Twin Peaks

Ever since seeing Eraserhead in my High School film literature class, David Lynch has been one of my greatest inspirations, and Twin Peaks is at the top of it all. Today Laura got me the complete Twin Peaks series (both seasons and the pilot), which was previously unreleased, and extremely hard to find bootlegged, at least in a decent viewing quality.

It is huge. The visuals, stories and ideas that pop through my head when watching this series are out of control. And it captures perfectly that hidden but right-under-your-nose weirdness of small-town America. I am psyched to start watching them again. Starting right now...

Hunt

Rabbit Hunt, 4x5 Camera with Kerry, Tim and Dave, B'ville, IN, 2007

I met Kerry Wire at "The First and Last Chance" a few nights ago. It's the oldest bar in Boonville, located just across from where the old train depot existed, and was the first and last chance for people to get food or drink as they got on and off the train. Yesterday I woke at 5:30 to meet Kerry and two Kentuckians at the hunting fields in Boonville. Otherwise known as the reclaimed coal mines.

"The largest grasslands in Indiana and Illinois are on reclaimed surface coal mines, which are numerous in the Illinois Coal Basin. The reclamation goal of establishing a vegetation cover with inexpensive, hardy exotic grass species inadvertently created persistent, large grassland bird refuges."

We (they) were hunting rabbit. Laura and I had a pet bunny (Eddie-Bunny) up until her death a year ago, so it wasn't the easiest thing for me to watch, at first. I went deer hunting in New York, and have been around coon, turkey, bird, bear, and other sorts of hunters on this trip. But this was the first time I had been out in the field with rabbit hunters, which use dogs to run out the prey. It was one of the funnest things I've taken pictures of on this journey, once I separated myself from the whole rabbit business. Deer hunting is often boring, or relaxing, whichever you want to call it, but hunting with dogs and running around all over the place, while having good conversations and laughs, is a lot more fun and entertaining. I spent all day hunting with them, and then Kerry and I headed over to the Last Chance. After a few beers there, we headed to Kerry's to skin, clean and cook our dinner.


Rabbit Hunt, Dave, Boonville, In, Dec. 26, 2007

I don't come from a hunting family, and although I don't think I could ever do it myself (still in debate), I do have great respect for the people I have met along the way that do. I met a hunter in NY a few years ago that was very passionate about the process, and had a sort of love for the animals he killed. We were drinking when debating this, but his description of the process, which was very detailed and kind of inspiring, actually brought him to tears. Since that day I have wondered: why am I so hesitant to track and kill something? I eat meat almost everyday and I can't always eat organic or local, and that often means that I don't know where the animal came from. So in turn, I am often condoning the traveling of my meat, giving money to the large conglomerate food corporations, all while never knowing what happens to the quality or cleanliness of this animal as it criss-crosses the country and changes hands a dozen times. Not to mention supporting the horrible conditions in which many of those slaughtered animals are forced to live their lives.

So I ask myself this: if I can kill an animal, know it will all be eaten, know it was wild and local, and know that I have cut down on the pollution that would result in my buying a name brand. Then why not?

CSI Christmas

Mauck Family (CSI) Jig-Saw Puzzle, Christmas Day, 2007, B'ville, IN

Home-Cooked Meal, #20

Christmas Dinner, The Mauck Family, Boonville, Indiana, Dec., 2007

A Boonville Chrismukah and Christmas!

Dixie and Christmukah Tree, Brooklyn, NY, Dec. 25, 2006

This is the fourth year that Laura and I will spend Chrismukah together (Christmas + Chanukkah). She is flying in on Saturday, so Chrismukah will happen, but it will happen late, and without Dixie. Dixie, pictured above, comes out every holiday season and acts as our Chrismukah mascot. I was having a difficult time finding a gift for Laura that first year, and then I stumbled upon Dixie. It seemed crazy enough to work. And it has. But not without some very weird looks.

As you may have guessed, I'm staying in Boonville, Indiana this holiday season. And I'm having a really great time with the Mauck family! I met Aaron Mauck at Kenny's Bar on the second or third night I was in town. Turns out he used to live in my hometown of Chesterton, Indiana, and knows many of the people I grew up with. He was kind enough to invite me over for Christmas with his parents and sisters. All three sisters were Prom and/or Homecoming Queen, and all three were Valedictorian (Aaron was very close). It is an interesting crowd. And I'm having a great time. Merry Christmas! and a Merry-Happy Chrismukah!

P.S. Click to see a series of photos I did of Dixie in 2005: The Adventures of Dixie

Rilke's Christmas

It is no surprise that I love Ranier Maria Rilke, I've quoted him a ton on this and my former blog. Laura and I (she started it) have an obsession with naming our plants after poets and philosophers. See Rilke above.

