its late, in the woods (but not i guess)

friday night, and there is some sort of dance party here where i am, in the woods of michigan. just came from chicago, the windy city, and although it is nice there, it is still a bit weird being in the middle of this ginormous country. yes yes there is water enough to feel like there is a coast, but its fresh water, and in my head i know its a lake and has a beginning and an end which is sort of quantifiable. and thats a bummer.

chicago was nice, but i got the feeling that the trash situation there would not fulfill my needs. most of the wicker park area where i was had these back alleys where people put there trash, and things were quite spread out. it was nice that there seemed to be many bikers around. must be tough in the winter, even though its flat. 3 days really isn't enough time to see a city, but the place had a nice sensibility and some yummy food for sure.

airport #1

at the pittsburgh airport, waiting for a flight to chicago. usual airport chaos, they are doing seat assignments for some people at the gate. why? doesn't that seem to be more work for everyone? i dunno. but this has happened to me before in the recent past. i really don't get it.

here's a picture of what i just left. i've ben looking at this horizon all my life. its the property line between my families land and the Guffey farm behind us. it neve fails to amaze me, and somehow magically hasn't changed much since i can ever remember. i've had nightmares before of the bulldozers coming in, the skies all grey, and tearing up the land for a housing development. with the economy the way it is, it might be safe. though i have heard that they rent the fields to other farmers now. no matter, it still looks like its being used the way a farm should.

hmmm, we might be able to get on the plane soon, so i better go.

map

i promised you all a map, so here it is.

spent all day friday driving to pittsburgh from new york. the thought occured to me that driving in new york is a lot like tetris or some sort of video game, and driving in PA is a bit like being on those cars at the amusement park where all you do is turn the steering wheel. well, def. with the cruise control on. both seem sort of unreal though, because you are so disconnected with the world around you. its all inside. and the great majority of this country lives like that every day. weird.

6am

yeah well, 6am was a tad bit ambitious, especially since i set my alarm, but didn't run it on. like clockwork i woke up at 7:30. not construction noise, cement trucks, or jackhammers as of yet, but still my mind has been set to that time. Here's the clinton st. pasting. this is the head on view, but i've learned from taking a side view that wrapping around (adding on) may be possible. if i have time tonight i might just do that, but then again i might pass out asleep. its supposed to be super hot today, not looking forward to it at all. also, here's my pasting accessory, courtesy of H&M....... no new intellectual observations this morning, it will have to wait for my brain to wake up. i'm going to go on the roof now and take some pictures while i still have a roof to take pictures from. we haven't been allowed up there in years, so its pretty special. i have a panoramic spread from 1994 from the roof, will be fascinating to compare.

2am

the moon hangs low in the sky, it has been for days, as its been growing. a group is throwing things around on rivington street, physically in the street, regardless of cards. glass is breaking. things are being thrown. its rather quietly rowdy. clinton street, an asian lady is way more interested in taking out the garbage than seeing what i'm doing with my bucket in the dark corner. i keep waiting for someone to yell at me, maybe so far i've been lucky, i shouldn't jinx myself. its all been rather interesting, this foray into the night, times when i usualy am fast asleep. i know the warm weather keeps sleep light. i should do that now, as i'm meant to be up at 6 to document. zzzzzzzz........

construction

construction on the left, construction on the right. 7:30 every morning, either jack hammers or cement trucks or that damn truck crane, louder than it should be, like its in my room, in my head. i'm up, i'm up, i'm up. i have no choice. urrrrgh. notsogreat when you've been up the night before taking pictures and trying to fend off mosquitoes because your window suddenly won't close at all, and you forgot to cut that piece of wood to prop it closed. you won't forget today (write it down). mmm, sleepy damnit.

night photo of spurt:

july 11th, 7:34 AM

Walking around at 2AM, then at 6AM, same streets, different lighting, different mood, different spacial reality. at night, below houston, below delancey could be hoxton square, london - kreuzberg, berlin. if i think hard enough i am transported there. veiled in darkness, the street activities are highlighted, blips of conversations caught from passing groups of carousing revelers, bars and restraunts spilling onto the streets, and being a thursday night, everyone on the verge of going home. 6AM, bright sun, garbage, traffic. shapes of buildings, color of concrete, faces - everyone in single file, going somewhere specific. the only things open are starbucks, duane reade, dunkin donuts, no real food to be found. he sun is reflecting off a window across the street and creating "indirect" dancing shapes while large trucks pass by on delancey.

all the same, no one seems to care what i am doing. some people on a bike last night said they liked my picture, and we talked about wheat paste a little bit, but thats really it. crazy.

i've always always always worked best with found materials. its something i learned from my grandfather. a new pristine piece of plywood, in my mind, should stay that way. a cut up crappy one can be anything. literally anything. thats what makes this project so right in my mind. the spaces i've found are easily overlooked, yet each has unique chracteristics which have built over time. layers of paint, chunks cut out then repaired, tape, scaffolding, each element makes them unique.

ok, here's some images:

the right mix

late night, july 4th, just sticky enough paste, and the rain didn't disturb it thank goodness.

very quiet for such a night in the LES. well, compared to friday nights' past. lots of thoughts, but we'll get to that later.