10 Most 2012 edition

I'm taking part in this years Ten Most Endangered Properties Photography Exhibit

Sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society
Opening Reception, November 8

The Providence Preservation Society’s (PPS) highly acclaimed annual Ten Most Endangered Properties Photography Exhibit will appear November 8 – 29 at the Brick School House located at 24 Meeting Street, Providence. The show features the work of photographers Jan Armor, Jesse Burke, John Caserta, Michael Cevoli, Stephanie Ewens, Erik Gould, Heidi Gumula, Deborah Hickey, Tim Hiebert, Frank Mullin, and Traer Scott.

I photographed the closed florist shop and greenhouse at 398 Hope Street Providence.

 http://www.ppsri.org/

9 years on


Last week was the 9th anniversary of the Station nightclub fire. On the evening of February 20, 2003 during a performance by the band Great White pyrotechnics ignited a fire that quickly destroyed the entire nightclub, claiming the lives of 100 people and injuring many more. I had never been there and I didn't know anyone who died that night but still  I felt compelled to go there First of March I went to West Warwick and found the site. What was left of the nightclub, which was just a small wood framed structure, had been fenced off and the fence had become a makeshift memorial shrine. Flowers, notes, stuffed animals and photographs covered almost every surface. A neat row of crosses had been arraigned on one end. An early morning snow had turned to a cold rain, the light was grey. A few people walked about or stood in silence, stopping to read a note, sometimes adding something of their own. I've never felt such overwhelming sadness at a place. I walked the fence reading names, looking at faces in pictures. Ordinary faces in everyday snapshots, simple pictures now imbued with pathos.

 
I was reaching my limit, aware that what ever I was feeling was nothing compared to what others there that morning were confronting. I had my camera and gave my self a little distance with the photographic exercise. I shot one roll, just 8 exposures, recording simply the visual facts before me. I then returned to my car and broke down in tears, crying most of the way back to home. I was sad but I could leave and return to my wife, my life would continue on as it has. Not everybody was so lucky. 2 days later I developed the film, sleeved the negatives and made a contact sheet. All of which I filed away until now.
The Station site is still a makeshift memorial, plans to create a more permanent remembrance have stalled. Survivors gathered this anniversary as they have every year, nine years on.

Station nightclub wiki






Digging up a really bad idea

2008_ 013 by e_pics
2008_ 013, a photo by e_pics on Flickr.


This sounds pretty stupid, even for TV. Robert O. Jones forwarded me this email from Ted Sanderson at the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission:

"NEWS  "Savage" Archaeology Loots History on Spike TV

2/24/2012

Setting a terrible example, Spike TV has announced a new television
program: "American Digger" that "follows the American Savage team, led
by former professional wrestler-turned-modern- day relic hunter Ric
Savage as they scour target-rich areas, such as battlefields and
historic sites, in hopes of striking it rich by unearthing and selling
rare pieces of American history."

In a press release, Spike TV says: "In the US, there are millions of
historical relics buried in backyards just waiting to be discovered and
turned into profit. “American Digger” hopes to claim a piece of that
pie as the series travels to a different city each week, searching for
high-value artifacts and relics. After pinpointing historical locations,
Savage’s first task is to convince reluctant homeowners to let his
team dig up their property using state-of-the-art metal detectors and
heavy-duty excavation equipment. The team will then sell any artifacts
found for a substantial profit."

As described, this TV program is wrong on so many levels.  In some
jurisdictions, the actions described may be illegal if the land is
publicly-owned or regulated.  In every case, digging up artifacts
removes them from the historical context in which they have meaning,
potentially destroys significant archaeological sites, and treating
artifacts as saleable commodities de-values the heritage we all share.

Beyond deploring what is essentially historical vandalism,
preservationists should be alert to "copy cat" diggers who may try to
search for artifacts and relics at historic properties without
permission.  RIHPHC will be interested to receive information about any
artifact digging in Rhode Island."

