Month: December 2006

James Brown’s death sent me searching for a Memorial image. I’d not printed any of the partial sheet of shots taken years ago…. I had seen him in the 60’s (without shooting him) , so I’d witnessed how he could move faster, longer, than anyone, ever, before or since. In ’83 he’d already been slowed by a heart attack, but he put on a vintage James Brown show, with most of the moves still there… He was one of a kind, brash and electric. ….And the man made sweating an art form.

Seems like a dream….

This image, made almost 30 years ago, is one of my all time favorites. Artistically, it’s symbolic and visually arresting. Personally, it’s that and more: This is my then wife Mary and our first son, Hawk….the first of three sons.

Years ago, I “discovered” ancient Mayan ruins. Well, they were new to me, not being part of my heritage. I was astonished and amazed….. I gave myself the assignment of documenting the visual power of their ancient ruins…so I wandered all over southern Mexico with my Hasselblad, trying to keep the tourists out of the shots. Aside from displaying prints on my own home’s walls, they’ve not been exhibited… Well over a thousand years ago, the Maya built a powerful civilization. They put great value, much more than we do, on what we call sorcery and magic. You can see some of that residual sorcery in this shot.