A narrative thread began weaving itself into my 35mm photography in the early 1980’s and in 1983 I filmed my first short on slumber parties in 16 mm B/W with the reflections of women as it being a rite of passage and fount of all sexual knowledge (pre-internet) to prepubescent girls. Other early films pursued self-reflection of women’s bodies in Mother Hula (1983) and women body builders in Diana and Acteon (1984).
I have spent many decades since recording the places and people I have visited, from Day of the Dead celebrations in various states in Mexico (Guanajuato, Queretero, Michoacan, CdMex and Oaxaca), casual interviews with artists and poets, a documentary on tattoo collecting by a local retiree, a portrait of the vendors at Maxwell Street in 1994 prior to a relocation and most recently a feature documentary portrait of Lee Godie, known as Chicago’s most collected artist. These are portraits of people I have known and personal experiences that have woven the view of the world I have experienced.
I have taught Chicago youth in a range of oral history, video poetry projects in Chicago Public Schools, through city grants and at the Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago Park Districts, Gallery 37.
I am currently working on similar portraits of day-to-day encounters.