What Are You Doing New Years Eve

 

Rockin’ it old school: Ella Fitzgerald

 

Rockin’ it new school: Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

 

Artist: Ella Fitzgerald / Album: A Swingin’ Christmas

Photograph

 

This Christmas, with the generous financial support of a variety of holiday benefactors, will be known heretofore as “A Ruth Orkin Christmas”* throughout the land (or at least in my apartment). I took one more step towards what I envision is adulthood and purchased my very first piece of art—and from the John Cleary Gallery, no less!!!

Ruth Orkin: Couple in an MG, Florence, 1951

 

Now first a bit of exposition:  For those of you who aren’t aware, I had the privilege of studying abroad in Florence, Italy the first semester of my junior year at Baylor.  As one might imagine I had an absolutely astounding time—however, I never came away with that ONE memento that I knew I would have forever and make me think of the experience as a whole.  (Don’t get me wrong, I did plenty of great shopping, traveling, eating, etc.)

Joseph on moped, Florence, 2004

 

Even before I began working at the gallery, when I used to come visit Catherine I would sometimes rifle through the drawers of pieces and I came across this one.  I mean seriously… the goggles, the ecstatic grin, the cap, the car, the city, the EVERYTHING!!  How could I not love it, right?  Immediately I had one of those dramatic soap opera moments: *shakes fist into the air* “One day, you WILL be mine!!” … … …

… … … AND NOW IT IS!!! I get to wake up to that crazy grin every morning now!

 

In reading up on both the photographer and the photograph I can easily say that I am in love with this woman!!  Now, I could wax on and on and on about how fascinating her life was and show you picture after picture after stunning picture but who really has time for that.  So instead, I’m just going to wax on and on about how fascinating her life was and show you picture after stunning picture from her catalogue.  You’re welcome. (Information and photographs primarily from www.orkinphoto.com)

Born the child of a silent film actress and a toy boat maker in Los Angeles, California, Ruth Orkin began taking photographs at the age of 10. While living in Hollywood she became the first ever messenger hired by MGM studios.   At the age of 17 she took off on a bike ride across America to New York to see the 1939 World’s Fair, stopping stopping to take photographs along the way (often making sure to include her bicycle as proof of the trip.

 

El, 1939 / Washington Monument

 

Moving to New York in the early 1940’s, Ruth began photographing for various magazines around the city, particularly focusing on street photography of the city.

 

 

White Stoops / Tired Little Boy / Man in Rain / Central Park

 

Concomitant to her work in New York she also spent many summers at the Tanglewood festival, shooting rehearsals with many of the major musicians of the day—an introduction to the photographing of celebrities she would continue to do throughout her career.

 

Bernstein and Marion Anderson / Woody Allen

 

In 1951 LIFE magazine assigned Ruth to travel with the Israeli Philharmonic on its first American tour, later leading to her shooting in Israel for a period of about two and a half months.

 

Jewish Refugees at Lydda Airport, Tel Aviv, 1951 / Sea Wall

 

Following her travels to Israel she headed northwest towards Europe and it was in Florence, Italy that she met a fellow American, Jinx Allen (now Ninalee Craig), who shared her fascination with art and travel.  Immediately they head out among the city to document what it was like for a single woman to travel alone in Europe after the war, leading to what is now considered her most iconic image:

American Girl in Italy, 1951 (Which just recently celebrated it’s 60th anniversary. Read the article and an interview with Jinx, still alive at 83, here)

 

   

Jinx, Beads / Jinx, Goggles / Jinx, Staring a the Statue

 

Upon her arrival back to New York she married fellow photographer and filmmaker Morris Engel, a union that produced two short films, “Little Fugitive” and “Lovers and Lollipops”, the former of which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1953.

With the advent of color photography, Ruth Orkin was one of the pioneers of the genre, looking once again towards the streets of New York City for inspiration.

 

Ladies Home Journal cover, circa 1950 / Mother and Child in Water, 1950

 

Until her death from cancer in 1985 Ruth lived the remainder of her life in an apartment overlooking central park, continuously photographing the world and people around her.

