Before I started, I asked who had a camera. It seemed close to
half the
audience was packing some sort of device, mostly cel phones. It was eerie
seeing all those floating points of light, LED and infrared eyes in the
night.
Technology makes photographers of us all; phones and web make it easy to
share.
But if the work is to have value later, care must be taken to archive
correctly.
If you were there and took a picture, please send it to me
here. Thanks! |
I didn't realize it until it was over,
but being invited to speak about my work at the
Henry Art
Gallery was the fulfillment of an 11-year-old wish.
During and immediately after grad school (MFA Poetry), I taught freshman
writing at City University of NY. I had always wanted to be a teacher, but
the bureaucracy and irrelevance of the curriculum ground down my enthusiasm
in just three years.
I quit teaching, but not for good. I explained to others that I still wanted
to teach, but on my terms and from my experience. I imagined returning to
the university setting as a visiting artist to share my process and
observations.
When that happened today, I hardly even noticed it. It was just a natural
extension of the path I put myself on in 1996.
Back then, I decided to learn about computers and self-publish to the internet.
This website is the result.
Today, speaking to 80 or so people in an auditorium I got a huge rush from
the exchange. It was exhilarating to connect, especially during the Q&A.
It felt like a turning point and I look forward to doing more of it. |
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