[alt-photo] Re: Carl Weese's Drive-In project

Tue Apr 3 19:04:24 GMT 2012

There are some cloud formations I want to photograph in Asia that cannot wait, so send your money to me! 

Mark Nelson
www.PrecisionDigitalNegatives.com
PDNPRint Forum @ Yahoo Groups
www.MarkINelsonPhoto.com

sent from my iPhonetypeDeviceThingy

On Apr 3, 2012, at 11:51 AM, Keith Gerling <keith.gerling at gmail.com> wrote:

> Not to tell Carl how to do his job, but won't these Drive-Ins look a lot
> more "picturesque" after they are abandoned for a few years and all crumbly
> with faded paint and covered with vines?  Sorry, but the urgency isn't
> doing it for me.  Let them "mellow" a bit.
> 
> On the other hand, I happen to photograph old grain elevators, which
> require the same degree of travel, and they really ARE falling apart, and I
> have to get there NOW - so any spare change is welcome!!
> 
> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 10:25 AM, Diana Bloomfield <
> dhbloomfield at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
>> Hey Chris,
>> 
>> Well, I read about this, and it seems like a great and really worthwhile
>> project.  I've certainly photographed a lot of drive-in movie theaters over
>> the years-- they are definitely a wonderful part of American culture and
>> certainly of another time and place.  I love the whole idea and would love
>> to travel across the country and do the same.
>> 
>> But I have to say-- unless I missed something in here-- and, no doubt I
>> probably did-- is he just asking for monetary support to help with the
>> travel and the project itself?   If so, this has got to be the 3rd (and I
>> just received yet another this morning, from a multi-media artist) request
>> for monetary support for an artistic venture that I've seen in the last two
>> months.
>> 
>> I guess I must be seriously out of touch, because I remember a time when
>> you'd have a photographic project in mind-- and no matter how impressive
>> the project was, or what it might do for others-- or how much it might
>> ultimately resonate with people-- and, hopefully, sell like hotcakes-- you
>> just forged ahead and carried out your project, because you believed in it,
>> even if it was years-long, and hoped for the best.
>> 
>> Now what seems to be the norm is for artists to ask for monetary support
>> (from regular people, not from grant panels) to travel all over the
>> country, or to help hang a show (under the guise of selling prints and then
>> donating money to some food group or whatever), or to keep their co-op
>> gallery doors open (basically paying their mortgage, because it will help
>> us all, as we're all-inclusive, and anybody can hang work there!), or
>> whatever.
>> 
>> The last time I mentioned this to someone-- that I simply go out and
>> photograph and print and hang shows (all with my own funds-- or, if I'm
>> lucky, with a grant)-- and that I've never once thought about sending out a
>> call for money to individuals, so I can essentially do my work I've elected
>> to do (nobody is making me do it)-- never once thinking about sending out a
>> call to everybody I know for money to carry out those projects-- I sounded
>> like some sort of curmudgeon-- but, seriously, I'm so confused.  I just
>> don't get it.
>> 
>> Maybe Carl's call for support is slightly different-- I'm not sure-- at
>> first glance, it just seemed to be the type of request I seem to be seeing
>> all the time now.  Given this economy, too, I just find it odd that people
>> are doing this.
>> 
>> So is it just me?  While I understand the need for funds to support
>> artistic projects, wouldn't going straight to corporations or foundations
>> that often fund artistic projects, or book publishers or-- as Bob said--
>> some high-powered movie mogul-- be more worthwhile?
>> 
>> The request I received this morning was from a multi-media artist who
>> wants to make 100 prints or something, hoping to sell it all, and then
>> donate the proceeds to some Hunger group.  That's admirable.  But if I was
>> gonna give any money, I'd simply donate to our local food bank directly.
>> This request, of course, is from a person who has received at least two
>> (possibly 3?) State Art Fellowships (worth $10K each) in the last several
>> years and who also has a 'regular' job.  She's asking for a little less
>> than $3,000 to complete her project.  I'm just dumbfounded by that.  It
>> seems to me she's savvy enough to know how to ask for money from
>> established foundations, not from other individual artists.
>> 
>> So . . .  before everybody jumps on me, is this some kind of new trend,
>> and are 'regular' people out there (including struggling artists) really
>> donating money all the time to other people's artistic projects?  Does that
>> really work?  If so, could someone give some pointers here, because I think
>> I might start doing that, too.  I cannot believe I've been bopping along
>> here (mostly) paying for my own printing, traveling, supplies, etc.  How
>> dumb is that??
>> 
>> Diana
>> 
>> On Mar 31, 2012, at 10:07 AM, Christina Anderson wrote:
>> 
>> Dear All,
>>> 
>>> One more shameless promotion, by one of our own listees. Carl Weese of
>>> ziatype fame. When going through the 60,000 emails in the archives I found
>>> lots of help from Carl over the years, though he does not actively post
>>> anymore.
>>> 
>>> Carl is doing a drive-in theatre project across the country and you can
>>> read about it here!
>>> 
>>> http://courantblogs.com/rick-**green/vanishing-drive-in-**
>>> theaters-carl-weeses-big-**dream/<http://courantblogs.com/rick-green/vanishing-drive-in-theaters-carl-weeses-big-dream/>
>>> 
>>> I really believe in this project because I am sentimentally attached to
>>> the drivein theatre as it was part of my childhood. In fact, the one in
>>> Minnesota I used to go to in the summers was resurrected a number of years
>>> back. WIll have to check if it is still so.
>>> 
>>> Carl has teamed with Kickstarter to fund this very ambitious project.
>>> 
>>> Chris
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Christina Z. Anderson
>>> christinaZanderson.com
>>> 
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/**listinfo<http://altphotolist.org/listinfo>
>>> 
>> 
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/**listinfo<http://altphotolist.org/listinfo>
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo