Next month, on May 1, the exhibition, “In Honour of Archer” will open in London. There will be close to thirty 
Frederick Scott Archer, 1813 - 1857pieces of artwork in the show. All of the work is Collodion or Collodion-based from artists all over the world working in the Collodion process. I can’t over emphasize the importance of this exhibit and event. Not only for today, moreover, for posterity.
Every once in a while, there’s an opportunity to contribute and be involved in something that will be far more important in the future than it is today. The problem is being able to recognize those opportunities and then having the chutzpah to make the sacrifices to get “some skin in the game”.
“In Honour of Archer”, is one of those opportunities that I can say with great confidence, will take its place in history. It’s bigger than all of us. It’s its own thing, like a mountain so high that it generates its own weather system. It has its own energy, we’re just trying to keep up.
The work presented in the show will have a certain gravitas, too. A provenance, if you will. In this case, the context of the work is much greater than the work itself. I don’t mean that in the pejorative, I really like the work that has been submitted, I mean that in the way that this isn’t “just another exhibition”. I mean that the photographs in this exhibition are forever connected to this event. It’s the connection that gives this purpose – that’s what makes this so important. I wonder if people get that.
A hundred years from now, no one will know or care what you or I did today. We may see what we’re doing in our daily lives as important, but no one will remember. No one will care. John Popper, from the Blues Traveler band, has a great lyric in a song called, “100 Years”. It sums up the ephemeral nature of our day-to-day existence. He says,
“Big angry man in the doorway there
Just keep on walking like I don't care
Why you giving such an evil eye
Could it be you were ignored by every passerby
And it won't mean a thing in a hundred years
No, it won't mean a thing in a hundred years”
Our death denial illusions are exposed and open for G-d and the world to see them when we talk about our achievements for future generations. However, in my opinion, this event transcends those illusions. This is one of those things that we all know is the right thing to do. So why has it taken 157 years?
I feel neither allegiance nor indebtedness to anyone except Archer when it comes to the Wet Plate Collodion process. Without Archer, and some others in the 19th Century, Collodion would have been a shelved process, at least as far as we know it today. He’s never received the recognition or the proper acknowledgments from his country, the big photography museums or the academic establishments. They should be embarrassed and ashamed. I'm glad, however, that like people us, the Collodion Collective, were able to come together and make his commemoration what it should be.
Unfortunately, as Parker and Stone said, "Sometimes what's right isn't as important as what's profitable." In that context, this is not, “just another exhibition”.
Thank you to everyone that participated in any way – you’ve done a great thing!
My Paris Show Part One: Preparing
This isn't the first time you've heard me talk about (or read me write about) my show in Paris. And I can assure you, it won't be the last.
I'm excited beyond words. I'm completely focused on making this the best it possibly can be. So, if I seem aloof, slow to respond or appear to be dropped-out, you know what I'm doing and where my head is!
The Centre-Iris Gallery has started to publicize the events. There will be a few highlights; first, the exhibition (of course!). I will be showing both of my projects; work that I made in the United States and my current European project. I'll have about 50 images from the project, "Portraits from Madison Avenue". I will also have several pieces, I'm not exactly sure how many, of my new project, "Vergangenheitsbewältigung" (loose translation: "struggling to come to terms with the past"). I'm still working on this project, but I hope to have quite a few pieces in this show.
The content and Collodion variants will span the gamut. There will be portraits, landscapes, still lifes, etc. There will be Black Glass Ambrotypes, Clear Glass Ambrotypes, Albumen prints, Salt Prints, Alumitypes, and Ferrotypes (Tintypes). I'm going to offer sell the work, too. This is a big deal for me and it's very important that I do this right!
Quinn making Pierre's portraits in Paris - June 2009
Secondly, I will be doing a public demonstration (performative lecture) the afternoon of the opening (March 9). I'll also be teaching two workshops during the week. If you're in, or near Paris, drop Centre-Iris Gallery an email and have them hold a spot for you!
And last, but not least, the gallery has asked me to do a "Portrait Day". This will be on March 10. People can come by the gallery and I will make a portrait for them (for a fee, of course). It was a hit in Paris last June. I would expect the same here, maybe even more people Oy! We'll see.
This is a gigantic logistical challenge. I'm going to rent a Volkswagon Van. I need to pack all of my artwork (huge space and very delicate items), Collodion equipment (dark-box, camera, lenses), chemistry and substrate, and luggage. And then we have to fit in it, too! I'm hoping this works! It's a four and a half hour drive to Paris. Have you ever driven in the city of Paris? Oy!
There will be more to follow... I promise.
Greenwich Village (West) New York City
New York always fascinates me. The energy, the crowds; I have a "love-hate" relationship with it (mostly love). Every time I visit, I ask myself if I could live here. A lot of me says, “yes” and the rest rest of me says, “Not a chance.”
New York is "on” all of the time. It’s like an exasperating friend – the energy is palpable and exhausting. We were out until 3AM last night (Rocky Horror Picture Show). Coming back to the apartment on the train/subway, you could see the city that never sleeps in all of its glory. Do you want a Falafel at 3AM? A beer? A glass of wine? A movie? Do you want to see people dancing on the train? Playing music? What ever you want, you can get here at any time.
We’ve been hanging out with David, Caron and Issac the last few days here. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve seen a lot; Sally Mann show, WTC chaos, Times Square, Katz’s Deli, etc. etc. My favorite has been this little neighborhood in the West Village. We have an apartment here and the flavor of the place is very nice. There’s this coffee house called “Jack’s Coffee” just 50 meters from our apartment – I love it. These are the things that interest me the most.
Jean and Quinn in Jack’s Coffee drinking Honey Macchiatos. 
Shade grown puppies!
Jack's Coffee Shop 
Honey Machiatto
Quinn and Caron - “Sally Mann, Sally Mann!”!
Göteborg, Sweden Wet Plate Collodion Workshop
Thanks to everyone that attended the workshop: Aron, Manuel and Sara, Bosse and Alfia, and Anna and Markus. And a big thank you to Henning (www.timeunit.se). His kind heart and wonderful space made it all happen - he organized and provided space and shared his expertise on the process with the students.
I'll post more photos and tell you a story about these images later. I'm really tired and need to rest for a couple of days!
"Nordic Man" - 8.5" x 6.5" (Whole Plate) Black Glass Ambrotype September 6, 2009 Gotheburg, Sweden 
"Roger - From the Streets of Göteborg, Sweden" 4" x 5" Alumitype September 6, 2009
Göteborg, Sweden
Sweden is beautiful, laid back and the people are very friendly. It’s the land of the Goths – it seems progressive and liberal. Being next to the sea is a great feeling, too. We set up the studio today and are ready for a really great weekend of Wet Plate Collodion!
Quinn showing off 100 Kronor on the top of the ship this morning (4 September) floating into Göteborg, Sweden (he looks a little bit Goth, yes?). We sailed by Denmark in the night and arrived in Sweden at 9AM this morning. A 13 1/2 hour journey – a big beautiful ship and a wonderful night feeling the sea below us. 
Saling into to Göteborg and the sun coming through at about 0800 this morning.
Mike Doughty In Frankfurt
We drove up to Frankfurt last night to see Mike Doughty. Doughty was the front-man for the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s. They were very popular (at least with the people I ran with). Do you remember the song, “Circles”? That was a Soul Coughing/Doughty tune.
He had a lot of problems with the group – he also had personal addiction problems. He quit the band, got clean and started a solo career in 2000. He’s been making outstanding music ever since.
Doughty’s a talented wordsmith, poet, and musician. He’s a true artist in my opinion. He played in a place called Nachtleben (Nightlife) in Frankfurt. Tickets were 12 Euros. The place was about 60 square meters and when Doughty started playing, there were about 15 people, six of those were us. His buddy and fellow virtuoso, Scrap Livingston accompanied him on Cello – beautiful stuff.
He speaks this fast, broken German (he’s obsessed with the German language). It was funny to watch the Germans in the audience as he said things like, “You look sexy and healthy,” auf Deutsch. Good stuff. It’s easy to trip up a German with American idioms and random sarcasm, they don’t get it.
