Vista

Darkroom days.

This routine of brunch and then dipping down to the basement to work until breaking for dinner and going back down to print bigger and bigger until midnight is interesting. Yesterday I printed the first 16x16" photo. Seeing that image appear affirmed my love for medium format. I can only imagine what enlarging 4x5 sheet film would feel like. Nuts, no less. 

Cutting 16x20 sheets in the dark was a bit interesting but eventually I got the hang of it, knowing full well that for four dollars per paper there was no choice but to do it properly. Never waste paper. As the hours rolled on, a good rhythm revealed itself. A strong soundtrack helps. Tragically Hip, Kurt Vile and Sonic Youth have been on heavy rotation. Now it is clear that I have to invest more than five hour blocks in there at a time to find that pace. A twelve hour day felt like four. Good sign.

It's time for brunch. Pete and Repeat. 

Full / MT

Shot a photo of James Francis in his underwear this morning. Legs for days and daze. Big dumb smiles on all of us in the kitchen. Can I shoot your photo? Of course. He hadn't gotten as far as pants when Creme and I arrived at his house. I can appreciate that ease of character. I am not proud of my body, I am comfortable. Amen.

Life is rolling along. Nice Saturday. Woke with a big dopey smile, tucked myself into an arm and inhaled. Slatted light on the wall, gray day of Spring. Breakfast with two men. Fried perogies and farmer sausage to start this Saturday. Coffee black. Cold wind whipping over exposed feet. I left after the first public and affectionate adieu, turning away into the wind with the camera in hand. See ya.

Shot my way uptown, contrast vision. Nothing caught my eye. Sat down by the river port on Waterfront and thought of Simon. Welcome Port of Winnipeg. I shot the sight of that signage and with that, a memory flood. Miss you. Steve. Miss you. What I would give for an easy breakfast with you two Squirrels. Benny. Soon enough. I bet you are eating breakfast in New York together right now. I can see Simon with his own long legs walking around in gitch lit up by a pool of front-of-house light, pissing with the door thrown wide. Laughter standing up. I can appreciate that too.

Made my way home off the beaten track, running the last couple of weeks over in thought. Loud coat covered in burrs. A plastic bag filled with old photographs. Right hand black with paint about to turn gold.

Moped parts came in. Craig handed me the tail pipe and I held it like the awkward cousin holds the new family baby. On the cusp of a new education altogether. Gotta wrap up this workload by Thursday and then take apart and piece together in order to fly over the Disraeli camel back full throttle. Ready or not.

Off to the spray booth. Golden limbs and club collars. Little shingles. But is it Art? Nope just hogwash. Ideas bob along the river. Gotta fish them out with care.

Ode to Le Poulet

Good Friday moon coming up. Missing this kid so much these days I could puke. Dreamed of Leo last night. Watching him walk away with someone I had never met, screaming "he is too small for that" over and over as my body dragged on in slow motion. Nails in the soil for grip. Leonard! If you only knew how much I miss you. I would love nothing more to hold hands with you on the sidewalk. Walking around with your legs dangling on each side of my neck. I got you. Miss you.

Ode to Leonard, photobooth style.

Hogbath

To all you steppers out there lookin' sharp. Margot in the haus. This pair of hands gives off waves of Googone as they zip over keys. Painting for the Mother Crew. What to write? How to spell out the span of a new season and who cares to know? April is here. Amazing! April always surprises me. Where the hell did January go? That life feels like a hundred years ago. 

Yesterday I looked over at Craig taking it eeeeeasy in his printing chair while our prints exposed in two minute tandem. His eyes fixed on the line heavy with new work. Real ease. Can it be so simple? Working at ease, looking with ease. He encouraged me to take a load off, relax while the enlargers did the brute work. Sit? Me? I can barely stand still these days but the reminder was nice. Darkroom dance for two; the inaugural dance. I am really happy. I know. Me too. Feels good to be zipping around town feeling light as a wing these days, free to go where Alba takes me. Dry pavement beneath, tucked in and enjoying the ride. After a flop dinner for two, Creme and I postered the town a new one. It felt good to staple posters made with my hands to funny places. DIGITAL BE DAMNED! It felt good to dip through chain link fences pulled up at the corner like a page in a book, graceful as a dancer on a mission. 

Promo. Check.

Here is a poster I made for our exhibition. No frills.

It's all Hogwash anyway.

With that sentiment in mind I finally got down to biz in that familiar basement. Tony was there when he felt like it, watching us work away, tail tracing muscles in my legs like he has known my body forever. Cat in the darkroom. Check. Now that work is churning out like sweet beurre, I have decided to raise the bar. Contrast printing is it for the next few days and then we are moving on to color. Only Creme would approach the process like it was nothing at all. The lessons I continue to learn in his company...

