September Shouts

Pause for Reflection ...

Given that September this year has been a month of visual language, with the bulk of my online activity being photographic, as opposed to written -- and in "celebration" of the revival of Photo(s) by Jglo on WordPress, after leaving the "Lo-Fi Project" there in January -- it's appropriate to close out this month of new appreciations, with a few shout-outs and nods* myself.

These are not only welcome 'repeat offenders' to Jeff Glovsky: The Second Set, checking in and "liking" often (and liking multiple images, seemingly getting the visual 'sets' I try spinning ... ), but they're artists who see things through eyes like mine; I likewise get their work, and throw back some link love:

And last, but absolutely not least ...

Last December, I blew smoke as well ... My message, the same:  Just want to say Thank You, for checking in, checking out and regularly liking ...

©Jeff Glovsky, All Rights Reserved.

*honorable shouts this round, out to Alex Markovich, Timothy S. Allen, Amateur Airplanes and Juju Films.  Oh, and Crazy Artist ... Вы также круто!

The Image Game

on WordPress turns One

Early this year, I said Goodbye to the "Lo-Fi Project":  a year-long adventure in cell phone photography, playing around with different devices and moods.

My 'weapon of choice' in this regard has been, and still is, my trusty (and crusty) old Blackberry Bold.  This vaguely paperweighty object, despite needing an extra wide "extended" battery (held to the back of the device with black gaff tape), and having been dropped, and other things -- kicked, flushed, fogged, moistened, over and undercharged) dozens of times -- remains my baby.  Like the 35mm "moojy" it replaced, I rocked 'Triple B' until she bled from exhaustion:

Good pictures, great ones, a whole lotta crap ... Just like loving moments in a human relationship.  Sure, me and Triple B struggled sometimes; but in the end, we knew and felt each other ... had each other's backs, and were always up for a little action ;) ;) ;) ;-) !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, I've spent the past year or so flirting and dancing (deep-throating) with Google, trying to make my cream rise online ... and have more or less succeeded, with the help of phoneography ...

I have long been interested in visuality.  I appreciate architecture, composition ... perspective intrigues me ... I have studied photography, and been snapping and 'scrapbooking' photos for decades.   At first, I was appalled at the integration of optic and communication technology:  the first cell phone/camera combination repelled me, not only on a 'purist' (though decidedly amateur) photographer level, but on the obvious basis of privacy, also.

Ten years or so later, with privacy teetering on the brink of extinction ... Miley Cyrus now, somehow, exhibiting "artwork" ... and our collective threshold for shame and embarassment lowered, if not erased completely, by crass "reality" with no one caring ...

I see no reason not to play.

"Fat Unicorn"

Photo(s) by

Jeff Glovsky

Well Said

I "stumble(d)upon" a beautiful video the other day.  I've started exploring with video a little bit ... adding motion to the drama and emotion of my New York streets ... the questions for me, as always, being:

1) Is the artistic undertaking worth it?  If everybody is a "creator", and everyone CAN, then what's the point, why bother?  My work is decidedly, purposefully lo-fi.  Mainly because, the next question ...

2) Who has time?  I really don't ... to be tweaking, and editing, creating fantasies and adding filters. I'm not an artist ... although doing, being, seeing artistically comes naturally.  It's what I do ... when I'm not doing business or being with family, or hassling with people and work and life ... I do, and be and see, like me.  I'm unique in some ways (... I like to think) but I lack the deep talent, not to mention, the patience (or maybe, I just lack the balls) to full out call myself an "artist".

In sum, it's like this:  Ideas, check.  Creativity, check.  Vision, check.  sort of Style, Tone or Vibe, check, check, check.  Originality?  Guilty!  A body of Work and a name to go with it:  getting there ... check, check again.

But then, I check myself:  I'm a hobbyist.

The "art" enhances what I do, and am able to see, and lucky to be ... but I'm frankly more interested in experiencing life and regretting some dreams, than actually working to express them to you.

That said, there's a fine line between needing expression and needing attention anyway ... and too many in the cluttered online world of "creation" -- tragically, myself included at times -- take time, too much of it, chasing the latter!

Anyway, this is the video I started to mention.  "Unplug" is the message.  Really "share", not just virtually.

I couldn't have put it better, made my own WordSpeak louder ...

 words & video by Gary Turk