We got to meet him after the show. He seems like a nice guy, down to earth. He could have sold out for big money and a few “pop” songs, but choose to stay independent and play for the real people. That says a lot to me.
I sent him the photos, maybe he’ll use some on his blog, I hope so. We hope his "German obsession" doesn’t go away any time soon, and that he comes back to play. If you get a chance to see him, do it, you won’t regret it – like I said, he’s a talented dude.
Mike Doughty in Frankfurt, Germany
Mike Doughty in Frankfurt, Germany
Mike Doughty in Frankfurt, Germany
Mike Doughty in Frankfurt, Germany
Boerdonk, The Netherlands
It's always nice to return to a place where you've been. We just spent three days in Boerdonk, The Netherlands. I went back to do another wet plate collodion workshop. We were there last October doing a workshop.
"Look right here, Ger"
We stayed at "The Miracle" hotel/bb. Ger and Jan Coppens own it and run it. It's not what you think - they don't advertise, or have regular hours - you almost have to be invited by someone they know - not that it's elite or exclusive, it's just that they run their business in a different way. Jeroen, the workshop coordinator set us up with Ger and Jan. The rooms are nice, the Dutch breakfast, made by Ger is tasty and the little dog, Lennon, is cute and loving. We sat around in the evening and drank Westmalle (Trappist) beer from the tap and told stories - it's too involved to go into here, but Ger told some very funny stories about people who had stayed in the hotel or came into the cafe to drink - "Dickemeat" and "Zombie" - my personal notes for future reference.
Jan and Ger - Whole Plate Black Glass AmbrotypesWe did portraits of the Ger and Jan. They really liked the images and appreciated the process. I'm going to do a still life of a Westmalle bottle and glass and give to them for their bar/cafe. 
"Ger" - Whole Plate Balck Glass Ambrotype
Jeroen and his parents had us over for dinner Saturday night at their house. They have a beautiful home and are wonderful people. They fixed Dutch mussels and Portuguese chicken. We drank three bottles of wine and talked about life, art and politics. Another wonderful time.
I had six great people in the workshop. As always, they did a terrific job. I've posted some photographs here they already emailed me - Sanne (from Belgium) and Willie Jan. I'll post more (from the workshop) when I get them.
It's a little bit frustrating trying to write about these experiences. I don't know how they translate, but I know it doesn't even come close to the experience.
Drizzle that Collodion Home Dog!
Workshop Students (and me) - Veghel, The Netherlands (Pieter Brughel Art School)
Wet Plate Collodion in Brussels, Belgium
I did a demonstration/performance (that's what I call them) for a group of photo artists, collectors and friends in Brussels, Belgium Saturday. My friend, Carl Fransman (lives in Brussels and organizes all things photo related), sent me some great photos from yesterday's shoot/demo/performance - thanks Carl! All photos by Carl Fransman.
Quinn explains the "tastiness" of ripe Collodion. 
Bright eyed and bushy tailed - that's Quinn in his darkbox.
The preparations begin in the darkbox. 
Cleaning the plate. 
Pouring, or flowing the plate, with the aforementioned "tasty" Collodion. 
Quinn acting like a magician, trying to keep the "tastiness" on the glass. 
Draining the tastiness. The gentleman behind me has one of the most exquisite 19th century camera/photo collections in Europe - he owns two, yes, two Dubronis. We've been invited to his home for dinner and to see his collection! 
The first plate - 8x10 Black Glass Ambrotype (not fixed yet) - a group of photo artist/collectors from Brussels. 
The second plate - a Whole Plate Alumitype - varnishing the plate. 
The portrait of the Belgian Artists (and Quinn) is varnished! 
The Belgian Artists (and Quinn)! Near the Grand Sablon, Brussels - February 7, 2009
Videos, Graphics and My Hopes for The New Year
The videos series has been in the making for about three year (since 2005). With help from Summer and Jeanne, I've made major progress on my Collodion Workshop videos. I appreciate the email I get (almost daily) regarding the video classes. It motivates me to get them done. It's a huge undertaking and I'm glad there are people interested in them.
