Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Sophomore Photography Class 1988

The CEO of Montague Projects at 15

I recently realized that it was 20 years ago this month that I began the first and only photography class I would ever take (in retrospect I wish I had been a photo major in college, but, whatever). I still have all of the negatives I developed in the class (about 250 exposures), none of them are in good shape, they're covered in scratches and other marks. At one point I must have seen all of these on a contact sheet, but until I scanned them the other day I had never actually seen the full size images.

It's weird to open up a window to the past. The grainy 400 asa film and the damaged negs make the images seem even older and more distant than they are (click to enlarge the pix below to see what I mean). I took a lot of pictures of trees and buildings and other things which are now totally uninteresting. I wish I'd taken more pictures of my friends and classmates. The one really surprising discovery was that I had taken a picture of a stray shopping cart in the Scajaquada Creek. I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, there has been a consistency to my artistic and aesthetic concerns from about age nine forward. It reminds me of something David Cronenberg said in an interview (although I think he was paraphrasing someone else in his answer). He was asked why all of his films dealt with such similar themes and his answer was that they were made by the same person.

The very first Stray Shopping Cart photograph 1988



My Schmitt Stix Yard Stick, Independent trucks ground to the axle

Winter cycling costume

Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA)

2 comments:

mark said...

These are sweet! Now which new wave band were you in now...?

Unknown said...

Wow Julian you have been vary consistant. You are grately focused. Since age 9 you have been working your gift. How many of us can say that. I surely can't. I see some people that I know and remember in those pictures. Mia/Jermane and a few others. You have grate talent Julian.