On the way to visit my parents last weekend I made a quick photo stop in Eureka to rephotograph the Shore/McDonough restaurant. It's now called Kristina's. Here's how it looked October 18th, 2014.
This is taken from the same vantage as Shore's forty years earlier:
I now know why Shore picked that spot. It's from the second floor landing of an adjacent motel, the only accessible high point around. Maybe he stayed there the night before. The motel is still there so I walked up and shot the scene. But my rephotograph was from memory so the framing is slightly off.
There isn't much special about my photo. Everything has changed since 1974 except the parking lot, but it still remains a dumb recording of a mundane place. Maybe it would've been more interesting with bird shit across the lens.
This is taken from the same vantage as Shore's forty years earlier:
I now know why Shore picked that spot. It's from the second floor landing of an adjacent motel, the only accessible high point around. Maybe he stayed there the night before. The motel is still there so I walked up and shot the scene. But my rephotograph was from memory so the framing is slightly off.
There isn't much special about my photo. Everything has changed since 1974 except the parking lot, but it still remains a dumb recording of a mundane place. Maybe it would've been more interesting with bird shit across the lens.
Why did he pick that spot ? "Dumb recording of a mundane place" is maybe answer but that is not enough. He was "resolving photographic problem", but which one?
ReplyDeleteTwo of the first pictures I ever took with my first digital camera were of my parents at Kristina's.
ReplyDeleteI don't get S.Shore's popularity. His pictures have a certain historical fascination and a good technical ability, but they are so empty and banal.
ReplyDeleteAnybody want to buy a copy of Uncommon Places? Only read once (half through), so in excellent condition!
Interesting, Shore's framing is uncannily balanced.
ReplyDeleteYou also stayed at the hotel? Or did you just ask permission to take the photo? Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Rodrigo, No hotel stay, no permission. Just a walk by operation
ReplyDelete