Khon Thai Expanded

I had the meeting with the judge at the club tonight and showed the 5 Khon Thai photographs which were received well. I am thinking more and more now of expanding the project into Cambodia. I guess the best way to explain my thoughts is through a story.

A few days ago I read a news story about a long standing border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. There is a famous temple that now is on the Cambodian side of the border that the Thais also claim as there own. Soldiers have been sporadically shooting each other in this area for decades, it creates much division and conflict in the peoples of the 2 countries. The confusing part is that if you go back in South East Asian history this border area changed hands many times so both countries can make a legitimate claim. The story I read dealt with another thing that happened at this disputed border area where soldiers had recently been killed. The story was about a party that was set up, I guess on the Thai said they set up a party and meal, and invited the Cambodian soldiers over to share food and drink. The Cambodians had been ordered not to drink more than 2 beers but as boys are apt to do got well liquored up with their Thai counterparts. I guess there was lots of joy and frivolity along with comradity and song. I thought, why can't I do this with my photographs, why can't I show the connection of the 2 peoples the things that unite them, how they are not really that different inside.

The way the world works is it likes to draw lines separating us, this one is Christian this one Muslim, this one is American this one Russian. When it really comes down to it thou we are all very similar, we love our children, we marry and love our wives or husbands, we love our parents and grandparents. If I could show the similarities we all share, in my case the photo series would be specific to Thai and Cambodian people but also in a way be representative of people world wide. I could show prints side by side a Thai policeman next to a Cambodian policeman a old lady in Thailand next to an old lady in Cambodia. The work would be about the human family.

To ambitious, to complex for my limited skills? Heck this might be way out of my league, it might be reaching way to high, I am just a small time photographer from Canada.

This would be a great thing to try and do, create a family of photos that speaks to the common humanity in all of us. I would rather get up to the plate and swing away and strike out than be to scared to try for that home run. I read a quote once that I have often thought about "Regret is a worse feeling than failure." When I am a very old guy sitting in my wheelchair with pureed food on my plate and the urine bag hanging off the side of the chair. I would much rather have tried and failed to do something grand than to have to live with the regret of never making the attempt.

I might have to think of a new title as Khon Thai does not cover this larger project, maybe Family something or other.

I got it!! FAMILY OF MAN! oops its already been used.

Will keep on working on the title for this project.

Update: I have been thinking I need to find a word that is the same in both the Thai and Khmer languages, something that will be understand by both peoples. I need a word that can be understand by both and a word with a meaning like Family, Unity, People, One..etc something of that nature. I might have to do some research to find the word that works best as my language skills are rather limited.