Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Photo Journal Eight - Joe Heide
I reviewed Joe Heide’s Phoenix at the recent Student Art Show at TCC. First it’s a little derivative but only if you know the source and assuming Joe doesn’t know the source, I reckon I’m the only one who cares.
I like the fact that he shows his body. It has a feminine quality. This is a pretty tough thing to do. I ain’t skinny and I know how difficult it was to use my shape on film. I can’t stand to see my own face on film. It’s a real effort to do that so Joe’s putting his skinny pale self out there is guts. Any pretty girl can put her wares out on the table. Joe took a personal chance. Guts.
I like the image. It’s messy kind a blend. I mean the two parts are pretty dissimilar. I like the idea of the blend. It needs stronger parts, more connected, the fire is too real and the body too soft. It’s an either or thing in that piece.
It’s weird how so much of the work I love from fellow students is clearly work in progress. I’d like to see it finished but the idea that Joe was reaching for something, even if in the end he fell short, impresses me. I like to see people reach. It seems like, since no one but us and our mama’s gives two shits that failure is just the same as success. You might say, well I know how not to do that now. Maybe down the road it could matter but why?
It’s like that Zen story about the rooster. I reckon the painter had more fun painting the 5000 practice roosters than the one perfect one because then he was done. Finished is pretty boring right now.
I like the fact that he shows his body. It has a feminine quality. This is a pretty tough thing to do. I ain’t skinny and I know how difficult it was to use my shape on film. I can’t stand to see my own face on film. It’s a real effort to do that so Joe’s putting his skinny pale self out there is guts. Any pretty girl can put her wares out on the table. Joe took a personal chance. Guts.
I like the image. It’s messy kind a blend. I mean the two parts are pretty dissimilar. I like the idea of the blend. It needs stronger parts, more connected, the fire is too real and the body too soft. It’s an either or thing in that piece.
It’s weird how so much of the work I love from fellow students is clearly work in progress. I’d like to see it finished but the idea that Joe was reaching for something, even if in the end he fell short, impresses me. I like to see people reach. It seems like, since no one but us and our mama’s gives two shits that failure is just the same as success. You might say, well I know how not to do that now. Maybe down the road it could matter but why?
It’s like that Zen story about the rooster. I reckon the painter had more fun painting the 5000 practice roosters than the one perfect one because then he was done. Finished is pretty boring right now.
# posted by Mike : 12:12 PM
