Well here it is, my newly released
"The Train Is Coming" opening night show video. The show
was difficult and expensive to produce but in the end a very satisfying
experience, it was a great way to have my first solo exhibition. To show at an
important facility like the Northern Jubilee Auditorium was a
wonderful privilege, most first time artist solo shows are at "Bobs
Bakeshop" or" Carl's Coffee House", it took me 35 years to get
the darn thing but when I finally got it, it was a nice first class event.
The exhibition over its 2 1/2 hour
opening had between 60-70 folks show up. I was quite pleased with the turnout,
at one point I counted over 40 people in the room at one time. I
was disappointed that several long time friends did not bother to
attend but I guess we all live our own lives and everyone has their own
priorities. One thing that I anticipated being difficult turned out to be even
harder to do than I thought which was to make both videos at the opening and
also host the thing. Every time I raised my camera someone walked up to me for a
chat so I was only able to get limited footage when the show was at its
busiest.
Overall the opening was a wonderful success, it
will be something I will think back to with fondness for years to come. Even
thou I was happy with the whole event I will hold off on making submissions to
galleries, I want to concentrate my money on making pictures not framing, matting and shipping photographs. I need to use the small
amount of money I have wisely. With my limited income I have to put the
priority on the creation of new work, if that work is good enough it will
eventually be shown and recognized. I will spend the next 10 years working hard at
creating new work and less time and money doing the show thing.
I will be having 2 international shows in the coming year, one
in New Orleans and one in Bangkok but after that I am going to limit
where and how often I submit and try to show. My inability to get grant money limits my options, I will be much better off
spending my security guard money on film, darkroom supplies and travel-living expenses, making
new pictures has to be my number one priority and concern.
The video is a bit longer than I wanted 6 minutes and 30 seconds but it does a good job I think of presenting much of the experience that went into it. I have still photos, Klong Toey slum video, darkroom video and video from the opening all mixed together into a nice presentation along with Schubert's "Ava Maria".
