As we walked from the glare of the sunlit street into Goodbye Blue Monday in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY, we could see almost nothing. A lamp glowed here and there and the vague sign of daylight showed from the end of the room. I said, "Too dark for pictures," and left.
Out in the street again, Caroline said that she thought there was a garden and went back in to find out. She returned and beckoned me in saying that there was a garden and we could get a sandwich. The garden, in fact, was a junk yard, containing amongst other articles, cast iron wood stoves, TV sets, shopping carts, hand trucks and welding equipment.
On the left was an open ended shack with a dozen folding chairs in front of a stage, and rough wooden benches down two sides. On one of these benches sat a young man in his robe and pyjamas smoking a cigarette. He introduced himself as Matthew, the manager. He told us he lived across the street and this was a night place, hardly anybody came during the day.
A photographer and his assistant were photographing a model with a head of bushy brown hair that the assistant combed and brushed a lot between shots. When it looked right, the assistant became a wind machine by vigorously flapping a piece of cardboard, no doubt found in the garden, and no larger than an 11x14 print, close to the girl's head. It was remarkably effective and spread the hair just the right amount.
Beautiful as usual, Dmitri. When Caroline was telling me that you'd photographed Matthew, the manager of GBBM, it didn't connect with me who he was.
ReplyDeleteNow I realize he's the lead singer of a friends band, the "Marionettes of Satan." I've seen them perform a few times, and you'd never guess from the photograph that Matthew has such a wild and commanding stage presence...he looks so weary and passive here. It's always neat to catch a different side of people.
I am a big fan of that venue, as I live on the border line of Ridgewood and Bushwick. I enjoyed your article!
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that the polite young man we met is the lead singer of the "Marionettes of Satan." I guess Bushwick is different after dark.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I like photography and portraits! Lori
ReplyDeleteis so lovely that the space has "blue" in its name...and there are such luscious blue tones on the wall, in his legwear...and even a bit in his robe.
ReplyDeleteDmitri, you must make this into a novel. I so desperately wanted to read more! The man's expression and position make me feel as though he is looking for reaction to something telling he just revealed matter-of-factly. There is so much to work with here!
ReplyDeleteI, like Andrea, love all the blue tones in this photo. Even the cigarette smoke looks blue. Really like it alot, Dmitri.