A renewed interest in motion / collected work

Having recently recovered from a 3 week battle with a winter cold I am crawling back to my perch of inspiration. Sapped energy erodes my desire to work and without work any forward momentum grinds to a halt. Although a seasonal cold does provide a place for introspection, "Nature abhors a vacuum" and being sick calls attention to a certain mind set. So in this space of sickness I decided to do the passive thing and that is to watch my old videos and see if they remain viable, passing the test of time. Now, given that I have been amused and feeling better, the benefit of which is renewed inspiration, a thought that I sould renew my efforts in learning the craft of story telling through motion.  My first step in this direction is to have a home to showcase my motion work, collected here under one roof. The movies are listed below with a brief description, the title as a link to be clicked on to view.


Brisket Brisket
Pratice movie number three. "Brisket Brisket" is a peek at a spring house party hosted by Karma and Rob. Rob is a creative chef who loves a challenge, perfecting his beef brisket grilling technique has been his latest love. The brisket here looks much like a hunk of coal bit on the inside it was juicy beefy nirvana. In addition to the brisket the menu included pork ribs, two types of potato salad, garden salad with fresh fennel, melt in your mouth deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, strawberry and tangerine fruit salad, slow braised sweet and vinegary kale and to wash it all down red wine and "Cigar City Florida Cracker" beer.

Akrobaten Baren
Akrobaten Baren is a mash up of my own footage of a bear show at the "The Big Cat Habitat" in Sarasota Florida and a sound track from a education film found in the "Prelinger Archives" (on line). My attempt is in the quick making of short movies as a way to improve / practice the entire range of skills used to make a cohesive and entertaining work. Practice! Practice! Practice!

A word about the "The Big Cat Habitat"; I have been twice and have come away with an admiration for the people who run this shelter. The place is clean and the animals all look healthy and well cared for. The areas were the animals live have access to large open areas with amenities for healthy living. Not only do I recommend a visit I recommend your support so that this  family run organization can continue to carry on their work. As the worlds wild places diminish and animals populations become threaten to the point of extinction, not forgetting human poaching with high power weapons, make places like "The Big Cat Habitat" essential.


Hose
This is an experimental video, an exercise to help build my film/video skills with out getting hung up on making a master piece. This film was shot at the house warming party of Bridget and Lyman, my wife Polly and I were in attendance to celebrate their new home. Visiting with them is always a pleasure, Bridget has an infectious laugh and Lyman knows that a good beer is better when shared. Bridget and Lyman are both very creative teachers involved in the arts, full of fun and abundent energy. Thanks for inviting us! Dieter & Polly


Ontario Adventure Rowing in Sarasota Florida
Ontario Adventure Rowing Tours is the group that organized this rowing adventure. First of a series of events to take place in stateside waters. This tour with two very impressive boats and international party of rowers departed from City Island / Ken Thompson Park in Sarasota Florida. I was ask to be at the launch party to take stills and decides to set up my trusty GOPRO jun for the pratice.


Row Board
-This is my first foray into the commercial world of infomercial. My first mistake was not doing some test shots ay high noon; I found out on the job that the led screen dissapears and who the hell knows what is in focus. Thanks to my point it and push the button GOPRO my ass was saved. I ended up taking on the voice over, doing my best to modulaye and set a tempo, all I can say is thank you Walter Cronkite.

A2 Object Movie Cardinali Tamson
- This movie was done as a collaboration in a motion class at the Ringling Collage of Art and Design under the direction of Joseph Mougel. Elizabeth Cardinali was my co-conspirator. The subject was a story of a object or thing, our's was the MacBook Pro.

Soundscape Still Movie
-This work was done for a class at the Ringling Collage of Art and Design under the direction of Joseph Mougel. From this I learn-This work was done for a class at the Ringling Collage of Art and Design under the direction of Joseph Mougel. From this I learned that ambient sound is the layering that flushes out a visual that would be otherwise mundane. 

Ritual
- This work was done or a class at The Ringling Collage of Art and Design under the direction of Joseph Mougel. This is some information I found before making the video.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder
*"....and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room."
*Some common compulsions include counting specific things (such as footsteps) or in specific ways (for instance, by intervals of two) and doing other repetitive actions, often with atypical sensitivity to numbers or patterns. People might repeatedly wash hands or clear their throats, make sure certain items are in a straight line, repeatedly check that their parked care have been locked before leaving them, constantly organize in a certaine way, turn lights on and off, keep doors closed at all times, touch objects a certain number of times before exiting a room, walk in a certain routine way like only stepping on certain color of tile, or have a routine for using stairs, such as always finishing a flight on the same foot."
*Information above quoted from Wikipedia on Obsessive-compulsive disorder



Portrait of Despair
- This work was done or a class at The Ringling Collage of Art and Design under the direction of Joseph Mougel. OK- Yep this one is way cool but way to long and repetitive. Upon viewing it I came up with ideas to mix it up increase the tension, so the test of time flushed out the problems and divorce proceedings. I am no longer married to the music or the content. Some day I will re-visit and redo with some new ideas. PS- I am a science fiction movie fan.