Tonight holds the first lesson in small motor building. Going in blind, with just a word caught in my throat: Porting. Whatever that is. Wrenching. That's what Craig calls it. 

Gone wrenching with the rat pack. Loooooord help me. I am hellbent on experiencing this legend speed for myself before I leave for the spring adventure. 'Been riding my bicycle with the motorcycle helmet in preparation. Gotta self propel before that too becomes a thing of the past. 

New Mexico, I am coming for you.

Welcome to NPD

End of the street activity. River vantage point.

Experimental Drinking

Alone at home on Friday night in Winnipeg. Slide party for one! The Rue Clark back balcony looked at home enough on the living room wall of the Barber House. Enough to run for the tripod, throw the timer and take a good long sip. Twice.

Two places at once. Missing that back balcony tonight.

Strange antics with this one. Pictures of pictures of pictures. Experimental photography at home. Can you see Erin's face? My mother's?

Margot's back. Beware.

Mystery March

Tiger suit on a Monday morning. Billie Holiday accompanies the morning coffee period along with a juicy tangerine and thoughts on mystery. Where has all the mystery gone? Perhaps it is time to lay this internet post to rest, along with the rest of them. Without internet outlets to feed recent work, daily thoughts and ideas, perhaps committing these hands to paper and print would come easier. Room for concentration without internet distraction. It is so easy to get sucked in, scrolling with eyes roving for hours, feeding my mind fairly useless information when I could be spending those hours working in the darkroom, drawing, sewing, cooking, printing.

So. With that said, this will be the last post of Margot Pollo until the exhibition at Le Taudis has come and gone.

Preservation of mystery.

If you would like to communicate via paperform, this is my latest address:
132 Barber St
R2W 3J7

Mail is timeless. Film is timeless. Horses are timeless.

It has been interesting, this process of building a collection of images to present to the public (many of them still stewing away, internal fires keep ideas bubbling near the surface). The feeling of GO OUT, hit the streets NOW with a camera at the forefront always surprises and thrills. Okay. Listen to your guts, they know what's best.

Listen to Chopin and Brahms.

Hold a baby.

Put away the computer. Pick up a pen.

A man rides down the alley on a bicycle hauling an empty homemade wooden cart. I watch from the kitchen window. This home is a good one. Living with Lisa King is good. Life is good. And now, let the mystery begin. There is a lot of work to do!

A photo exhibition with work by Craig Dueck and Meg Kroeker.
Friday the 13th, April of 2012.
Le Taudis, 567 Selkirk Ave.

See you there.

Looking animals in the eyes

Dear Rags,

Thanks for hauling me out of the city limits, for pulling over at a moment's notice in plain sight just like Willy taught you, for a winter day well spent.

This is us. Bright and clear.

Sugar Tappin'

Inspired by the neighborhood.

As winter winds down, the golden hour stretches out reaching private places accustomed to the dark.

Light confident.

Four p.m. light hangs similar to quality cloth, shadows leaning against buildings like long cool women. Faith in the future pooling with just a quick look out my window. Things golden, diffusion above, stark contrast below. Alfred Stieglitz would have run for his camera on a day like today. The long shadows drew me out the house late this afternoon.

Tripod.

Scott's light meter.

Big 'ol camera.

While walking around on Barber looking for a good spot, my inspiration was tapped. Connection and understanding came together and the pictures revealed themselves. All I had to do was remember to pull the Dark Slide out between each composition. I haven't shot around in such a way for many moons.

Sweet familiarity.

Since returning to Winnipeg, I hadn't shot a single stranger's portrait until this afternoon. It was starting to get to me, the inactivity. Something switched on in that beautiful light and suddenly there were faces everywhere. Heavy activity.

Made a picture of three young boys, nine years about. My first interaction with neighborhood kids. One of them had flaming red hair and crazy teeth. Big Super Soaker pumped and ready on a cold and clear Saturday. Keith (only name I caught; rookie move) wanted to see for himself--the feeling of shooting--and when I offered him a spot behind the camera he made me laugh when he tilted the giant body on the tripod straight to the heavens with the most extraordinary sureness I have ever seen in a kid. There was no question, he knew what he wanted. Shooting with confidence after a thirty second explanation. Whoa la.

Keith, respect.

It was a pretty top notch day. Three great meals with great people. Physical labor and a job well done. Children's laughter sounding through the house. Family not my own, but as welcoming. Baby on my hip, the free hand alternating between toast and coffee. South Park over neighborhood Chinese takeout and a dog on the lap.

Basil.

Lisa in the home.

My kind of Saturday.

Chanel and Margot sitting in a tree.