My Mother: Nov. 8, 1929 - Sept. 1, 2008

Dear Mom,

I love you very much and I'll miss you a lot.

I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you left for Heaven, but I know you understand. I have sweet and precious memories with you, and of you. Jeanne and Summer send their love. God bless you and goodbye for now. I know I will see you again.

Mom in her casket - September 8, 2008 - Utah

Ida Juanita Gardner (Mom) 2005 Wet Plate Collodion Ambrotype. 

Mom, me and Dad - Mom's 39th birthday - 1968
  Mom and Dad - photo booth 1959

Evolving Theory About Art

I recently started reading, "Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images" by Terry Barrett. It's an excellent book, I highly recommend reading it.  I've read it once or twice in the past, but it's one of those books that seem to change everytime you read it - you always find new and relevant insight.

Anyway, when I came across Allan Sekula's quote from "Dismantling Modernism" I was stunned. It was almost like I had thought that very thing but couldn't ever get it out (in written word). This quote sums up my theory about art and my purpose for making it. It's an evolution of understanding and it changes over time.

"Suppose we regard art as a mode of human communication, as a discourse anchored in concrete social relations, rather than a mystified, vaporous and ahistorical realm of purely affective expression and experience”.
Allan Sekula, “Dismantling Modernism” (1978)

Oh, and these are my new "Q" cards:

Quinn's new cards.

Montmartre am Main

Every once in a while, when you stop trying so hard to do something, it just shows up without you doing anything. I'm sure the gurus have a name for this kind of thing, I just call it ironic.

For many months, maybe I can even say years now (2 years plus), I've been sending our queries to German Kunstgalerie (Art Galleries) and various German artists that seemed to be interested in photography. All I've ever wanted is to find some kind of community and share/show my work with the German public. Until yesterday, nothing had happened in Germany for me.

Here's the backstory. Two weeks ago, I received an email from a very nice lady named Kathy. Kathy is an American artist that has been living and working Germany for many years. She, through many trials of her own, organized a group of artists to meet in Höscht, Germany to share and show work and mingle with the public. She asked me if I would be interested in attending and making some plates (do a demo/make some work). This was what I had been looking for through all my queries and begging for community - there it was, and she was contacting me. I had put an ad seeking Germans to sit for me for portraits in thelocal.de - Kathy saw the ad and emailed. I'm very thankful she did.

She said, "It's a totally open gathering of artists painting en plein aire along the riverside where a lot of Sunday strollers and bicyclers pass by. The artists attract a lot of attention and feedback." Her idea is brilliant and I want to support it as much as I can. I found this on a Frankfurt blog about Montmarte am Main:
The first "artspace" was probably back when Montmartre in Paris became the place for mostly unrecognized artists. Both Montmartre and Hyde Park were destined to symbolize the free artist together a group of like-minded but at the time, scorned artists. Now, Kathleen Schaefer is trying to start the premise of those two places in Germany where such a tradition was never tried out. It´s for all artists, especially the ones who are barred from galleries but who have earned through their talent the right to have their art be seen in public. At the same time an appeal is made to those "arrived" artists to support, by their presence at Montmartre am Main, the idea that the work of all artists the right to be seen. And, let's not forget the 99% of the population that does not feel comfortable entering an art gallery in the first place - they also have the right to see art in a natural and casual manner - just like at Montmartre am Main!

I totally agree. Here's her website.

Trudy, an artist set up next to me, did a wonderful sketch of me, I'll post it when can scan it. It was just a lot of fun to meet people, talk about art and make photographs.

Update: Here's the sketch she made of me - wonderful!

Quinn at Montmarre am Main - Frankfurt, Germany

Here are some of the portraits I made yesterday. I will use some of them in my project.

Helmut, a German painter.

 Karin, a German painter.
Sandra, from Frankfurt, GermanyTrudy, a German artist.Gabi, from Frankfurt, Germany

My Teaching Philosophy: It’s About Questions, Not Answers

I'm reminded daily of how much I don't know. Or, I question daily what I think I do know. I’ve often thought about doing some in-depth studying on epistemology. I think it’s a fascinating topic. Knowledge, how we know what we know, shapes our world view and accordingly dictates how we act and live.

These ideas seem to put a lot of responsibility on people who have a lot of influence. People like teachers, preachers, politicians and even pop-stars. I’m constantly being swayed by the power and potential "difference-making" of teaching, maybe even preaching. It’s something in me, and I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s just my ego, my need for attention, but I doubt it. It feels much more powerful than that. Sometimes, it feels like the same emotion of warning people of danger. Urgency comes to mind. Other times, it’s like the knowledge of revelation. Knowing something that needs to be said or taught and passing it on. In other words, it feels like I’m a participant in life, not a spectator. And I’m trying to do my part in the chain of human progression, one tiny word (or idea, thought, action) at a time to pull people off of the bleachers and into the game.

We talk a lot about the “what” in life but rarely the "why". The greatest gift education gave me was to question. Not the kind of questioning that you may relate to authority. Questioning like, “What is my purpose for taking space and sucking oxygen?” and one that has been rolling around in my head for a couple of years now, “Why did the Holocaust happen?” There aren’t any answers to these questions, not definitive anyway. However, I think people need to talk about these kinds of things - you know get ideas and philosophies out there for people to think about. We are in wars and have all kinds of problems because we don't ask or offer questions, we always think we know the answers.

I was fortunate to recently meet, and quickly befriend Elke. She is a cleaning lady in my building where I work. She asked if I would make her portrait. I gladly said, "Ja, Klar". She spent a couple of hours with us today making photographs, drinking espresso and talking about our lives. Although I'll use her image in my series about the German past (and she knows this), she is a very kind and loving person. I don't meet many Germans like Elke. Vielen dank für alles Elke.

Elke Wössner Putzfrau - Viernheim, Deutschland 23.08.08

Update on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 2:23 by Quinn Jacobson

A very sad update: Elke died of cancer. It's a loss for everyone that knew her. She will be missed. Rest in peace, Elke.

Change Is Good, We Need It

I enjoy change. I don’t fear it or loathe it like some people do. When you get too comfortable, bad things start to happen. Sometimes, the undesirable things are happening and you don’t even know it!

My belief is that you have two ways to move in life; you either “evolve” or “devolve” - there’s no sitting on the fence. If you’re “evolving” or progressing, you will be acutely present to your accomplishments. If you’re “devolving” you may not be aware of it at all. Distractions or superficial things seem to get in the way. They prevent you from doing what you really want or need to be doing.

That’s my deep philosophical introduction to my move to a new server and new web site. It’s definitely progress for me. I hope you like it.