doreyme: photos 2009

While in Washington, saw the fab "The Americans" show/book (1958) at the National Gallery of Art, by beat artist Robert Frank, Swiss born (Zurich, 1924) who became a US citizen. So for me, Swiss born (Luzern, close to Zurich) who became a Canadian citizen viewing this show was pretty cool on many levels. I mean, Frank practically invented the frank "ugly american" view of americans via doc style photography. And I was, the whole time, of course snapping pics of America while not holed up in a museum, although mostly not americans as I tend to shy away from taking pictures of people, especially freaky people which is unfortunate as freaky people make for the most interesting pictures. I tend to feel sorry for anyone freaky...too poor, too ugly, too fat, too wrinkled, too nouveau riche, too weird, too whatever + I certainly don't want intensify their pain by taking a picture of them even though they're often too something (stupid seems mean) to even realize they're freaky or in pain so, I tend to take pictures devoid of people..(.except for the first photo in Gettysburg. Clearly the soldier fellow was expecting to be photographed....)

Anyways, I didn't get a Guggenheim grant + travel around America for 2 years taking 28,000 pics of Americans I was only in the US for a week but perhaps it could be, as the quote goes, the beginning of a great friendship... so here's 4 "America" pics...

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