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STALKING MICHAEL STIPE: ANOTHER PROP TO OCCUPY MY TIME
ARTIST STATEMENT
The Plastic Bag Series, a previous work started in the spring of 2008, began as a way to photograph the wind, my favorite standalone weather phenomenon. My interests lay, however, not simply in portraying the effects of the wind (broken branches, downed power lines, etc.) but rather the elusive element itself. To achieve this I traveled to numerous locations and repeatedly released a plastic grocery bag to be lifted by a passing current. I then began to follow and photograph within the path laid out before me. I walked aimlessly, but with a clear trajectory. Grass, gravel and pavement lost their directional function. I witnessed a landscape often unnoticed, and in an order significantly different than that found on a path of my own choosing. Each walk garnered a distinctly different set of images. Some sets were plentiful in number as I followed the plastic bag for a lengthy period of time in a space devoid of substantial obstructions. Other sets were rather minimal as the bag had become entangled in a tree branch or was swept away by a forceful gust of wind. But what was consistent in each set of images was that the wind determined the content I perceived, the duration of the project, and the quantity of images I was able to collect.
After completing a number of “plastic bag walks,” it became increasingly evident to me that the physical act I was participating in was much like the act of stalking. I had become a persistent follower. I was obsessed with keeping track and always having to know the location of this object. I needed to be within its presence and only found myself deflated when I was no longer able to determine its location. I began to wonder - What would it be like to take this process to the next level; to photograph the space within the pursuit of an unknowing subject? What would it be like to commit to giving myself up to another individual to fulfill my own desires? And how would I choose my subject? It would clearly have to be someone of great significance within my life, possibly unreachable and at all times unaware. And knowing the potential legal consequence I might endure if caught, the subject would most definitely have to be worth it.
Michael Stipe emerged as the likely candidate. He has always been a great influence. When I listen to his lyrics, I think they are written for me to hear. His voice does not simply carry words and tones, but translates them into a language that can only be understood by like individuals. I have long desired to meet Michael Stipe in person, but after many post-performance attempts, it has never happened. So I decided that if I was going to attempt this pursuit for photographic collection, Michael Stipe was the most appropriate subject for me to follow. He is now my plastic bag.
*Michael Stipe (R.E.M.). The One I Love, 1987.