Here are the lengthy notes for class to provide some insight to this work.

Artist Statement and Observations

Tamson D.

Assignment 4 Category 1; Portrait of a person with a thing, artist statement.

Also; observations and thoughts on my experience as a first time moviemaker.

Artist Statement

In the film that I am presenting “A Portrait of Despair” I have provided the viewer with both a title and a loose scenario as a jumping off point for the viewers imagination. The written scenario rolls across the bottom of the screen as a tornado warning or a presidential election banner. Only fingers and hands are shown, as proxy for the person and the phone book is my object. The action is in the repetition of a search that proceeds throughout the film. This work is open for interpretation; it is not up to me to provide the viewer with a meaning. The work relies heavily on the music and is in part responsible for the length of the work. I stand by the duration of the film; it is my gut instinct that the resolution or full impact cannot be felt in a shorter version. The length and repetition should be thought of as a chant and a way to connect. My hope is to engage the viewer in his or her own version of what this portrait may mean.

Watching

After watching a variety of “art films” or experimental films I have made several conclusions.

1.     Most if not all have a humanistic element and few remain totally abstract. By humanistic I refer to an element or reference that we can all relate to or identify within the film. Elements such a time and place, psychological underpinnings of identity, society and questions or statements on the human condition, can all be found within the frame work of the “art film”.

2.     When watching an art film my first reaction is to look for meaning or narrative, often these elements elude me and the film leaves its presence as a vague unidentifiable feeling. The film becomes a light poem open to various interpretations, never right or wrong, just an experience to ponder.

3.     The length of an art film has more to do with developing a feeling and unfolding of visual beauty than message. Repetition is often used as a device used to “seat” the experience into our consciousness and can be the core of a film. To compared film genres’, a mainstream movie with a story line to that of the art film; One telling observation found would be, the art film is not stripped down to story telling essentials.

Thoughts and Examples

Andrei Tarkovsky’s films “Solaris” and “Stalker” are inspirations on my work, “Portrait of Despair”. In each film Tarkovsky uses the motion of moving water that carries fragment of detritus or undulates with water grasses, fixing his camera on the repetition for extended periods of time he sets a tone. In the fast pace of traditional American cinema such scenes would endurably hit the cutting room floor. Tarkovskys film set themselves apart by use of this contemplative use of time. Unbearable slow to many mainstream moviegoers, I find my whole being engage in his real time segments. I would also like to mention Ridley Scotts masterpiece movie “Blade Runner” ;  a long movie to sit through in the theater when it was first released, now with the second release the films pedigree cemented by time, thought to be such a seminal work that the directors cut is the gold standard for that film. As an artist it is necessary to take a stand and not go with the crowd, if every work were produced by the watered down vision of a committee we would not have the excellent and thought provoking linty of film to enjoy today.

Constructive Criticism

Although I have some ideas today, tomorrow they may change. I welcome criticism, as no two people perceive the world the same and constructive criticism is meant to expand the perceptions of the creator on a given work. If this were a math class we would have answers but 
 fhis is digital storytelling and we have to trust our instincts.

A2 Object Movie Cardinali Tamson

Winter Reading

Self flagalation is reading John Tagg. Let your mind wander from the text for a micro second then begin again. Demanding. Density that requires a fist full of sticky book marks. Perserverance is rewarded, insight is comprehensive. Thus I plodded through this text in a mere eight weeks. Highly recommended.

Here is a link to the University of Minnesota Press that will explain Tagg's assertions.

Barthes "Camera Lucida" reflections on photography is equally demanding but is a third the amount of text required by John Tagg. The chapters are short digestible chunks of idea, but as with Tagg take along Webster to clarify the vocabulary of this great philosopher.

In summery I would have to say that I have just finished a large meal of thought. The complexities of which may be slow to digest and put into practice, but at the end of the day I feel that my photographic work is bound to improve. My improvement will be in three areas; choice of subject, framing of subject and the editing process. Editing will be the area that will reveal
the greatest percentage of improvement, this I know.