Over the last few months, I’ve kind of reinvented myself. I designed a new(er) logo and launched a new web site. I believe everything is in flux, always changing, and that’s how I tend to live. I’m always in need of something new, it keeps me going. Having said, that, I’ve posted a couple of ideas for my new logos. I really like these. The circle has always got me going - representing infinity, eternity, etc. And the simple black and white “Q” rocks. It’s clean, it’s easy on the eye and is completely me. Actually, the text around the logo is what’s new. I like this because it reminds me of a stamp. It’s tidy and circular. I would love to have a metal (embossing) stamp made of this - like a notary stamp. It would be cool to emboss photographs - paper ones, not glass plates.
Also, this "collodion video venture" forced me into buying another domain. It's a long technical story about servers. It's about IIS versus Linux and ASP versus PHP. The membership software needed to live on a Linux box, my studioQ.com domain lives on a Windows box. I ended up buying studioQ.info - I like it, it's very appropriate for what it will be used for. It was Jeanne's idea to go with .info - thanks Sweetie! Great idea!
Well, I'm glad the consumption holiday is over. Now all we have to do is to get through the gluttony holiday. Here in Germany, they light fireworks, and I mean HUGE, NOISY ones. I can't stand it. They have some strange rituals at midnight on New Year's as well too. The first year we were here, it freaked us out.
I hope everyone has great plans for the new year. 2009 is going to be one of personal work and introspection for me. Of course we'll do some traveling too. Right now, we're planning to spend some time in Brussels, Belgium the first week of February and The Netherlands the last week of February. In April, we'll be back in Vienna, Austria and possibly Budapest, Hungary.
New Year's resolutions? No, I don't have any New Year's resolutions. The only one I might have is to not make any resolutions. However, here's what I hope for the new year:
1. Live my life to the fullest and to be present as much as possible.
2. Don't be a participant or a bystander in the evil in the world.
3. Take chances and don't be afraid to fail.
4. Be grateful for everything.
5. Make a difference in other people's lives.
6. Put other people before myself (as much as possible).
Those are my hopes for the new year. Why six? Because my number is six.
Barcelona, Spain (Catalonia)
There are so many wonderful things to say about Barcelona, Spain. There are also some bad things to talk about too. It's a poor city (for the most part) and relies on tourism as the main source of income. The irony here is that there are pickpockets and thieves out and about all of the time. They aren't violent, they only take what they can and tourists give them plenty of opportunities to do just that. It's kind of biting the hand that feeds when you have so much crime against tourists and they are the source of your income. Regardless, it's a safe city and you can walk the streets without any problems as long as you have some "urbana sensibildad". The people here are warm and friendly and the food and drink are some of the best in the world. We love tapas and all things seafood. We are sitting here in our apartment and I can see the ships on the Mediterranean Sea, c'mon!
The first thing I would say about Barcelona is that it's my favorite city in Europe. If I could, I would live here in a heartbeat. The city is full of energy and it's very "loose". That's both a good thing and a bad thing. I love the language (and can actually get by here). If I could spend six months here, I would be speaking Spanish again without too much trouble. This is our second trip here and will not be our last.
We're here because I was asked to come and teach two wet plate Collodion workshops. I just finished with one (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). I will teach another this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the interim, we have been walking the city, riding the subway and just taking it easy. Tomorrow, which is Wednesday, May 28, 2008, I am going to work with the studio that sponsored me here to make giant wet plate images (16"x20") of the "Botero Gato" en la Rambla - (a giant Botero Cat). I'm looking forward to that. We have to watch the crowds, again, a security issue, but it will be fine. The newspapers will be there to interview me and the studio - a historic event! I'm fortunate to be involved with it!
I'll try to make another post when we get back to Germany next week. Enjoy the photos and video!
Jeanne enjoying tapas y Sangria! 
Did Summer assist in the workshop?
This is us on the Port of Barcelona. I'm not pissed, I'm not used to the sun (Germany) so I am squinting a little bit. 
Carrer del L' Hospital 
Fruit and meat market just off of Las Ramblas.