've done wrong. I'm like a Mini Wheat. A soggy Mini Wheat.
I was once told by someone who I thought mattered that the most interesting thing about my photographs was seeing my discomfort as a photographer reflected in the expressions of my subjects. I clung to this deduction like it was the only thing that made me unique, and I've just realized that it's something I've been hiding behind.
Ever since I began making images seriously I've bounced back and forth from using just my camera and the sun to making HIGHLY CONTRIVED and constructed work. My struggle for the past few years has been trying to define myself as an artist. How do I reconcile my aesthetic and thematic disparities?
I've often blamed my eclecticism for my difficulties in getting shows with my own work or for failing to get grant money for short films I've written and photo series I've proposed. I thought having done ad work made people think of me less as an artist. I got a big head and thought I was too big for Toronto. But recently I came to the realization that maybe it's not them, it's me (see, it really is like breaking up with myself). And, although I have to keep doing what interests and excites me, maybe I need to grow up a bit, too.
I admit that I like the look of distrust in my photographs, but it's gotten me into trouble. I've always found it more interesting and engaging when my subject doesn't look pretty. I've never been interested in making the people who sit for me look good; I've been interested in making a compelling image. Avedon's images of a despondent Marilyn Monroe are more interesting to me than any other image of her. I've never requested "fierce" from someone I was photographing. It just doesn't thrill me. I find it so disposable. But I've often been unfair to my subjects. I've objectified them because I believed it was more interesting. While I stand by my photographs, while I think they say as much about my insecurities as they do about the subject's, I now understand how cruel I can be.
After spending a couple weeks in San Francisco with photographers at different stages of their careers I was thrown for a loop. Of course I have been around photographers I think are amazing for years, but I mostly went to school with them. I saw them do crap and I saw them do great things and I saw their insecurities and their strengths grow and change as they did. And they saw mine. Being around Parker, Ryan, and Luke changed my mind about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I'm sure they all have their insecurities, but unlike my colleagues in Toronto, I didn't see them grow, I just see them now, and I'm humbled in different ways.
PARKER is a brash young thing heading into his first year at California College of the Arts. He's one of those photographers who loves having a camera in his hand and takes it everywhere. He's going to kick my ass big time and he's going to do so well in school. I'm so excited for him and can't wait to see what he'll do. It makes me remember how people who had taken time between high school and university did so much better in the photo program because they really knew they wanted to be there. Parker's really unselfconscious with his camera, he trusts that people want to be photographed and want to be photographed by him, as well they should. I've never had that confidence. I always felt like my subjects were doing me a favour rather than getting anything out of the experience themselves. Watching Parker shoot with such excitement for the medium was both inspiring and disconcerting. I felt like I didn't get nearly as much out of my education as he will. The lucky thing is that I'll get to go back to school this fall. I can't wait to approach my film education with a fervor and understanding that I lacked in my undergraduate experience.
LUKE, who I didn't get to spend a lot of time with but hope to get to know better in New York, is fresh out of UCLA and blowing up the photo world. His work is really fantastic and beautiful and original and varied but coherent - something I aspire to but take too far in some ways.
RYAN is a well-known young photographer who did his MFA at SVA and watching him photograph was so fascinating for me. We use the same camera, but not in the same way. I am sure that in some ways the style of my university education gave me this complex that I have to have a set or a gimmick going on in my photographs in order for people to be interested in them. I've felt like just having my camera wasn't enough, and I felt that from the people who asked me to take photographs of them. I didn't think anyone would trust that my photograph was going to be interesting unless I had a stylist and an elephant on hand and we were going to a treetop village in the Amazon. Watching Ryan trust himself and trust that a camera was all he needed was fascinating. And when I sat for Ryan I suddenly understood how unfair I could be with my subjects. I totally trusted Ryan because I knew his photographs and I knew he would not be unkind to me. It was when I was sitting for him that I understand why people might have been reticent to let me photograph them knowing that my photographs were all about what I wanted them to be, not about who or what they really are.
I have not been a subject for anyone for about six years. I didn't really understand what it was like to be in front of the lens, which I now realize is something a photographer must experience seriously. I thought I knew what it was like to be a subject, and I had disdain for subjects who (I assumed) wanted to "look hot". Both Parker and Ryan photographed me, and while I'll never ask them to retouch an image of me or have the delusion that I'm a model, I see how vulnerable it can make someone feel to be photographed.
