Playing Tourist in my own town

Thought about having my fortune told but wasn't sure if I would get a fortune or a spear
Found a Rt. 66 horse
Encountered a few deities...don't ya love the gang sign in front of Jesus?
Located a secret chapel in the middle of Old Town.. well, secret to me anyway!
Found magic paths to follow

Stopped to smell the flowering trees
Paid tribute to Freida

I had such a lovely day yesterday. I probably will have to consult a thesaurus more than once in this post to find more adjectives since I thought everything was so wonderful.

I walked through Old Town like a tourist and found a magical path and followed it to the Albuquerque Museum It's free on Sunday mornings for residents! What a deal. I hadn't really been keeping track of what was there (been kind busy and/or out of pocket lately ya know) so I was pleasantly surprised to find a fabulous photography exhibit there, a retrospective of Bill Brandt's work. It was so amazing and wonderful and touching and really, really good. All of his photography were done using a “big, old wooden Kodak” that he found in a junk shop in London. He was a student of Man Ray, among others, and loved using what ever it took to get the image he wanted including retouching and collage.

His work was amazing but a bigger surprise was the Focus on Youth exhibit from the Albuquerque Public Schools. I was so astounded by the incredible work from high school kids. They think more out of the box, aren't as bound by rules and regulations, etc and have really good teachers. Some of these photos could compete with Bill Brandt's. Most of the work was framed in simple silver frames, of the same size, with bright white mats and then this wonderful photography. There were some Artist Photography books that were basically altered books/journals of photographs and one magnificent floor to ceiling cyanotype on fabric as well. A special category for digital and one for special techniques added to the variety. Even the simple black and white photography was amazing but really, there was nothing simple about it. One that caught my eye was a self portrait that was framed in box like a window that opened and transparencies of other self portraits were the window panes. Many were taken in our beloved Rail Yard.

An additional unexpected surprise was the work of Douglas Kent Hall, another photographer. His La Frontera series is a treat for the eyes as well as the heart. It's all about boarder crossings between Mexico and the US. He has made the crossing in many different ways including crossing with illegal immigrants through cut fences and from a helicopter. But the real treat was the assemblage frames. The photographs were mounted and then displayed in wooden boxes, like produce boxes, that had been painted in bright colors, topped with a piece of barb wire, some milagros or other charms and a saint or two. Thought provoking and beautiful.

Hope you all had a great Sunday/Mother's Day too!