This link and the one above is to a succinct yet concise over view of the ideas set forth by Barthes in this volume- the book in ten minutes.

Catalog Work

Three of my recent photographs were accepted for the SEAEAGLE water craft catalog. SEAEAGLE makes inflatable water craft for the recreational community, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, fishing boats, motor-mount boats (often used for a dingy) and conversion kits to customize your inflatable to sail or row. I photographed two different different boats showing the RUM sliding rowing rigger.

The photos were shot late afternoon with a bright perfectly overcast sky, natures soft box lighting.

This is the back of the catalog, good placement for your product. Top photo. different

Page 14  Lower Photo.

Memory Bone Myth V, National Show

The Rourke Art Museum is located in Moorehead Minnesota http://www.therourke.org/, Every spring they feature a photography show entitled "Memory Bone and Myth", the call for entries is announced in December for the spring show opening to the public on May-11 running through June-1. Each year a single juror is brought in to judge the show, for the 2014 show Maggie Taylor presided. Olivia Parker was the judge for the previous year's show in 2013. http://www.therourke.org/of-memory-bone--myth.html

I am proud to say this is my second year in the show. What I think is important here is about having empathy for the juror's work, this is not possible for shows where committee juries the work. Below are my four entries, the first one "The Sand Spits A Verse" was the work that was accepted. To better understand what I was doing please read my artist statement located beneath the photographs. All comments welcome.

Artist Statement

The instant the shutter closes the image enters the slipstream of time, drifting

forever into the past.

It is true that I did not take these photographs; I found them in a second hand shop.

Yes I am a working photographer with drive upon drive filled to the limit with my own work, but it is the mystery and joy of the found photograph that is my addiction.

My decisions to use found photographs is to show that images that have a past can feel absolutely present. Photographers are now a species of editors, we all recycle, clip and cut, remix and upload. We can make images do anything. My presentation here is scanned from the original photograph but otherwise manipulation free with only the addition of a caption. Captions are another way to read a photograph, the desire for clarification is universal. Captions add information and meaning and are common in the world of print media but seldom exist on found photographs. The caption acts as a way to situate the viewer’s perspective within the image by questioning the relationship of words to image. The intentionally open-ended wording I have used for the caption is meant only as a starting point for the viewer to engage with the photograph. “The Sand Spits A Verse” becomes a catalyst for the viewer’s memory to recall its own narrative Thereby the photograph becomes present and personal.

Diederik Tamson

2014

One Year and Two Days of Absence

It has been said "A poem is never finished it is just abandoned". A year is like that, a lot of meals pass under the belt, we do our best to find meaning, time passes, we are tested and grow older. I believe that it is necessary for each of us to take our train off the rails, hang a sign that reads "Temporarily out of service"; this is a time of reassessment. In a strange but annoying way a cold or flu forces the out of service situation, we sleep, we stop eating, we blow our nose, wallow in self pity, we change. It is inevitable that our photographic ideas change, we abandon those proverbial photographic pomes we set down our camera for the garden tools and we generally sick of our own photographs anxious to do better. The growing process is a series of skinned knees or worse. Yes this part of the post is a rumination and reminder to myself that I am changing, my work is changing, I have it in me to do better, part affirmation part dear diary. I believe in the Buddhist way, "The path is the destination". So spring is in the air let me show some new work.

This is my first book in over two years, a brief description follows; A photo journal of the Bywater neighborhood / 9th Ward of New Orleans. A walk about that features the industrial canal, a mix of architecture and an insiders view of Thanksgiving dinner on Poland Avenue. Check out the opening day at the "Fairgrounds" as the citizenry dress up, place bets and work up an appetite. This is the side of New Orleans without the tourist, rough around the edges, authentic and without pretense.

First We Eat With Our Eyes by | Make Your Own Book

Here is the cover with out the type.

Post Discovery - Thin Places

For me, when I become immersed in an idea it is though I become magnetic. Ideas or articles that have a direction connection to what I am doing smack me in the face, and say "I am here for you". The following article came to my attention as I was about to throw away a pile of old news papers. If you have an interest in the meaning of sense of place this is for you.

TRAVEL, like life, is best understood backward but must be experienced forward, to paraphrase Kierkegaard. After decades of wandering, only now does a pattern emerge. I’m drawn to places that beguile and inspire, sedate and stir, places where, for a few blissful moments I loosen my death grip on life, and can breathe again. It turns out these destinations have a name: thin places.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/travel/thin-places-where-we-are-jolted-out-of-old-ways-of-seeing-the-world.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1