Walking Pictures #26

Untitled, Milwaukee 2009 © jwl

This found my attention on the way for coffee late this afternoon.

Portrait #12

Abby Goelzer, Milwaukee 2009 © jwl

My sweet friend Abby stopped by the WAR ROOM on Wednesday for a visit. She has just returned to Milwaukee after spending a few months in India working with some nuns. We had a nice long talk about India as well as some banter about keeping and eye the bigger picture in our lives. I am so very happy to have Abby come by and remind me of the smallness that can consume us sometimes. I took this photo while she told me some awesome stories about monkeys that steal food and lock you in your room.

Welcome home, Abby, and come see me again.

iWood3B

A couple of weeks back in NYC our friends there gave us some handy new gadgets to bring back home and entertain us. Brand spanking new iWood phones. Hand made and packed with apps for hours of mindless and socially awkward alienating entertainment.

Beyond the typical features of a Phone, Mail, Web and Music this baby has apps that come in useful when someone becomes as annoying as a 10 yr old with a gameboy, sitting there alone and laughing aloud at some funny youtube feature they just witnessed on their overly technological toy.

IWood apps include:
JUNK, TINY MAP, USELESS CRAP, KNOW-IT-ALL, MEETING IGNORE, FANTASY WORLD, TECH ADDICT, TELEPORTER, $TATU$ $YMBOL, GARAGE DOOR OPENER, DEATH, TIMEWASTER, BEAT DOWN, BORING, INVISIBILITY & FRIEND-BE-GONE.

Get one for yourself today!

William Christenberry

"I think that oftentimes art can make an outsider look back on something he has never been part of, and make him feel like he has always been part of it."

"My work is a totality of things, how drawing, painting, photography, sculpture - all of these things - come together in an attempt to make a statement about my life and where I'm from, what I care about."

I recently picked up the book Working From Memory in which Christenberry tells stories about his work in bursts about specific pieces. I have been in admiration of Christenberry's work for some time, but I have never really read many of his words. After reading this book, I am reassured and inspired to continue on the path I have been trodding. In fact, where once I thought I might put it away for a while, I feel that it is prudent to continue working on photographs of my home region in Tennessee. There'e something more I need to do there.

CoPA Exhibition | Customer Relations

© Arthur Elkon
© Christopher Cabatbat

I had the honor of preparing prints and mats for 2 artists who will feature their work in the upcoming CoPA Member's Exhibition for Gallery Night this month. If you are available, go check out their work and all the other work in the show..

4th Annual CoPA Members Exhibition
April 17 - 26, 2009

P.H. Dye House
320 E. Buffalo St., 2nd floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Portrait #11

Cortney Heimerl, Milwaukee 2009 © jwl

Cortney Heimerl, of the Handmade Nation fame, stopped in for a visit today. I've known Cortney for a long time now, and I am quite fond of her. I never had any siblings as a kid, but in her I feel like I have a little sister. I can't explain why, just is.

It's always a treat to see Cortney and I owe her a BLT next time, thanks girl.

Walking Pictures #24-25

Corner, NYC 2009 © jwl

Cabride, NYC 2009 © jwl

Maybe its a holdover from the Tony Fitzpatrick opening I attended last night, or maybe it has something to do with the overall fabric of this city, but my eye was drawn to the congested and patchwork quality of what I saw today. There is so much going on in so many directions that it is quite easy to fall in love with the textures of this place.

As far as making a series of photographs based on taking walks, I could probably spend years here and never run out of things to look at. Then again, when we start looking hard enough, everything begins to have light shining on it.

Walking Pictures #23

Gate and Wall, Philadelphia PA 2009 © jwl

Lately, when discussing my work, the idea about sadness and loss has come up. I don't disagree that some of the images have that element, but I don't seek them out for that reason. I usually have a snarky reply like 'paint chips are just prettier'. Well, looky looky, I snatched this up on a walk in Philly yesterday. Paint chips are pretty.