Uncategorized

Hanging


 
 
I’m having a major rehanging
of the walls where I live at present.
 
It’s taking much longer than I thought
it would, but still, it requires thought.
 
The bed in the upper photo is in fact
quite small. It’s a child’s bed in my guest room.
The pink object on the foot of the bed
is a hot water bottle.
The nights are frosty here at present.
 

A New Photo

 
 
I took this photo on Sunday. Seemingly it came
out of nowhere. I’d bought these two figures
in the last couple of weeks, both at separate
second hand stores. At the time I wasn’t considering
photographing them at all.
 
I was admiring them and moving them around on my
studio desk when suddenly I saw that there was
the possibility of a photograph. I only took one frame.
 
Why the photograph works for me I couldn’t explain
but it holds my attention and I am going to print up
an edition.
 
Most pressing problem now is what to call it.

Pumpkin

 
 
Although I bought this at a food shop,
I just can’t bring myself to cut it up
and eat it.
 
It is safe in my kitchen.

Portraiture

 
The urge to take portraits is, for me,
one that only comes intermittently,
alas.
One rush came in the mid to late 70’s.
Then there was an extremely large gap.
Another rush came about 5 years ago.
In this case I took a photo of my grandson
Stan who lived in Darwin at that time.
Now he lives in Brisbane but later this week he
will be in Auckland.
Right now I am feeling that I would
like to make some more portraits.
I’m in the mood.
But, all the same
I don’t think that I have a future as
a baby photographer

Devonport, Auckland

 
I visited a garden in Devonport and I was struck by this flower.
I lived on the Devonport peninsula for something like 11 years, however I moved to Ponsonby in 1987. It was the year of an economic crash, I remember that.

More Jerusalem


 
 
Here are two more photos that I took at Jerusalem last week.
I went there partly as a pilgrim to visit James K Baxter’s grave
and the site of the famous commune, which after his death
in 1972 did not really continue.
 
The top photo shows his modest headstone, carrying his
maori name: Hemi.
 
The second photo is of two trees placed perhaps fifty paces from
where he lies.
 
I was told that the right hand one is the skeleton of a very old
Chestnut. That would make sense because between his grave and the tree is
the Top House. Rather careworn now and even then I imagine it was an epicentre
of the commune.
Baxter wrote a poem worrying about the leaking spouting and
deciding to go and pick chestnuts instead. Off the ground I think.
 

Here I Am

 
Last week it was quite stormy in New Plymouth. Nevertheless, with three friends I went for a walk along a beach at Oakura, a little bit south of where I am sitting, We were picked up at 7 am so it was quite early.
For the photo I thank Jim.

Seaman’s Rest


I’ve been writing about how my father took some photos of the New Plymouth port area in the late 30’s. The photographs have real historical value and files of the images are in the museum here.

In the upper photo the building is the Seaman’s Rest. I always liked that name. I’m not sure if it’s still there because since September 11th it’s become much harder for the public to gain access to this area.

There are several photographs of ships. There would be people here who would able to identify all of them I would imagine and this work might follow. There is no name visible on this ship for example and it would be interesting to know more.

A few of the images show a naval vessel. A friend told me that there are in existence some photographs taken of a submarine visiting during this same period. I don’t know who took them but I would like to see them.

Add Image


Birdy

On the way to New Plymouth airport today for a 1 am flight to Auckland I made a detour to see a bird show in Waitara, prime specimens from bird lovers of this Northern Taranaki region were there. I’m used to going to orchid shows here in Taranaki, and once to a cat show, but hadn’t seen an exhibition of caged birds before, not to this degree at least. I didn’t know that this subculture existed here, my lack, not their fault. My father was part of it when I was young and always had aviaries. It was only in the last years of his long life did he give up on his pets.

It’s being held this weekend, in the Memorial Hall at Waitara, about 30 minutes north of New Plymouth. Peter McLeavey talks about it in “The Man in the Hat.” a movie I saw at Te Papa last Sunday night, exactly one week ago.

Newer Posts
Older Posts