Robert adds:
"I am utterly appalled by this.
I will draft a rebuttal immediately (as a citizen acquainted with proper archaeological procedures and artifact protection law).
Is the preservation community organizing counter-measures?  NTHP should be all over this.

As soon as advertisers are identified, I will write them too . . . apparently this can prove very effective.

The implication that stealing (yes, stealing) artifacts & relics is a way to memorialize and show reverence for the past is both stupid and arrogant.
These Neanderthals just want to line their pockets with filthy lucre."

Here is a link to the Spike TV press release.



Bye bye Kodachrome


Bye bye Kodacrhome
Originally uploaded by e_pics
 [right] Kodachrome slides taken in Marida Mexico, in the Yucatan. Shot with an OM-4 and processed at the Kodalux lab in Findlay Ohio in 1988.

Sometime today the last roll of Kodachrome film will be developed at Dwayne's Photo in Parsons Kansas. It is the final end of an era. Much like John Lennon's quip about Elvis, for me they killed Kodachrome when Kodachrome 25 was discontinued. That was in 2001. In reality I had long before switched to E6 films.

I learned photography shooting Kodachrome. I took pictures of trains with my dad and my uncle John, in those days you weren't a serious railfan unless you were shooting Kodachrome. We shared images via slideshows and that's what the magazines wanted, not that I ever felt good enough to submit images to any magazines. The credit in the rail magazines wasn't just "photo by..." it was "kodachrome by ..."

 I think shooting slides is a great way to learn photography, you see very clearly what changes in exposure can do, what differences in the color temperature of light can do, what color can do, what light itself can do. There was also that excitement in getting the yellow box, and the smell! Memories.

My family shot stills, slides, we didn't do home movies at all, so that is something I've come to later in my life. If you haven't had the experience, home movies on Kodachrome are amazing. Simple, magical slices of time. There really is nothing else like that. That ends today too.

I am happy to say that among the mountain of film that Dwayne's got this week is one roll of slides and three rolls of super 8 film from me. Film shot in tribute to the great American invention: Kodachrome, and for a life  happily spent (so far!) in photography.

Farewell Kodachrome.

Camera Obscura by Design

Saturday October 9
ISB Parking lot - at the corner of North Main and Waterman Providence
across from the bus tunnel

10:00 to 3:00, rain or shine, free and open to the public.

check out some pics here, but better to see it in "real time".

Talking Back




Ever want to talk back at work?

So the economy pretty much sucks right now, maybe you have a job, or maybe you are looking for one, or maybe your hours have been cut, but we all have work to do. Sometimes it’s work with a capital “W”. Sometimes it’s just a dirty job and someone has to do it.
As part of a project looking at the impact of the Great Recession (or whatever this is) I am talking to people, all sorts of people about their jobs and their work.
What does work mean you? What do you think about on the job? What would you say to your job if you could?

I’m currently collecting audio interviews and taking pictures, and I would love to talk to you, dear reader. If you are interested, get in touch... OR if you can:

Stop by my booth at the indiearts fest, Providence RI, July 31.
12 noon to 8:00 PM. info: http://indieartsfest.com/

Hope to see you there!

Background music by AREA C.

Gallery Night Bike [photo] tour



Dear Wheelers, it has fallen to me to lead the second ever Providence Gallery Night bike tour. On this tour, in which we endeavor to cover the waterfront, and all within the brief span of two short hours we shall visit art galleries of great renown such as: Launch Gallery, Bert Gallery, Gallery Belleau and Peaceable Kingdom AND more.

We will also see such landmarks as the corner of Roger and Williams and the Narragansett Improvement Company, as well as numerous sites where such and such used to was. Will wonders never cease?

Well, probably eventually, but... Did I mention: you, you and your bike are invited? Because you are, and it will be much more fun for all of us if you join in.

There will be riding, yes and places to rest and refresh ourselves as well and the evening promises to be historic, folkloric and if so inclined, caloric.

Where do we start? At the Regency Plaza in downtown Providence. Where? you may well ask... here is a helpful google map. The tour will also conclude at this very same location.

