This post may be a colossal task. I am going to try to take you on a visual
and narrative journey.
I wandered downtown, and being frustrated over taking photos that would involve
power lines and cars, finding them hideous. I came upon an idea: to take photos
of the good side of the street and the bad side of the street, so to speak.
and then harping back to my days as a degenerate, I took photos where
one would sneak away to urinate, or do other shady business.
Finding nothing good to say.
I decided to take pictures of garbage receptacles.
You see, some are very well kept trash cans which are in the eyes of
the bourgeois public like these.
Also the city, in busy areas , has pretty trash bins that are well managed
and others which are not so…ya know, ya get the picture
At this point , I am thinking , everything is horrible. It is ugly.
Are there any rules here? I mean, does “art” have to be pretty.
If this so disgusts me, why not take pictures so hideous, of trash?
yuck
yuck
The images above are just on the other side of where all the pretty garbage cans
hang out.
Ah heck, it is not so so bad, it is kinda funny really.
ka-booommm!!!
oh why the heck not?
For a good measure, I will throw in some dumpsters, some that are well-loved
and others which are not, and some of which the disenfranchised sons of millionaires I knew
ate out of…
Okay for me this is the kicker.
I had been running around taking shots, images. Some people react strangely, guarded, concerned.
I mean, what is this kid up to anyway, right?
I wander down an alley and find really neat garbage. What is that old saying? Something about
one person’s garbage being someone else’s treasure?
I snap a few shots.
So , from behind me, I hear this woman, in a stern loud and polite voice say,
” May I help YOU with SOMETHING?”
I realize that I am taking pictures of the trash behind an art gallery.
So, Hey , I figure this person would understand.
I told her that there are all these power-lines and cars that are unavoidable.
The whole diatribe about how art does not have to be pretty, so I should shoot
garbage. I tell her , but then again maybe there is beauty in trash?
Blah blah…I hear myself saying this, and it is like some convoluted argument
that I could make up to justify whatever the hell I am creating, just like
in art school. Words that do not match an image. I might as well put a vacuum
under glass in a museum, and say, ” Hey!!!! Look at everyday objects differently!
Hoovers are works of art!!!”
Anyway, the woman was really nervous, as if I were a employee of the government
taking photos to implicate her in some sort of violation. I assured her I would
not tell anybody. Of course now, I know, that was a BOLD-FACED LIE!
She said she was going to dispose of this stuff tomorrow. What, spring cleaning?
She seemed offended that I liked her waste.
The art gallery lady’s
beautiful waste!!!
I decided to trek home. I wanted to take pictures of the alley by the police station and the bus stop where folks
get publicly drunk, perhaps sell unsavory substances, leave butts and bottles everywhere. I decided not to,
I felt I was making, and the camera was making them edgy.
I hope you enjoyed my story.
THE END.
Categories: Manic Beatnik Riffing, Visual Art
Artist- Ted Giffin - Musician 
I was laughing hard by the time you started taking pictures of waste behind the ART alley 😃 streets are have so many faces…i would like to challenge you now to go out and try and capture what you think is nice and beautiful and you feel relaxed when looking at it… 😊
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Challenge taken!!! That is so cool!!! I will let you know my progress on the assignment. So fun!!!
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I am really glad you enjoyed it…this means the mission is really accomplished and hopefully you are now relaxed 😊 hope you will have the rest of your day just as sunny 😊
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My task accomplished. I must repeat the strange relaxing phenomena more often.
I am very intense by nature, so I literally had the note on my wall before you
suggested this. The one that reads “relax creatively balance.”
I need to chill for real 🙂
It makes my life more complete.
Hope your day is sunny, but on the other side of the globe it may dark right now, dunno.
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really, I was wondering if you wrote those notes for the “assignment” 🙂
yes, when you wrote that I guess it was middle of the night here 🙂 but now is a sunny day 🙂 good morning and I hope you will have another easy day today!
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Mission kinda accomplished, check out the post!!
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A nice story. Thank you Ted
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Thank for checking this out. That was a fine adventure.
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My pleasure Ted. Hope all is well with you.
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All is Well!
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Reblogged this on crjen1958.
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Cool!
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Welcome to street life….
hA
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yeah, been there done that! 🙂
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i’ve read this post before,
anyway, one person’s art, is another’s
garbage…
hA
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Truth!
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Now by my comments, you can’t say that i have not read this post before, an now again!
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Such a fun read! Loved it 😀
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It was a fun day. Great to meet you! Thank for spending your time at my site! 🙂
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You’re welcome. I enjoyed my visit 🙂
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