Milk Gallery Underground Autumn 2011.
I had been looking at a flight to Japan all morning and despite trepidation that the island is possibly totally radioactive, had made the decision to meet my friends there the following week. The prospect of an invite to a trade show, full on sushi adventure to the most absurd degree and Keirin racing was too much to resist. As the process usually goes, I started packing a bag and lining up cameras and then the email popped up with all the details about the Autumn Underground show at Milk Gallery.
I had shown in the Spring show and couldn’t have had a better experience, it was THAT good. Gave it some very long thought and elected to stay for the show. That left me with something like 48 hours to find my negatives, make some scans and get everything printed.
There are these zen moments in life, which maybe some people can relate to one way or another. Lately for me it’s been breaking the tenth mile on the daily run, hitting 4000 RPM in sixth gear, or laying behind a target rifle. But it takes the strong blast of fixer to remember that first situation in life where the mind is just truly free to wander, where you get that semi- out of body type of perspective on life; the place where you got your first lesson in patience: leaning on the Colex waiting, waiting, waiting for the print to make its way out between the rollers. That was my original escape for most of my twenties.
The hours of my life spent in that position, high up in a Tribecca loft, leaning hard on a Colex, or pacing absent mindedly in circles around it, to add them up, that would be interesting… Major life decisions have been made listening to the whir whilst waiting for a test print.
And so it went, with a bed of traffic on the street below seeping through the windows rattling in their frames, Im not going to Japan so I can exhibit in NYC, how things can change at the very last minute. Not quite a John Paul Jones “That’s tomorrow” but close enough. I stood there for probably way too long, pondering this and with a smile, thought back to some other decisions I had made in front of that very machine. This was not the most radical travel decision I had ever made, that’s for certain.
The idea of hanging back in NYC stung a bit, but as the registration on the first prints slowly crept out of the machine, with it came the take your face off excitement that can only come from somebody wanting you, or in this case, my work. There is likely no drug that is more euphoric in my world than that. Yes. Definitely. Made. The. Right. Decision.
So, exactly how awesome is it to be showing at Milk this week? All things considered, about the most awesome possible.
Milk is absolutely my favorite space in NYC to see an exhibition. I met my favorite photographer of all time in this gallery a few years ago, so being able to show here has a pretty special place for me. The staff that runs the gallery is amazing and the panel of people that curate the MGU shows have thus far put together truly amazing group shows.
They are also expert level when it comes to throwing a memorable opening party.
For me, the big underlying stress of showing is that incessant vibration of wondering if that ONE person will show up, and no matter what you are showing or where, there is always that ONE person. Thats the person who’s presence usually makes any evening, is the root of the smile that has no end and of course can also inspire the longest walk home anyone has ever had when they skip out on your gig. Despite my silent passion, I knew my person wasnt going to come. I had allowed myself to get totally distracted by this until there was this guy standing in front of me saying my name, a little louder each time:
Dave! It’s me, Seth.
WTF, Seth Markowitz. Seth played drums with me in the first band I was in when I was 13. We performed for the first time in our lives in front of people together. The last time I can remember seeing this guy Im almost positive I didnt even have a drivers license, positively teen age.
Talk about blast from the past… Best part is that he didnt even know I was showing this evening. A purely random reunion and an absolute mind fuck.
Bumped into some other people I knew and met a whole host of incredible new folks, notably a bunch of people from Copenhagen in NYC for a month.
Of all the things I expected to be chatting about this evening, the political climate in Christiania and jamming Communication Breakdown for an auditorium full of 8th graders was critically at the end of that list…
My two favorites that stood out were ironically right next to each other, Billy Yarbrough’s Untitled:
and Steve Stone’s exceptionally printed “Dead Man’s Dog”:
These are mine:
These two trip’s are an excerpt from the first chapter of a long form work Ive been working on for the last few years. With much excitement, this is my first public showing of material from the project entitled “Girl That Loved Me Last”. Im currently seeking a publisher now that Im nearing the end of my production schedule on the photography for the book. Nothing is better than the light at the end of the tunnel, thats for sure.
Godzilla can wait, MGU Autumn 2011 however will not, get out to Milk Gallery this week to check out the show, it’s up until the 28th. It’s a really great honor to be part of another great show, every single last photo on the walls in this show is amazing. How many group shows have you been to where you walk out saying that?
Milk Gallery is on 15th Street in Manhattan, right next to the High Line at 10th Ave. If you are driving, there is a parking garage directly next door.
All of the prints in this show will be available for purchase through MilkMade, Milk Gallery’s online portal. Please check in the coming weeks!