Later this afternoon, Maria, my friend George Forss and I will join Scott and Lisa Carrino, owners of the Round House Cafe, to hang the photos for “Looking At Our World,” a collaborative photo show between my great friend George and myself. It is actually a circle, it celebrates many things – love, friendship, creativity, the creative spark. George is the star of this show, he is presenting photographic art that has been acclaimed all over the world for decades, his images of New York City are a remarkable body of work, praised by Ansel Adams, Henry Cartier-Bresson, David Douglas Duncan and some of the great photographers of the world.
Maria will curate the show, making it even more special. George printed my photos on high quality high fiber and archival paper, they look quite wonderful. Scott Carrino has become a close friend, it is special to have our work in his wildly successful cafe, which has become the soul of our small town. The photos will hang there for six weeks, there is a reception on February 20, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Round House, I’ll talk and we will show some clips of profiles of George done by the BBC, the Today Show, and Entertainment Tonight.
Photography is special to me, it came, in some ways, out of my relationship with Maria, my early photos were all lover letters to her, I remember chasing sunsets with Izzy on Kinney Road, exploring the path, seeing the world of animals in a new way through my camera. My photos are still love letters to Maria, everyone is emotional for me.
From the time I met George, I fantasized about our doing a show together, I love our friendship, I so admire this brilliant and generous and fascinating man. He has taught me so much and shared his gift of friendship with me. George, as he said in one of the interviews, has had a hard life at times, I have never heard him complain about it. George works on several tracks. He is a legendary photographer, he runs a small art gallery in Cambridge, N.Y., he is the longtime partner of artist Donna Wynbrandt, he cares for his brother Mickey, he still takes brilliant photos day after day and works in his Frankenstein-era darkroom.
The photos he is showing reveal the range and genius of George – powerful urban landscapes, iconic images of the rural environment, George has mastered the art and technics of photography as few people have. And he is a passionate believer in alien life, a UFO investigator, the author of a several books on the nature of the universe and his evolving philosophy of the world.
I will be showing some photos too, including this one below, but I see this show as part of George’s ongoing re-discovery by the world. I suppose it also reflects my new life, it was a difficult thing to come here, my life came apart in so many ways, but in so many others it really came together. The great photographers were mostly displaced by the digital revolution, George is rising again. Cream rises, art has its own sense of life and mystery. I’ll post some photos of the show hanging today, for me a meaningful day of friendship, love and creativity. How fortunate I am to be a part of it. I hardly took a photo in my life until five or six years ago, now I can’t imagine a life without photography. The show honors the creative spark, it burns so brightly in George, in Maria, in me. My wish for people is that they listen to it, follow it and honor it.
I am grateful to know George and honor his many gifts.
These photos will first be offered to people attending the photo show, some will be offered online on Maria’s website after the show ends.