When?: Thursday, June 17. Tour commences at 5:30 PM.

Bring your helmet if you have one, if you don't, why don't you?

Bring a camera too.

For a complete rundown of Gallery Night activity follow this linkage.

Projo Review

The Providence Journal's Bill Van Siclen reviews the Fidelity Investments show at the Art Club. Mentioning our photographer he says: "In purely physical terms, for example, Erik Gould’s “20 Roadside Memorials” is one of the show’s larger entries. Yet it’s the small details — the close-ups of crosses, candles and other tokens of remembrance — that make this grid-like array of photographs at once so fascinating and so poignant."

Here is the whole review.

(i corrected his spelling -ed.)

Survey gets RISCA Project Grant



Amid a busy summer and fall where I had my hours cut, I worked for Obama's Recovery program, was mesmerized by the balloon boy and tried my best to keep track of Tiger's friends with benefits, I've also been working on something else. We received a State Council on the Arts Project grant to examine and relate the effect of the Great Recession on this great state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. We are humbled and thankful and working steadily along. More will follow, rest assured.

Arnold Block in trouble?


The Arnold block on Washington street in downtown Providence is at risk. The building suffered a fire and little seems to be happening in the way of repairs. This distinctive building is a block wide but only about one room deep, and it conceals a parking lot. Were it to come down it would open up a hole in the street scape much larger than it's limited square footage might indicate.


in better days...

infestations of bad feng shui

The show at AS220 gets a review in the Providence Phoenix. Postcards from the Mohawk Valley gets a mention, positive or negative? you decide: "Erik Gould's hardcover collection of black-and-white photos Postcards of the Mohawk Valley documents war monuments and parking lots and sad small town main streets, infested with pawn shops and signs and bad feng shui."

Postcards from the Mohawk Valley -- The book


The Mohawk Valley. Gateway to the West when the West was in the East. Travel along with our photographer as he makes a personal exploration of the 95 mile course of the Mohawk river between Schenectady and Rome. Geography made this area of New York State a natural transportation corridor. From Iroquois trail, to the Erie canal, to the Water Level Route of the New York Central and the New York State Thruway, millions of people and millions of tons of goods have passed through the valley. It's an area rich in history and is blessed with natural beauty, and it's an area that is struggling to adapt to changing economies. As the speed of transportation increases the Mohawk Valley has become a place passed through and a place passed by. There is a sense, and one can see this in Gould's photographs, that this is a place that time has forgot. Take a look, and share your thoughts. This Blurb book has 80 pages printed on their premium stock with a hardcover binding. Available now. Images and text by Erik Gould.

PRC Juried Publication!

We are proud to announce that an image from our new series Postcards from the Mohawk Valley has been selected for the Photographic Resource Center Juried Publication. This publication is available now all around the Boston area and through the PRC.

Postcards from the Mohawk Valley is a series of text and images from the picturesque and damaged Mohawk Valley region of upstate New York. This project is more a personal exploration rather than documentary survey and represents 5 years of work executed during our photographer's "free time". A preview slide show can be seen here or click on the image above. A book version will be coming soon! More details to follow.

Meanwhile -- Thank you PRC!

What I did over my summer vacation


Well, to start, I didn't take a vacation... I worked for Providence instead. I lead a team of young photographers as part of a city Summer Youth Employment program. Because of the recession the city expanded the summer programs to include the arts. Go Providence!

This is the City Photo Crew.

Over 8 weeks in July and August went all over the city shooting digital photos, videos and instant film.

Thank you to Yessenia, Jossmill, Amber, Markia, Kenny and Hayden. Thanks too to my assistants Hannah and Brett. Lots of work and Lots of fun.

Check out the work on our youtube channel. follow the link or tune in to 09photocrew.

For more info on the city program follow this linkage: press release
also, the Mayor's wrap up press conference. mayor speaks

and I have to give a shout out to my fellow project artists: the tapeart crew. They did some amazing things with their group check it out here. Look at Ocean Riser... incredible!

All this and more possible in part because of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act -- The Stimulus Program.