March 23, 2005
Run After Run, Maryjane!
I work for a madman! This huge, fully loaded printshop in Chinatown. The type of job interview where you realize you’re sort of carbon copies of one another, only one of you, to your envy, is older, more established and, if possible, more mad. We spent an hour and a half drinking blackcurrant tea, and talking about the artist laws of Franch, Diane di Prima, Gregory Corso, Arthur Rimbaud and bill bissett. He’s made t-shirts for bill bissett. He’s made Rimbaud shirts. We talked about the exact photo; we exchanged quotes.
Actually, the first question he asked me was, “you’ve done readings with bill bissett?”
“Yeah! He calls me Princess Caroline!”
Before I run through our similarities, I need to point out:
THERE’S A PROFESSIONAL DARKROOM AND PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO BELOW THE PRINTSHOP.
OK. The breath comes easier now. It was beautiful. Gorgeous black and white prints hanging, still slightly damp, two enlargers, trays upon trays. Glee. The actual photography studio is what I imagine heaven would look like if I will be so permitted to enter, passing by its softbox & umbrella, tapping my way across its scuffed hardwood. Endless windows. & burgundy sheets to cover them.
So, back to it: we’re both the only children of immigrant parents. He was born in Latvia. We spent a lot of time talking about oppression, the various and quite specific ways in which Starbucks was usurping the heartbeat of his home. He has a degree in English from the university of Michigan and seems to take most things as A POLITICAL ACT. I’ll leave two chocolates in the box. A massive left winger. Revolution this and revolution that. I have a hunch we’ll get along well this summer. I mean, considering I myself AM a revolution! haha!
I really want to meet the photographer from downstairs. His work was intimidating in its goodness, use of light, range. From his space, he seemed quite neat and productive as rapidfire.
There’s also this fantastic gravel and plant roof-top that you can just walk out onto from the third floor printshop. A great view up there. Such a cozy death-drop.
Looks like I'll be using a lot of spinning clamps.