I went to the 2009 Brooklyn Blogfest, few words, pix

I attended the 2009 Brooklyn Blogfest at powerHouse books in D.U.M.B.o.



Besides the sticker-shock at seeing people who I had unconsciously created mental images for materialize in the flesh, it was a great opportunity to find out what the grassroots on the otherside looks like. All sincerity it looks like sweet creativity.

I don't have much of a post, getting busier these days still moving(within B'Klyn of course), more to come on that but here's what stood out to me:

The celebration of what I'll call "everyarts"; the expressions of personal often unrefined but deeply personal perspectives and aesthetics which are the center of what any artwork is, that is what I say on display at the Brooklyn Blogfest. I thought it was empowering in the way the cliche'd siblings organic and grassroots are truly meant to be.

Also I dug what seemed to be a spoken uninhibited stream of consciousness displayed by Jake Dobkin. When the guy has a point, believes in it, he makes it.

Dobkin on personal blogs: "we all have to accept... that we're really not that interesting"

Here's a few pix of what I saw:



Otherwise I was too busy listening to the speakers, watching great photos and poignant videos and otherwise being informed to take more pics. And I left the evening without any snark on mine or anyone's parts. Impressive.

PhotoWedns 3/18/09 Thank You, Gowanus Lounge

A place to rest.

A "Street Couch" as coined by Robert Guskind of GowanusLounge.com

Brooklyn is a place to rest. Lounge even. That's the way I see it.
No matter how much posh, chic, glass walled, towering steel is projected on us I'll always see Brooklyn as the living room to Manhattan's rumpus room. Being raised in a brownstone on a tree lined street and traveling to Manhattan for BIG shopping, BIG movies, and other types of BIG fun will form that mentality. Some people might want an eight-foot diameter disco ball in their living room, not I. That's why I go to clubs. In Manhattan.

The blog Gowanus Lounge reminded me of that sensibility. If you don't know it's a blog whose view was the Gowanus section of Brooklyn and whose focus seemed to be all things in the world that effected Brooklyn and vice versa. The blog presented a stream of thought provoking neighborhood news, upcoming events and lighthearted features such as the "Street Couches Series" where they'd post a photo of couches that for reasons left to the imagination, furnished the curbside. I enjoyed the challenge posed by the Street Couch Series to look at more than just the literal and apply my imagination to something others might regard as worn and past it's prime. That's how I took it anyway.

Unfortunately, the founder of the blog Robert Guskind, who some have referred to as the "Brooklyn Blogfather" passed away a few weeks ago on March 4th. As I wrote in comments on other blogs I never met him but I enjoyed Gowanus Lounge and am happy that his loved ones are continuing the site.

So last week I was walking through Prospect Heights, (me old stomping grounds) I found not one but two Street Couches, one on the curb and the other footsteps away, on deck.

And suddenly I wasn't just walking down the street surrounded by the discarded past, I was part of an urban fantasy scavenger hunt. I'd found treasure! I whipped out the camera, snapped some pics and thought how simply fortunately it is that Guskind decided to share his views of Brooklyn and imagination with us.

Thank You. Rest (Lounge even) in Peace, Robert Guskind.

Great set of 70's Brooklyn photos on Flickr

Photo from Flickr by user Whiskeygonebad.

Someone passed a flickr link to me of a photoset belonging to photographer "Whiskeygonebad". I knew nothing about the guy, but his photos are a great mix of family memories, everyday hanging out, and teenage bravura all dressed in a palette of 60's, 60's and especially 70's Brooklyn. He's posted photos from as far back as the 40's as well. Check out his works if you want another idea of how many eras and worlds exist all in Brooklyn.

"Whiskey" in addition to having a great compositional eye, is Italian, grew up in Boro Park. Looking at his 70's pics I felt like I was viewing the art directional inspiration for Saturday Night Fever. Here's that 70's set. [Flickr]

Smile! You're on Atlantic camera

Just found out there will be a gathering of photographers in the area of the proposed Atlantic Yards "footprint" today. The gathering is to show solidarity and express the rights of photographers in light of an incident between a photographer and an MTA police officer last week.

I was headed out the door anyway, so I'm going and I'll be back with my impressions.

Back!

WTF is the deal with the weather?!? (y'know besides adverse effects brought on generally by global warming) Intense snow flurries and freezing winds followed minutes later by bright sunlight??

Well anyway, those conditions I guess, were a means of testing the mettle of the souls intrepid enough to gather on Pacific Street, to exchange anecdotes of law enforcement interrogations as well as hearing from the young woman,Katheryn McInnis who had a similar interrogation last week while taking pictures at the Atlantic Yards site. For more on Katheryn's story check out BritInBrooklyn's blog.

The group walked along Pacific Street, passed the now blocked and soon to be destroyed Carlton Avenue bridge up to Vanderbilt Avenue. Then the group turned and headed back on Dean Street. It's remarkable to walk these long blocks, a space larger in acres than the World Trade Center site, and imagine the overbuilding proposed for this area. I have a lot more thoughts about the experience, the fellowship of the community and the activities of the photographers which was benign and jovial despite the weather-insanity. But I'm still too numb from the cold to process. So thoughts, soon come, for now here's some choice photos I took of the moment.

"You could be shopping" was one of the comments an MTA officer made to Katheryn McInnis (above) when asked why she was taking pictures of the Atlantic Yards proposed site last week.


The fate of the this part of Prospect Heights hasn't been decided yet, but that hasn't stopped the bulldozers

The group was shadowed during the short walk by uniformed officers,
because of course nothing is more threatening than people with cameras