"I don't want you to be without a greeting from me when Christmas comes and when you, in the midst of the holiday, are bearing your solitude more heavily than usual. But when you notice that it is vast, you should be happy; for what (you should ask yourself) would a solitude be that was not vast; there is only one solitude, and it is vast, heavy, difficult to bear, and almost everyone has hours when he would gladly exchange it for any kind of sociability, however trivial or cheap, for the tiniest outward agreement with the first person who comes along, the most unworthy. . . . But perhaps these are the very hours during which solitude grows; for its growing is painful as the growing of boys and sad as the beginning of spring. But that must not confuse you. What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours - that is what you must be able to attain. " Ranier Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet, Rome, December, 23 1903

Suspicious Activity, #1

Stills from Psycho

Today was the first time I have seriously gone out with my 4x5 camera. I found what I felt to be an interesting scene, filled with trees, power lines, a van, a fence, a trailer and a big open sky. Twenty minutes later up comes a shiny silver Impala. I look back under the camera, and when I realize the car hasn't passed in front of the lens, I look up to find it five feet in front of me. Before I knew it another one was flanking me on my right. The chief of police introduced himself, asked what I was doing, etc. I had a rough morning, and was a bit rusty with my friendly skills. They were great though, and made a call to the mayor confirming my actions. I handed over some information and business cards, and after checking my record (which I am always very curious about), they went on their way. I felt very bad that I was a bit of a smart a$$, but I guess we all make mistakes.

This marks the first time I have had the cops called on me or have been confronted by them on this journey, which is actually kind of amazing. I'm glad to know Boonville, Indiana is on top of things. I never once saw a cop, other then in a car, while I was in Boonville, MO, or Boonville, NY. I actually befriended the officers and the chief in Boonville, NC, and often had lunch or dinner with them. MO and NY were both well aware of my being there, so that may have had something to do with it. Anyway, I'm glad that is out of the way.

Thinking of you...

Laura and a few of my close friends may tell you that I am good at keeping in touch: writing letters, sending emails, reaching out, etc. This is true, on some level, but there are times where I lack the ability to send a thank you letter or just a note saying hi for months or even years. On this journey I have been good about keeping up with certain people, and not so good about others. A few days ago we lost a dear friend, a cousin of Laura’s. Lynn was a kind and honest and funny woman, and she had the greatest love for Bruce Springsteen of anyone I have ever met. When we first met we quickly bonded over our love of music, tossing band names and the like back to one another. Although Lynn was ill, it was a shock to all of us when she passed. While I was in Boonville, Missouri, Lynn sent me a letter and three discs full of her favorite music for my travels. I did not send a note thanking her. And although I did see her in mid November for a wedding, and thanked her then, I have felt guilty at night while alone in this room, re-reading the letter she sent months ago. Over the last two days I have sent out over a hundred postcards and letters to people I have met along the way, and to my amazing friends and family who have continued to support me. I would be lying if I didn’t say that part of it was done out of this unfortunate event, but the main reason is love. The people I have met on this journey are genuine and inspiring people, and have opened my eyes to this world, and to what is possible. I have met many, and will continue to, and I will do my best to keep up correspondence. For some it is hard, as I have misplaced or never received addresses, but please know that I am constantly thinking of and missing you, all of you.

In Search of America, Part 2

North Side of Public Square, Boonville, IN, Postcard

I am still at the Motel Manor, just out of town. Last night I forced myself out into the world. Previously I had been locked in my room, struggling to start another journey. Creating art, and putting yourself and your ideas to work can be painful. Lately I've asked myself what this is for, I've doubted myself, and art in general. This may be my normal cycle, but it doesn't get any easier.

I'm committed to this journey and process, not because I like it, but because I'm drawn to it, and I cannot look away. I'm driven to explore a moment and to engage with people. I am fascinated by time, the way these towns live, the scene, the environment, their secrets and my memories. Photography grabs that, and allows me to form it into my own personal philosophy. But, as I have said many times before, starting this process over every month is painful and often depressing; And each time I leave a place and start again, I feel as if a piece of myself and my soul has been taken from me, but I believe that is art, and the creation of art.