Muted Autumn

 

As many of you know, once I’m interested in something I am oft found devouring as much information as I can possibly find on each respective subject (See: “In Praise of Cultural Omnivores”.  [See also: the title of my blog]).  That being said I received a couple of Barnes and Noble (r.i.p. Borders) gift cards and immediately bought a couple of books on Ruth Orkin:

      

 

So finally, thank you thank you every one for helping my “Ruth Orkin Christmas” come true… I honestly couldn’t be more thrilled!

“Being a photographer is making people look at what I want them to look at. […] My life’s work was determined by four passions which I had as a kid:  Film, photography, music and travel.  And eventually, I realize now they all fell together in photography.  Today it seems to me a lot of young people go out and say ‘I’m going to become an “art photographer.”  That to me is a joke.  What’s important is, to me, what you’re shooting… what it means to you. And if somebody else sometime eventually calls it art then alright, it’s art photography.”

- Ruth Orkin

 

Artist: Jamie Cullum / Album: Catching Tales

*As well as the year I got a ginormous television (but I’m not allowed to post pictures as it might entice the inner-thieves amongst you to do bad things)

White Christmas

 

I lamented last year around Christmastime that Texas isn’t exactly the most “idyllic” of settings for Winter positioned holidays.   Now, you all know I’ve never really been one to let a silly thing like scorching hot temperatures keep me from expressing my holiday cheer and have oft been found with enough saltwater seeping from my pores to float a mid-sized barge but, damnit, it’s December and you can pry that soggy paisley scarf from around my neck only AFTER I’ve passed out from severe dehydration (and even then there might be some lingering synapses, so perhaps the “cold, dead hands” metaphor is a bit more apropos) [long sentence much?].  I’m also pretty sure my good friend, Television, agrees with me:

Modern Family’s Cam and Jay (my favorite plutonic May/December relationship) from the 2011 Christmas episode

 

 

from The New Adventures of Old Christine

This year there really wasn’t much to complain about because it was quite chilly (proportionally) and there was a fire in full blaze when I got to uncle Sid’s house in Lufkin. My fraternal grandparents had driven down from Midland and mom and dad had come over from Crockett for the festivities. I kinda took the day off from taking any pictures so Sid was kind enough to send me a couple of family shots!

 

 

Pheobe, Sid, Catherine, Liz, Hannah

 

 

Grandmother, Granddad, Mom, Dad and I

 

The cousins!!

 

Artist: Barbra Streisand / Album: A Christmas Album

Singers with One Name

 

Joseph and his Hanna / Hannah with Joseph’s JosephJoseph

 

Artist: George Carlin / Album: Complaints and Grievances

That Good Old Baylor Line

 

Congrats to Baylor football on a fabulous season... Heisman and Alamo Bowl champs much?!?!

Fling it far, biscuits!!!

You Have to Be Carefully Taught

 

My cousin, Hannah, came up yesterday to spend a couple of days in Houston over her Christmas break from Carnegie-Mellon and it has been a fantastic chance to hang out and chat more than we have in a long time.  At one point during the evening I posted the follow to my facebook and perhaps I should have worded my excitement in a different way:

 

The “Tolerance” statues in question are an installation along the Allan Parkway by artist Jaume Plensa that I have often seen while driving by but never had a chance to actually go and visit.  And as proof of my bad influence:

   

Me, Hannah and, as always, I keep one giant metal statue empty to represent our unfulfilled hopes and dreams…

… just kidding. My friend Zach was off having dinner with lesser people.

 

 

Artist: Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II / Album: South Pacific

Light My Fire

As seen driving home from church Christmas morning:

Commentary on the duality of heaven/hell or (more likely) a crafty holiday business model!  Either way, it’s good news for the wise men vis-à-vis the recent announcement of quickly declining frankincense availability

 

 

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense  sterno©, and myrrh.”

~ Matthew 2:11, KJV (King Joseph Version)

I mean… would you wanna be in a manger in Bethlehem in the Winter?!?!?

 

Artist: The Doors / Album: The Doors