Documenting America

To mark its one year anniversary in 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unleashed over 100 professional photographers across America. It's goal, to carry out the country's first comprehensive documentation of its environment. They called the project "Documerica" and immediately made all photos available to the press, publishers, researchers, and the general public. "Available" today is a lot more available than it was in the '70s. Now they are being published online with the help of the U.S. National Archives, in what will ultimately be a 15,000 photo collection on Flickr.

Here, early street art, so widespread and unchecked that it covers the flat surfaces of New York's 1973 subway cars.

[Original caption: "Many Subway Cars in New York City Have Been Spray Painted by Vandals. 05/1973" - photo by Eric Callonius]

["Times Square Subway Station and Subway Graffitti 05/1973" - photo by E.C.]

Most interesting to me, in this overwhelmingly interesting series of photographs, is the liberty the photographers took with the term "environment."

You have the photos you'd expect from an EPA photo documentary, like this juxtaposition of new industry and old farmland:

["The Atlas Company Belches Smoke across Pasture Land in Foreground. 06/1972" - photo by Marc St. Gill]

And then you have photos like these:

["Washington Square in Greenwich Village, 05/1973" - Photo by E.C.]

["Climbing Out from the Head of Water Canyon, near the Maze, a Remote and Rugged Region in the Heart of the Canyonlands. Water Canyon is So Called Because of a Spring in the Canyon Which Furnishes a Good Supply of Pure Water, a Rarity in This Region. The Rope is Climbed by Using Mechanical Ascenders, Small Devices Which Slide Up the Rope But Not Down, 05/1972" - photo by David Hiser]

["Edward Austin, 64, Lives in the Black Portion of Fierco, a Small Town near Beckley, West Virginia, in Raleigh County. He Receives Black Lung Benefits and a United Mine Workers Pension, after Working in the Mines from 1925 to 1956. He Has 20 Children and Does Not Regret Having Them One Bit 04/1974" - photo by Jack Corn]

Here is the Flickr Page, where all photos can be viewed and downloaded in high res:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/collections/72157620729903309/

Excellent.

Family Photos

[happy baby]

Reba and baby JennyMess on the veranda, Marion Street, Lititz, PA, 1954.

Fort Greene Snow Land

Sledding hurts, but in a good way. Also of note is the snowperson detailing in Fort Greene Park (sass, mustaches, boobs!).

Baltimore at Bergdorf's?

Walking up 5th Avenue on my way to Central Park last Friday, a certain bosomy drag queen in a voluptuous red dress caught my eye...

...in the window of Bergdorf Goodman?Wait a minute. Divine? Is that you?

And hold up, Bergdorf...I recognize that robot family...

...and those creepy cocoon yarn things...And that GIANT PINK POODLE!

Last year, it was the New Yorker that commented on New York's love for the weird, wonderful world of Baltimore musicals. This year, it seems that one of the city's schmanciest window trend setters is using the vibrant creepiness of the amazing American Visionary Art Museum to showcase summer collections the likes of Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and Michael Kors.

Even The Economist has something to say:Next stop, London? Oh Bmore, you make me proud. Here are ze rest of ze vonderful vindows:

Simon, Martin and Wood?

Judge for yourself...

[Bassman Chris Wood and Keystraordinaire John Medeski...or is it?]

...but it looks to me like our favorite self-aggrandizing TV visionary and defender of the good old days of journalism is moonlighting as the fingers leg of the avant garde jazz trio Medeski Martin and Wood.

[The receded hairline, those grand ears, the dark, sunken eyes and that huge forehead scrunched in intense, creative thought...]

Just look at those profiles. David Simon, I'm on to you.

Medeski Martin and Wood played in Bmore back on June 5th, and though my Friday night sun salutationfest overlapped with opener Wood Brothers, a favorite (must be my thing for ruggedly melty voices and upright bassmen), the show kept me rapt with its mixture of infectious funk licks and tight improvisation. Not to mention its Baltimore-themed doppelgangers.

Soul singin'

Raphael Saadiq at Ram's Head--Monday, March 23, 2009

What's the deal with all this neo soul all of a sudden? Where'd that neo come from?

Forget the unstable remixed divas... close your eyes on this one and you're like, "is that Stevie?"

Smart marigold suit, skinny tie, thick black glasses. Mmm, mmm. Songs almost exclusively about love or lovin', sweet little choreographed shimmies, and finger-snapping backup singers.

Raphael Saadiq is straight soul.

Listen here.

[Thanks to my fly roommate, whose sweet article got him free tix and me the chance to be his plus 1]

Art Urbain de Montréal

Somehow I knew this city would have its fill of illegally painted exteriors.

Per Wooster Collective, web mecca for urban artists (or urban artphiles, comme moi), the best time to graf in Montreal is at night, in the middle of winter.

"Sure it is -30 [Celsius, mind you] outside but all the snow lowers visibility and creates large snow dunes near walls. Bring big coats, hats and shoes. One of the best features of this city is the lack of buffing. You put up something in Montreal, it is likely to be there for the next decade.... " [2003]

The city's also been known to host street art treasure hunts, and produce illicit art that proactively works towards urban renewal--like when Roadsworth painted bike lanes in the streets after 9/11 in an attempt to illuminate, and therefore lessen, the city's dependence on oil.

And now, a scrollshow of works.