a living man declared dead – by taryn simon

it’s nice to see work that has a personality to it’s approach.  not only are taryn simon’s photographic trials humanely interesting, but they show her interest in the irony of life. sometimes sad, sometimes hurtful, always poking at the imperfection and impurity of being human, they bring you between compassion and appreciaton.

i’m interested to see this new big investigation called ‘a living man declared dead and other chapters’. like her past projects i  don’t think it can help but coax people to be more curious, to want to understand the background, and then to have a different perspecitive coming out the other end. I don’t know much about this new project except it was produced over a four-year period (2008-11), during which she researched and recorded bloodlines, from around the world, and their related stories. in the eighteen ‘chapters’ the external forces of territory, power, circumstance or religion collide with the internal forces of psychological and physical inheritance. it’s at the tate modern right now. might have to cross the pond sometime before it’s gone  by kl

CATEGORIES: art

taryn simon – a threat of uncovered worlds

detective taryn simon uses photography to reveal worlds and people we would never see otherwise. i’m sure her underlying talent is as a smooth talker, as she has executed some of the most interesting and dryly humorous explorations in modern imagery. somehow this contemporary art princess was a threat so great walt disney world couldn’t even indulge her.  by kl

CATEGORIES: clips, photography

bddw – club of archers

the last time i checked in at bddw on crosby, they add targets set in the middle of the store with guys bending bows. I later understood, they had done them by hand with an antique machine pressing wood planks into shape. they kindly proposed me if i wanted to be a member of the club of archers, i declined thinking about the loan i would need to contract to reimburse a table if one of my arrows hit it by mistake. however i asked about that issue and they didn’t seem to be afraid about that even saying that they might sell the injured piece for more money with the arrow stuck on… not sure i would get my crop. beautiful posters in the windows by pp.

CATEGORIES: ny places

1931 Bugatti type 51 grand prix vs. 1924 Bugatti type 35

1931 Bugatti type 51 grand prix

1924 bugatti type 35

i just couldn’t resist… another specimen of this sort, the 1924 bugatti type 35, purchased in 1950’s for £60k, sold recently for a massive £430,000 making it a rather sound investment for the seller. the later model above with its distinctive tail is by far a more interesting purchase in my opinion than the type 35. that said i would not say no to either.

“this 1931 type 51 bugatti is estimated to fetch up to $4.5m (£2.8m) thanks to its illustrious racing history – it competed in 17 european grands prix, winning in algeria in 1932 and had a career lasting from 1931 to 1940. despite its illustrious and long-lasting racing career, the type 51 has remained remarkably original, keeping the same bodywork, engine, gearbox, wheels and back axle that it first came with. it ranks amongst the finest survivors of the highly desirable bugatti type 51 grand prix” by xy+dd

CATEGORIES: cars