Sunday, October 24, 2010


I wrote here on how I was inspired in the late 70s by a book by illustrator-turned-photographer J. Frederick Smith to photograph women in cheap hotels on rumpled beds and in bathrooms.

I used as my “canvas” the best room (it sported its own bathroom) in the not-quite-that-seedy Marble Arch of my friend Tony Ricci. Many women paraded for me on the same bed with the butterfly print bedspread. I took pictures until the hotel was taken over by a gentleman who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After that my inspiration diminished. Once I closed my studio and brought my psychiatric couch home (in a pinch the couch served as a surrogate bed particularly when I placed on it rumpled white sheets) I had no way of continuing with my long series. As a lark I proposed to the Montreal web based magazine, Arts& Opinion a series of pictures and essay on iPhone nudes taken on a rumpled bed ( with green sheets!). I wrote about that here and here is the link to the Arts & Opinion essay.



But then I met Michael and Bronwen, two intelligent artists/actors, etc. and suggested we collaborate. I asked them if either of them had a room with rumpled sheets. Michael’s affirmative was followed by a shoot in which I had vague ideas which were ultimately narrowed down to the concept of two persons who might be asleep (in separate situations) while the other is taking pictures. The resulting photographs are possibly individual dreams or even of a couple playing a game in which they make believe that they are being photographed by a stranger. Michael is an amateur astronomer while Bronwen is an actress. Bronwen brought her grandfather’s folding Zeiss Ikon camera which became our prop. What you see here is one image taken with an iPhone, followed by that of a Mamiya RB and the latter one in which I used a Nikon FM-2 loaded with venerable Kodak Tri-X.


If you read yesterday’s blog you will understand that I now have plenty of justification for pursuing stuff that has been done before almost ad nauseum.

Closer at the Marble Arch

Tis Pity She's a Whore

Mirror, Mirror

St. Isidore's Bed

Two Tanyas

Vantana Wears My Suit

Balthus at the Arch

One of the Three Milnes

The Dame and the Cat

Michael Turner

Tony Ricci and Bif Naked's Tattoo