Shoah

I've watched a lot of films and read a lot of books about the Holocaust, or Shoah, over the years. However, I hadn't seen, "Shoah" by Claude Lanzmann. I want to travel to some of these places, especially Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chełmno, Sorbibor and Treblinka, and do some work for my project.

If you haven't seen it, you should - here's an overview:

Claude Lanzmann directed this 9 1/2 hour documentary of the Holocaust without using a single frame of archive footage. He interviews survivors, witnesses, and ex-Nazis (whom he had to film secretly since though only agreed to be interviewed by audio). His style of interviewing by asking for the most minute details is effective at adding up these details to give a horrifying portrait of the events of Nazi genocide. He also shows, or rather lets some of his subjects themselves show, that the anti-Semitism that caused 6 million Jews to die in the Holocaust is still alive in well in many people that still live in Germany, Poland, and elsewhere.

"Shoah" by Claude Lanzmann

A good perspective on the camps, locations and where I live (red box).

 

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) 

Gonzo: Hunter S. Thompson

If you like Hunter S. Thompson, or even if you don't, you should check out this documentary - Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

I agree with the sentiments that he could have influenced the discourse today and would have been very happy to see President Barack Obama.

The illustrations by Ralph Steadman have always been associated (for me) with Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. They are incredible pieces of work that compliment Thompson's writing and philosophy so well.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

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 

Brussels, Belgium

 Grand Sablon - Brussels , BelgiumWe just returned from a few days in Brussels. It's one of those cities you might not think to visit when in Europe, but really surprises you when you do - it's a gem! If you have any interest in chocolate, food, beer, waffles, art and history, (in any order) put it on your list.

We stayed at the Phileas Fogg (yes, Around The World In Eighty Days, that guy) - we had a "communal European" experience. It's located in the center of the city and was recommend by a friend in Brussels.

Jeanne spent Friday in a meeting (one of the reasons we went to Brussels) while Summer and I wandered the city. We visited a few places, but mostly just walked for hours through the city. We sat in cafes and talked with people. There was a writer from Manhattan named Debra we got to know. Her friends showed up too - Belgian and American - but they've all lived in Brussels for decades. It's like a scene from a movie, talking art and politics in a cafe in Europe. Great stuff! In the late afternoon, we ended up in the center of Brussels at the "Grand-Place". We were treated to dinner at the Rosa Blanche in the heart of the square. The food in Brussels is, without doubt, some of the best we've ever had in Europe - this was no exception.  

"One of the most beautiful town squares in Europe, if not in the world", is a phrase often heard when visitors in  Brussels try to describe the beauty of the central market square. French-speakers refer to it as the 'Grand-Place', whereas in Dutch it is called 'de grote Markt'. The tourists of the 21th century are not alone in their admiration . Archduchess Isabella, daughter of Filip II of Spain wrote about the square during her visit to Brussels on September the 5th 1599:  "Never have I seen something so beautiful and exquisite as the town square of the city where the town hall rises up into the sky. The decoration of the houses is most remarkable".

Oh yes! The waffles - how can you not indulge? Foodies?Writers like Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire were also struck by the charm of the market square with its beautiful set of Guild houses dominated by the Town hall and the King's house.


The origins of the Grand-Place, however, are humble. The site still formed a sand-bank between two brooks which ran downhill to the river Senne. Once the sand-bank was reclaimed it turned into the "Niedermerckt", or 'lower market'. Already in the 12th century Brussels had become a commercial crossroads between Bruges (in Flanders) , Cologne, Germany , and France. English wool, French wines and German beer were sold in the harbor and on the  market.

We ate at a place called, "The Ultimate Hallucination (De Ultime Hallucinatie)" Thursday night. We had an appetizer of fried croquettes with North Sea Shrimp (traditional Belgium shrimp croquettes are made with North Sea shrimp, called brown shrimp — small, and very flavorful, and not readily available in the United States) and cheese - they served it with arugula covered with olive oil and vinegar - wow! I've never experienced such a wonderful taste/experience! I had the "Mussels from Brussels Casserole - it was ~20 of the best mussels I've ever tasted, boiled with stocks of celery. Jeanne had a steak with béarnaise sauce and Summer had North Sea Shrimp and a potato. We fell in love with the Trappist beers, too - Wellemalle Triple, Chimay, Rochefort and many others. The beer is the best in world.

