Team Wet Dog

photographic memory

This photograph is an excellent example of the way we see something, remember it, change it, borrow from it, duplicate and alter. And so on. It's early and I'm out of verbs.

Way back in college, I visited a roommate's family. In his childhood home was this photograph that really struck me, of an old burned building. Or rather, what was left - if I recall the image correctly, it was just columns, perhaps from an old library (it's been ten years now, so forgive me if I get this wrong).

For whatever reasons, that photo stood out to me. It was a nice black and white that looked like it was shot with a medium format camera. I loved it, and the idea stayed with me and I always wanted to shoot something similar.

So when we ended up in Rome — land of the column — I knew this was my chance. I've got another photograph, similar in style, that I'll post next. Both this one and the next one were inspired by seeing that picture so long ago.

In other news...  classes have begun, and so far so good. We've been doing some cooking, getting things done fast and efficiently and not dragging out the entire night, and that's a big help. It's only the first week, but I feel good about this.

I think my one complaint (and it's really too early for complaints) is that we seem to be stuck on basic cuisine. In a given night we'll produce several dishes but none are really complicated or involved. I think I'd prefer to spend more time making less things.

But I remind myself that these classes are providing me with a starting point. Much of what I want to learn, I think I'll find on my own.

— Robert

(1/3/07) 
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