Aaron Rose: "....Why do you think photography has such a transformative power for people?"

Ray Potes: "It's because the end is near. So record life as you know it for future archeologists. Actually, it's probably because life is moving way too fast these days, record it and onto the next and why use your brain-power when you can just upload. All this technology meant to bring people together is actually isolating them even more. Why call your friends to say what's up when you can just peep and comment on their blog? But the irony is the future anthropologists won't need it because they can't read it anyway. I got the first two issues of Hamburger Eyes on zip disk. No one I know can get to those files. Actually if you think about it, they won't need to read disks because everything will be shared with collective conciusness. It's like analog wifi. If one person just looks at something, then we can all access that info. But maybe it won't be natural and analog and scientists have to invent this system involving microchips and quantum computers. We're fucked."

AR: "In your opening statements about the magazine you talk a lot about photography as a vehicle for sharing. Why do you think it is important to share? What is the role photography can play in this?

RP: "Well the sharing thing I think is just as built in aspect of photography in itself. If you get a good photo, you gotta show someone otherwise it never happened, you were never there. Part of that validation is getting it published. Here's a bunch of guys who can't get published, publishing themselves and their buddies. What's the importance? It's just note taking for a brighter future. Sounds super whack, I know, but people write in their notebooks, journal, diary to try to figure stuff out and photography for me isn't much different than that.

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

BY ELISABETH STEVENS

   In this engaging and loosely organized documentary, directors Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard attempt to recreate, explain and lovingly document what a lot of young, offbeat New York area artists were doing in the 1990's.

            The premise is that these innovatively, and sometimes outlandishly clothed kids really had something to offer.  They painted on railroad cars and letter boxes.  They scaled sheer brick walls to emblazon enormous initials and iconic nicknames. They decorated their skateboards and their surfboards in myriad colors.

            At first these artists--the story is told by various participants who remember--gravitate towards a small, storefront space where several also sleep.  They begin to exhibit a few works.  People begin to come to see--even buy--those works.

            Presto!  The artists are beginning to be taken seriously.  Some start to have shows in other galleries, bigger galleries--even museums.  "Peace," as the witches say in "Macbeth,"  "the charm's wound up."

            So the young, offbeat artists are no longer quite as young as they once were.  Shit happens.  One male artist admits that he still loves the girl who dumped him back then.  One female artist--one of the most talented and named Margaret--actually gets cancer and DIES.

            Meanwhile, the linear, bright-colored, easy-to-read style that caught the eye on boxcars and back alleys is beginning to be familiar, to be absorbed. Big name artists like Keith Haring (who died in 1990) had been doing something similar all over the world.

 As a matter of fact, the kids', do-it-yourself art works pretty well in advertising, in a Pepsi ad.  One of the artists interviewed is actually wearing a Madison Avenue sort of suit and tie!

Yes, it's wonderful to be young--AND to be successful and important. The only trouble with this film is the title.  These artists may be beautiful, but they AREN'T losers--not for long.

This was a Nike sponsored event. I wonder how the flow chart would look like. It would probably be a bunch of arrows (the arrows represent $) from all around the world going towards Oregon. Then, there would be $ arrows pointing from Oregon towards different marketing companies in major cities around the world. Finally, there would be a small arrow going from one of these local marketing reps towards the jrnl gallery/magazine. Ahhh... sweet smell of business (smells like The Man). Loves it.

Show Program: Part 1; Part 2 - The program has already been disclosed to the public. I think I can post this, but I'm not sure. Anyway, if you're interested, take a look. Each photographer was gracious enough to include a little commentary with their submission.

"In the right light, at the right time, everything becomes extraordinary."

~Aaron Rose

I took this shot a few minutes after the clock struck twelve on New Year's Day. I had to go through major pains before I got satisfied of capturing a good one with that sparkling liberty stick...light...match...matchstick...whatever that is. The major hindrances that I was talking about were: First, that I was just using a mobile phone with no ergonomic camera buttons. [Haha!] Second, it was really hard because I was like holding the phone on my right hand, positioning the 'sparkling matchstick' with my left, while at the same time I was looking for the perfect angle on the viewfinder. Third, the tiny sparks literally flew directly to my skin, er hand, which felt as if someone's pinching me. Fourth, because the matchstick runs out of sparks on me. I had to use what, like 10 'sparkling matchsticks' before I got what you're seeing up there. And last but not the least, I had to touch up [PHOTOSHOP] the raw photo so that those scrawny little pixels would be gone forever. Now tell me, ain't that hard? Well, who cares if I had to go through those things? No one does, so whatever. I feel like a whining, stubborn freak writing all this hoopla.

May everyone have a prosperous year ahead! :)

Sarcasm! Honesty! Stephen Malkmus references! I'm in.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Brendan's other projects are forces to be reckoned with. Homeboy doesn't mess around.

Check out Brendan at barrbarr.com.