So, moving forward, my overarching modus operandi is becoming clearer. When editing my photographs from San Francisco I went down the rabbit-hole because I was afraid others would think them boring landscape photos. But, for once, I'm going ahead with what I believe in rather than what I want people to think is exciting and fresh. I resisted the urge to hide behind digital gimmicks or design tricks and just edited the straight images from an intuitive place.
I see these images as a continuation and purification of what I began in London. London was an accidental beginning to a theme that carried through the photographs in Are We Having Fun Yet? When I went to Mexico I expected this theme to continue, but I mostly just found good people genuinely wanting to enjoy themselves with their families and getting along and having a good time, so the focus shifted. My own solitude began to leak through as I felt on the outside of this group of people I didn't want to judge anymore. This came out as well as a methodical and almost meditative way of photographing. A centre-heavy, Bernd & Hilla Becher informed framing of the subject emerged. I was compelled and excited by this somewhat boring regimented style of photographing. This style reappears in the San Francisco photographs and is even more methodical and unapologetic in its wistful prettiness. I think this way I'm photographing is a foil to the gimmicky pictures I do. It is the most consistently recurrent style of photograph I have taken over any period of time. And it's not to say that I won't have fun with photography and image-making ever again, but I'm really trying to pay attention to what these are and why I'm doing them.
Parker told me that when we went to photograph together that he felt he totally was not a part of my process, that I was working alone. It's true. It needs to be a solitary act for me. I need to get lost in it, I need to feel uninhibited and not judged or scrutinized.
In the end I still haven't been able to pin down what I'm going for, but this way of photographing is leading me by the hand to somewhere I want to be. It's taking me back to the photograph and the medium itself. Kind of purifying it. And it's still me. There are themes that I've always imbued in my work - loneliness, smallness, boredom, apathy, bleached or faded vibrancy, existentialism, and a kind of hush and stillness or stasis beyond the obvious stillness of the photographic medium. I think these themes are not hiding behind anything else anymore. I hope they're not so earnest, that maybe they're a little more natural.
Though all this was a tricky mind-trap to navigate I feel better, lighter, and ready to move forward. I'm still proud of the things I've done. Some things more so than others, but it's all brought me here. And though my work may sometimes be schticky and sloppy, I'm glad to say that I've never approached it from the side of irony.
So for now this Mini Wheat is floating alone, but sugar-side-up in a warm bowl of milk.
Labels: ART, BAD DOG, DEATH AND DRAMA, EW, I MADE THIS. ME. GRAYDON., MAYBE THE FUTURE WILL BE BETTER, NARCISSISM, PHOTOGRAPHY, THINGS I WISH I'D DONE
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/16/2009 -
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I've redesigned MY WEBSITE and my blog. In this time of transition I felt I needed cleanliness and simplicity somewhere. I'm really happy with the change on my site - it's about the work and it's nice to see everything I'm proud of laid out on one page.
Also, I've added images from San Francisco and from the New Rituals GIFs.
I have been really analyzing my work as I've done this, and come to some humbling realizations. I'll post my thoughts soon. They will be more effective than NyQuil I swear.
Labels: I MADE THIS. ME. GRAYDON., MAYBE THE FUTURE WILL BE BETTER, PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/11/2009 -
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Mark Romanek has a BLOG of sorts. That's right, the man who directed THE MOST EXPENSIVE MUSIC VIDEO EVER MADE has a blog consisting mostly of pictures from his iPhone.
Labels: PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/09/2009 -
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The great Davida Nemeroff has a new WEBSITE and BLOG. I've been waiting in anticipation to see all her new work from her time in Columbia's MFA Visual Arts program.
Above is Jennifer Castle of CASTLEMUSIC and some girl named Mira.
Labels: ART, PHOTOGRAPHY
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/07/2009 -
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POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/07/2009 -
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I'm so happy to share that I'm a part of the They Shoot Videos, Don't They? screening this Thursday night in Toronto. This is the first of a series of screenings curated by the wonderful SCOTT CUDMORE. It will take place on Thursday, July 9th at 107 SHAW GALLERY. My Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains video will be screened with videos by the likes of Martin de Thurah and Patrick Daughters. So flattered and excited to have this video on a big screen!
Labels: FILM, I MADE THIS. ME. GRAYDON., MUSIC
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/05/2009 -
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Martha Plimpton you are a thing of dreams. The ensemble she's wearing in the video below is beyond perfection. It's everything I want to be. Her hair - oh her hair! I could die in that hair:
POSTED BY GRAYDON AT 7/05/2009 -
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