Beau Bledsoe @beaubledsoe, consummate musician, founder of Ensemble Ibérica and Alaturka. Amazing how the sound of his Martin guitar filled my small studio. Beau’s portrait was made in my Westbottoms studio with a Hasselblad 555ELD, 150mm Sonnar, Phase One digital back and traditional Hasselblad film backs.
Archive – Photographs by members of the Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography – Potter Gallery, Missouri Western State University, October 1-26.
This photograph goes waaay back in my archive. Seventh Grade, 1974 Valley Center Jr. High, Valley Center, Kansas. I would have been 12 or 13, and becoming obsessed by photography. I remember taking this photograph, but when I look at it now, I feel as if I’m somewhat omnisciently looking at another person’s work. I know this photographer, I know where he is going, I understand him.
He shot up a lot of film during this time and the photos are not half bad for a Jr. High kid. But occasionally, he will (I think) just nail one. These images are where my omniscience fails me. Where did this come from? Did he get this one because he was always hammering away and got lucky? Was he actually paying attention as he idly flipped through the art books in the library? This is where I lose the connection and make the connection. Today, I have a much better idea of what’s going on with my work, but the occasional “where did this come from???” still happens.