Brian’s PhotoPile

Slithered out of the crypt and found a party near the cemetery.  Safe in the cradle of the night my favorite room was the kitchen. Stumbling about, phantoms in the night, only to be seen for these brief dark hours.

Some of my friends like to tell me what to take pictures of. Tom does that. I don’t really mind much, after all I am visiting him, accompanying him on a ride out in the country. Once in awhile, his vision opens my eyes/mind to something new. However, I feel that I’m humoring him. I’ve thought of trying to convince myself that I’m working with a great director and need to bring about his vision, but haven’t been able to do that yet. So I take his pictures, accumulating images that differ from what on my own I would have taken.  This presents a slight problem in my archive. I feel I have to label his so that in the distant future, if I go back to this days shoot I won’t find myself complimenting myself on what a beautiful picture I took long after I forgot Tom told me to take the photo. Here’s a picture of Tom telling me I should stand where he is and frame this picture just like so and so. So I do it and this is what I come up with. I don’t think it’s all that great and it probably doesn’t even come up to what he was seeing. It’s always an adventure riding with Tom.

As I mentioned in the last post, I rode down to Florida with John. John offered to pay my expenses in exchange for doing most the driving of a fifteen foot Budget rental truck loaded with artwork to be sold through a agent in St. Petersburg. With the cab loaded with an ice chest full of food and water, a boom box with plenty of CD’s we trucked on down there. I probably could have taken photos of all the rest stops and gasaterias, but didn’t seem interested. On reflection I wish I had. Even in St. Petersburg I only took photos on my walk along the beach and from our room. But I did take a few photos that John requested. He had reasons for wanting each one. The signage just outside of our lodgings’ parking lot provided three pictures: John in the path of a small flying fire truck; John, aka Scoop, holding one of his favorite treats; and the I scream for ice cream yell. The other three where taken by the Salvador Dali museum: Dali and John together; wiped out on melting bench; and rejuvenated by the hostess at the neighboring cabana. We went there for lunch, great food, and John received the beads as part of the national Pirate’s Day festivities.

We made it down to St. Petersburg, left John’s house Wednesday about 2 P.M. in the afternoon drove till 1 A.M., up again at  7:30 on the road by 9 arrived in St Pete at 11:30 P.M. Thursday. The drive was pretty uneventful with the exception of the three hours in the heaviest downpour I’ve ever experienced between Jacksonville and Tampa… lightning, thunder, road flooding, the works. Thursday we unloaded the truck, about 50 paintings to be sold by dealer down here. Spent the afternoon at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art, had what is supposed to be the towns best Cuban sandwich at a deli John’s friend here reccomended, came back to the lodge we are staying at and then I walked out to the ocean and went wading as the sun set. The water was really warm. I could see where it would be fun to come down here for a vacation and just laze about in the sun. This morning where getting ready to go to the Salvador Dali Museum and we plan to stop at “Florida’s largest new and used book store” after the museum closes this afternoon.

Village Gate Bop Shop Night. During intermission “Air Play” start tossing and spinning balls, bowling pins, knives, and wands with flames. On a one wheeler an acrobat juggled while balancing six feet off the ground. Margaret Explosion, their music is so groovy, it’s for me, my music of the spheres. Later, at the Keg, Watkins and the Rapiers on stage. Their song about Santa Claus having to go to Washington to get some bail out money was great. While riding my bike downtown on relatively empty streets I saw this groovy psychedelic truck parked by Downtown Cabaret Theater. And then across the street from the YMCA the street lamp in front of the blue construction tarp hanging from the facade of the new addition to the Eastman Theater. I picked up on the Virgin Mary statues while on the way to World Wide News.

Not only where the Ukrainians dancing (see previous entry) but us fans of Bobby Henrie and the Goners where also kicking up a storm Sunday afternoon. The Abilene’s deck was a perfect venue for relaxing and having fun with friends while listening to Bobby Henrie on Guitar and vocals, Brian “Wildman” Williams on Standup Bass and vocals, and James Martin Symonds on Drums and vocals.

Dancers from out of town, the Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School of Mississauga, swirled, jumped, pranced, bounced, and skipped on the stage set up behind St. Josaphat’s yesterday afternoon.  I think the Ontario and Ukrainian Arts Foundation Dancers of Rochester, NY were there too. The photos only give a hint of how energetic and joyfully the dances are performed. These young people were refreshing to watch exhibiting skill and stamina despite the heat and humidity in the tent.

On a Sunday two weeks ago I drove out to the State Historic Site at Ganondagan to see Cercle Celtique. I missed Cercle Celtique when they performed at the Fingerlakes opening reception at the Memorial Art Gallery because I was over listening to Jessica Lange discuss her photographs at the George Eastman House. Cercle Celtique is a group that performs traditional Breton dance and music. The group was founded in Rennes, France, our sister city, and they were visiting Rochester as part of the Rennes-Rochester Sister City program. Wearing traditional Breton attire the dancers performed round dancing, square dancing, line dancing and the gavotte, which was a favorite in the court of Louis XIV. Some of the musicians pereformed with authentic instruments such as the Biniou, which is similar to a Scottish great Highland bagpipe and a bombarde which is a conical bore double-reed musical instrument. The drummer for the most part used his hands beating on a set of bongo drums and cymbals. It was a lively performance and was topped off at the end when the audience, including Peter Jemison wearing his traditional Indian garb, joined in a line dance.

Judy and I visited the Strong Museum of Play Friday afternoon to experience the Butterfly Room. On the way over to Sara’s Tapas party I stopped to listen to the ElectroKings at the Village Gate courtyard.