"So, dear Sir, I can't give you any advice but this: to go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows; at its source you will find the answer to the question of whether you must create. Accept that answer, just as it is given to you, without trying to interpret it. Perhaps you will discover that you are called to be an artist. Then take that destiny upon yourself, and bear it, its burden and its greatness, without ever asking what reward might come from the outside. For the creator must be a world for himself and must find everything in himself and in Nature, to whom his whole life is devoted." Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters To A Young Poet, February 17, 1903

"I pulled Rocinate into a small picnic area maintained by the state of Connecticut and got out my book of Maps. And suddenly the United States became huge beyond belief and impossible ever to cross. I wondered how in the hell I'd got myself mixed up in a project that couldn't be carried out. It was like starting to write a novel. When I face the desolate impossibility of writing five hundred pages a sick sense of failure falls on me and I know I can never do it. This happens every time. Then gradually I write one page and then another. One day's work is all I can permit myself to contemplate and I eliminate the possibility of ever finishing. So it was now, as I looked at the bright colored projection of monster America." John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley: In Search of America, 1962

Humble Arts Foundation, 20% off prints!

Copyright David La Spina
Stage for High School commencement, 2006
from History of a Village: Mamaroneck

I've been a huge fan of the Humble Arts Foundation since they started about two years ago. I was in their second online group-show, and was apart of the show they had at New Century Artists last summer, and most recently I had a piece in the Field Guide exhibit they curated last week at Gallery Bar, in NY. Unfortunately I was unable to attend do to traveling, but I hear it was blast. They have come a long way in two years: having a number of group shows in New York and Brooklyn, all while expanding their online presence and recently offering the Grant for Emerging Photographers.

Humble Arts also offers small-edition prints at prices starting at $150 from emerging and established photographers. It's a great deal for the quality of the work. If you are looking for great art at a reasonable price, then hit up Humble. They are offering %20 off all prints for the holidays. I hear they are going quick. View editions HERE.

Support good art.

Boonville, Indiana, day 2

December, 12, 2007, Boonville, Indiana, crunched up in my car, hacking wireless internet. I have not found a comfortable place to get online to check emails, etc., and my phone is dead, with the charger sitting in Louisville. I have not found anyone to stay with yet, so i am at the motel manor, about a half mile from the town square. I got a good weekly rate, but I am feeling isolated and lonely, which is probably a good thing, for now. Being lonely sucks, but it pushes me to explore new ideas and to read and write more then I normally would. Boonville, Indiana is beautiful, but kinda eerie at night, in a very David Lynch kind of way. But all stereotypes aside, I have already met a few really nice people, and the town is beautiful, and reminds me of home. Seeing Indiana state flags and road signs kinda helps, but it does bring this whole project and concept full circle for me.

Boonville in Lousiville

Drew's Basement, Lousiville, KY, December, 2007

For the last week I have been hiding out in Drew's basement in Louisville, playing darts, drinking, watching movies, and printing and editing the Boonville images. My head is about to explode!

Editing sucks...I'm having a difficult time separating myself from the work and cutting images that I know probably shouldn't make it, but that I am connected to. Life is so hard, I know.

I still have a ways to go before the project is finished and the real editing starts, but it's nice to view all the work laid out and to see the vision unfolding. Plus, Santa Fe is coming up, so I need to chose twenty cohesive images. Pick the best twenty, right? Not as easy as it sounds.

Up Next: Boonville, Indiana

Boonville, Indiana, July, 2007

When I left Brooklyn in July, 2007 to begin this journey, I made my way out to Boonville, Missouri. Boonville, Indiana happened to be on the way, so I stopped for some lunch and took a peak around town. Next week I will make my way to Southern Indiana, and after a stop-over in Louisville, KY, I will head to Boonville, IN!

I'm really excited, and have been thinking about the Indiana stop for awhile. It's my home state and it is the second largest of all six Boonvilles. Back in July, when I arrived in town for lunch, I stopped into Kenny's Pub. Kenny was a true character, full of stories and ideas, I'm really looking forward to seeing him again and to explore another fantastic town. And it sure does feel good to be back in the Midwest!

In Search of America, Part 1

"Rocinante," John Steinbeck's camper, named for Don Quixote's horse.

Recently I was given a copy of John Steinbeck's Travels With Charley: In Search of America, from Kevin and Amy. This book is already shaping up to define the next leg of this trip, and possibly the whole journey. In September I was attached to Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and in October it was Into The Wild and Walden. Travels With Charley speaks to me just as those books did then, and it often seems as if Steinbeck's trip around the country in 1956, with his trusted dog Charlie, parallels much of my own experiences and thinking.

I haven't gotten through half of the book yet, but almost every page is dog-eared. In 2004, Laura bought me Rilke's Letters To a Young Poet, and it has been by my side on every trip I've been on since then. Travels With Charley seems to be on that same path...

"A trip, a safari, and exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. tour masters, schedules, reservations, brass-bound and inevitable, dash themselves to wreckage on the personality of the trip. Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the-glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it. I feel better now, having said this, although only those who have experienced it will understand it." --Jon Steinbeck, Travels With Charley: In Search of America, 1962