A little boy pissing in a fountain - cool! At first glance, you'd think (the image above - brass figure) is sculpture of Jesus. It's not, it's Everard 't Serclaes - you can read about it here. I was asking (just like an 'Ugly American') if Jesus really had a dog. I wished we would have video taped some of the reactions. Then it was onto the Manneken Pis (little peeing boy) statue - The question I asked, "Why is the baby Jesus peeing?" It was awesome. Like, "Ugly American Goes Candid Camera On Brussels" - yummy! We got a kitsch piece of the Manneken Pis - it's a small statue and his penis is a cork screw.

Chocolate - need I say more? We met with Carl and friends on Saturday. There's a group of artists and collectors (photography aficionados) that meet every Saturday morning at the Café Leffe, near the Grand Sablon. We joined them Saturday. We had coffee and talked. Then, we went down a side street and I set up my dark-box and made plates for a couple of hours. It was great to do this for such an intense and interested group of people. I made two group portraits and one plate of a sculpture. I'll post some photos when Carl sends them (we were busy making plates, didn't get any snaps).

We ended our trip with a stop for some chocolate, waffles and beer. We're home now, and we'll savor every sip and every bite. We had a wonderful time and made some great memories.  It was a 3.5 hour drive home and we drove in three countries - Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany.

Brussels has some of the best chocolate in Europe!

Rub it for good luck - yeah, I believe in that kind of stuff, sure.

The Holocaust Did Not Begin in the Gas Chambers...

Cyanide pellets - for the gas chambers.Holocaust did not begin in the gas chambers - it began with words.

Jan. 26, 2009
IRWIN COTLER , THE JERUSALEM POST
On this United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day, words may ease the pain, but
they may also dwarf the tragedy. For the Holocaust is uniquely evil in its genocidal singularity,
where biology was inescapably destiny, a war against the Jews in which, as Nobel Peace Laureate
Elie Wiesel put it, "not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims."

Let there be no mistake about it: indifference in the face of evil is acquiescence with evil itself - it is complicity with evil.

Nazism succeeded, not only because of the "bureaucratization of genocide," as Robert Lifton put it, but because of the trahison des clercs - the complicity of the elites: physicians, church leaders,
judges, lawyers, engineers, architects, educators and the like. As Elie Wiesel put it: "Cold-blooded murder and culture did not exclude each other. If the Holocaust proved anything, it is that a person can both love poems and kill children."

Summer Jacobson's Poetry

We are very proud of Summer. She's smart and beautiful. It always warms our hearts to see her perform (singing/guitar), or to listen to one of her poems. We like to hear her political and social thoughts, too. She's more in touch with the important things in life at 16 years-old than I was at 26 years-old.

She brought home the "Showcase" catalog yesterday. It features work from high school students all over Europe. This was just published in the last few weeks, but it was from work submitted last year (when she was a sophomore). They selected one of her poems for it. Can you guess who the poem is about?

We love you Summer! You make us very, very proud! And, yes, we rocked the vote this time!

Summer Jacobson's poem

Computer Burnout!

Today is a very strange day for me. It has nothing to do with America getting a new president. I think that is "most excellent". It's just one of those weird days. I feel "off", if you know what I mean? I'm kind of tired, feel a little depressed - blue, just off.

