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Bill Crandall

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Outernational recap

Had a great photo event (dubbed ‘Outernational’) last night with fellow members of Metro Collective. It was part of FotoweekDC, we took over the upstairs space at Local 16, a bar/restaurant on U Street.

I was frankly a bit surprised (pleasantly) by the turnout, we must have had nearly 100 people there, many standing throughout. The four DC-based members of Metro showed multimedia slideshows of our documentary work and had short discussion between segments, with our friend Andre Kravchenko from Mondano as host. Simple format of course, but it was amazing how good the vibe was and how engaged people were. We used the word Outernational (nicked with permission from our pals over at Thievery Corporation) to convey a sense of beyond borders, embracing what is out there beyond the line of sight.

The whole thing worked on many levels. I think it’s an encouraging model that deals with the question of how to bring photography to people in fresh ways. In this case, you had the cinematic experience of the photos combined with the living-room intimacy of the setting. Unfortunately, that’s a novel concept here in DC, though in many ways it’s the perfect city for such gatherings, there are a lot of internationally-minded people here who are also quite visually literate.

I felt like people were ‘surprised to be surprised’ by the photography; everyone is saturated with images these days, and maybe becoming a bit numb. But this showed if you present good work in the right way, still photography can really pack a resonant punch.

We hope to do more such events, including one we’re planning for next month geared for students, and an open-air rooftop thing next year when the weather permits. Hopefully we can work out a way for our international members to attend as well. Stay tuned!

Neal and Bill

Neal and Bill

Steve, Danny, and Neal

Steve, Danny, and Neal

Danny and Bill

Danny and Bill

Here are a few photos from our last Modest Proposal band practice (Neal took the one of me and Danny) We’re in Steve’s basement, he’s got a great setup for recording. Which worked out well since we’re finally capable of playing the songs well enough for recording. David is on his way over from London in a couple weeks, we wanted him to have something to practice to in the meantime.

Our reunion show is a month away now, check out Neal’s latest blog post on WTOP.

You don’t have to agree that we should all unite under the Bob Marley flag. But there’s no arguing this is super-cool (I only wish it included more musicians from more places).

This is great, a pure distilled Coen brothers short that you may not have seen - the earnest cowboy (Josh Brolin) trying to decide which foreign film to see, with the help of the euro-nebishy ticket clerk. The genius is in the dialogue and the range of Brolin’s subtle, visceral reactions. And the different levels of broader American v. European symbolism. Full of fine moments for the careful observer, packed into just over three minutes.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Sketch #1, ‘Middle Eight’ - from my series of short music fragments designed as ringtones. Copyright and all that, but friends are welcome to it for personal use. More to come from time to time…

East

Sunday night photos at Marvin this weekend, starting at 8pm! I’ll be showing a slideshow of my Eastern Europe work from the last ten years, running on a 15-minute loop. A print catalog of select images is available online (see sidebar), I’ll have free copies with me for the first twenty people who ask.

Develop your sensibilities, then learn how to make them visual. Viktor Kolar, Prague, 1998
I’m happy to have been chosen for Foto8 magazine’s Summer Show, going on now at HOST Gallery in London. From their website:
2009 Foto8 Summer Show, 24 July – 5 September
The Summer Show provides London’s greatest spectacle of photography with over 100 images on display – an inspiring variety of framed and mounted images of all shapes and sizes, installed from floor to ceiling. From landscapes and portraiture to documentary, various genres of photography are represented in the exhibition.
The 2009 Summer Show saw an overwhelming response, with over 2300 images entered from 44 different countries, including Bangladesh, Iran, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey.

I’m happy to have been chosen for Foto8 magazine’s Summer Show, going on now at HOST Gallery in London. From their website:

2009 Foto8 Summer Show, 24 July – 5 September

The Summer Show provides London’s greatest spectacle of photography with over 100 images on display – an inspiring variety of framed and mounted images of all shapes and sizes, installed from floor to ceiling. From landscapes and portraiture to documentary, various genres of photography are represented in the exhibition.

The 2009 Summer Show saw an overwhelming response, with over 2300 images entered from 44 different countries, including Bangladesh, Iran, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey.