A Little Poetry After Supper

Lee Friedlander at SFMOMA

2008-04-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Lee Friedlander's prolific collection of photographs displayed at the SFMOMA captures what he calls the "American social landscape" with style and humor. In the 50's he was photographer for Atlantic records and had many of his famous photographs up. I loved this one of Aretha Franklin - she has such an expressive face to match her soulful voice. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Friedlander took tons of photos (as we all do!) while visiting various towns across the country, I know I am such a tourist wherever I go! There are four photographs that hang in proximity when you first walk to the left from the stairs that show people in crowded bars - in what seem like random shots taken over the heads while waiting for a drink, but there is much more to it than that. Even if there were no sign telling me where the photo was taken (NY, LA, Alabama, some new england state) you can tell exactly where he was by the obvious markers, clothes/hair style - but even their expressions, gestures and stances exude environmental clues as to where they live. Maybe it is a cliched way to view them, but they rang true to me. My personal favorite was the bar scene in Alabama, done-up women with their teased bleached hair and scrunchies. Oh, the horrible scrunchies I used to wear!

I also loved his self portraits and the way that he forms these compositions where there is a picture in a picture, so you are not always too sure what the focus of the photo is, usually calling attention to himself in the photos in some estranged way. I guess it is hard to be both apart and a part of your work.

There was one with his wife standing bare breasted in what looked like a hotel room. His shadow from the light coming through the window, blocks her nakedness covering her, making her feel safe. I liked that.

Friedlander's work can be seen at the MOMA until May 18th, 2008. Check it out!

lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz?

2008-04-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

My new mochinecitta! I have loved this car since it came out in 1987 and I am finally (over 21 years later) actually the owner of one!

I'll never forget the time my dad and I were driving up to our lake house on Lake Burton. I think I was about 10 years old and we were driving a brand new white 560 SL that my Dad had bought for my step-mom. This car (even for my young age I knew this car was special) So we are driving along and its very dark on the quite country roads, suddenly this large furry animal is smashing against the windshield with the fear of death in its eyes and its lip smudged revealing its teeth. The car came to a stop and the scary monster from the dark flung forward out into the middle of the road. We'd hit a deer going about 45 miles an hour. Dad checked to see if I was ok (I think I must have been as wide-eyed as the deer) and got out of the badly damaged car. It was a sad site, the poor deer, still alive in the road, breathing heavily and bloody. As we were standing there, some lights from another car could be seen coming down the hill from what look liked a driveway. A rickety truck approached us and stopped at our crime scene and an older man jumped out and without saying a word he shot the deer in the head, picked it up and threw it in the back of his truck. It happened almost as fast as the accident did - the man left with just my dad and I standing there with our mouths open. I guess when nature calls, opportunity comes a knockin'. But for us, the deer situation was hardly of our worries...we had to deal with a completely different kind of monster - my stepmother!

Anyway, thought I would post my latest playlist for me and Lorenzo ridin in the Benzo.

love love

Poetry After Supper

2008-04-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

This blog site is dedicated to all the poetry you have ever received after supper. As you may know it is one of my favorite lines from the movie, Moulin Rouge!. (and she isn't really talking about "poetry") also dedicated to all the fabulousness that is San Francisco and my little niche in it. love love.

It's a whole new era, the era of blogging - reaching out to the world while you don't even know your neighbor (thank goodness because I think all my neighbors are crazy). I'm looking forward to reaching out and grabbing my little space in the world and possibly discovering something undeniably simple yet totally profound that I never expected (which seems to happen a lot in this city)! Blog on, the floor is the limit!

May you live long and prosper late night!