I think I may need to take a break from my routines - especially the ones that involve computers. I may be suffering from technology overload or burnout, literally. Here's some questions that told me that I need a break:

1. When you open your email client, does it make you feel anxious about the work that you don't have time to do? Yes
2. Do you ever wish the web or social media would just go away? Yes (Facebook)
3. Do you have email messages sitting in your inbox more than 6 months old that are "pending" further action or unread? Yes
4. Do you sometimes wish you could read or type faster? Yes!
5. Do you experience frustration at the amount of electronic information you need to process daily? Yes
6. Do you sit at your computer for longer than an hour at a time without getting up to take a break? Are you kidding?
7. Is the only time you're off line is when you are sleeping? Yes, well, not really, but it seems that way.
8. Do you feel that you often cannot concentrate? Yes, this is my biggest problem.
9. Are you always seeking out additional information from the Internet or friends online to support a decision or complete a project but never processing it all? Yes
10. Do you get anxious if you are away from the Internet for too long? For sure!
11. Do you open up multiple tabs in your browser and then forget what you were going to do? Yes
12. Is your email, google docs or hard drive filled with "virtual piles" of information or “drafts” that haven't been processed? Yep!
13. Are you afraid to delete email or old files because you're afraid you might just need it someday? Archived
14. Are you unable to locate electronic documents, blog posts, email messages or other online information that you need in the moment without wasting time playing "find the file"? Depends...
15. Do you find yourself easily distracted by online resources that allow you to avoid other, pending work? yes, another big problem area for me!

Okay, how did you do? It's time for me to stop, or slow down at least. And yet, here I am writing about it on a computer!

Can You Believe It? German Press About My Project!

I don't really believe in coincidences, and every once-in-a-great-while something comes along to remind me why I don't believe in coincidences.

Seligenstat Newspaper article about me working in the Jewish cemetery. Last November 9 (2008), which was the 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, I was in Seligenstadt, Germany making glass plate photographs in a Jewish cemetery that was destroyed during that pogrom.  My friend, Jan from Berlin, was there and a journalist named Armin Wronski, from the Offenbach Post was there, too. Jan's mother and step-father live in Seligenstadt. Jan and his family arranged for the paper to be there. As I made plates, Armin shot digital photographs of me and Jan told him all about my Kristallnacht project, auf Deustch, of course. I thought this would be a great piece and a huge accomplishment for me if they actually published it. To be honest with you, I didn't think they would. (You can click on the image to enlarge and read)

You have to think about this; I'm an American, with Jewish heritage, in Germany making photographs of one of the most terrible events in human history perpetrated by this country and its people. This is a very difficult and serious topic. It's hard to talk about, it's hard to think about, and a lot of Germans feel ashamed and powerless over the situation. Would you want to publicize this? Of course the angle is soft in this article, it's the technique, the Wet Plate Collodion process, that's intriguing for people. Also, if you know about Germany and the Germans, you'll know how out of place I look/seem in my dark box next to a cemetery, pouring strange chemicals on glass plates. This is not what I would call, "ordnung" - and Germans need things proper and in order. However, the people of Seligenstadt were very kind and gracious to me. They were interested in what I was doing - and that's a wonderful thing for me. I think the fact that the newspaper ran this piece is a testament to their willingness to talk about this, that's the key.

Anyway, back to coincidences; I didn't hear a word about it for two months. Just last week, it entered my mind, "What did they do with that story? Did they ever publish it?" On Monday, January 5, 2009, I wrote Jan and Armin an email asking what became of the story. Jan immediately wrote back and said, "It's in today's paper!" Are you kidding me? I was beside myself and tripping out. I hadn't really even thought about it until that weekend and the day I send the email, it's published!?! Wow! Like I said, no coincidences. What does that mean? Am I psychic? No, I'm not, but I am connected to this in a bigger way than I even think I know about and it's these kinds of things that prove that to me.

If you ever find yourself in a rut and are bored with life, move to Germany and start an art project about the Holocaust. If you have any German friends, ask them to raise interest in the local media about you and your project. And finally, to really get things going, tell them that you have Jewish heritage. Try it sometime, you'll find that it's both rewarding and challenging. Life will NOT be boring anymore.

Follow up - January 12, 2009: After running this by my German friend for a complete translation, I've got to say that I'm not impressed. There's not one mention of Kristallnacht, or the fact that my entire project deals with that. I'm sure he was censored, or censored himself. I had my hopes up. It's a "fluff" piece, and in the big picture, it means, nothing.