that come off as so full of themselves, I wanted something simple, true and honest. Eventually I got around to thinking maybe I can use a title that was based on something someone living in the slum said to me. I thought and thought some more and could not really
remember anything except one story, a story I also included in my write up to the Larry Louie Gallery "Fading Lives" group show. The write up below is from an email I sent to T... who works with the Kaasa Gallery (Northern Jubilee Auditorium) explaining the story behind the title.
The title for my first solo show is:
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"The Train Is Coming: Portraits from Klong Toey Slum" Kind of a strange title but it comes with an important story. In this one area of Klong Toey slum (in Bangkok Thailand) there is a railway track that runs straight down between the slum houses (I will have some photographs of this area in the show). The train comes through there at regular intervals maybe 8 - 10 times a day, it passes so close to the crowded slum shacks you can actually touch them as they pass. The whole thing is rather dangerous thou the locals are very aware of whats happening and clear the track area before the train comes through.
I was photographing in this area one day and the train was coming, I was oblivious to this and concentrating on composing and shooting my pictures. Then something rather beautiful happened. A young girl maybe 6 or 7 years old came up to me, looked up at me with these innocent eyes and said in a calm quiet voice the words in Thai "The train is coming." and then she took hold of my hand and walked me to a safe place (inside a nearby slum shack), we stayed in there with some others as the trained rumbled by, then she just smiled and left. I always thought this little act of kindness and concern for others shown by this tiny little girl embodied the sentiment of the entire slum, these were good people I was photographing. So I want to use this as a title for the show.
I was photographing in this area one day and the train was coming, I was oblivious to this and concentrating on composing and shooting my pictures. Then something rather beautiful happened. A young girl maybe 6 or 7 years old came up to me, looked up at me with these innocent eyes and said in a calm quiet voice the words in Thai "The train is coming." and then she took hold of my hand and walked me to a safe place (inside a nearby slum shack), we stayed in there with some others as the trained rumbled by, then she just smiled and left. I always thought this little act of kindness and concern for others shown by this tiny little girl embodied the sentiment of the entire slum, these were good people I was photographing. So I want to use this as a title for the show.
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When I have the show I will include this story in the little opening write up I will have mounted to the wall for people to read as they enter. I want them to understand the story behind the unique title. One good thing about strange titles/names etc is that once you remember them, their hard to forget, right Arnold Schwarzenegger?
