Last night, I went to see my wife’s cousin, Lydia, sing with her band (of course I took my camera). Lydia has also been working on a project called “Shut up and Listen” where she brings in local singer/songwriters, and, ideally, fans who will actually listen to the music, rather than just talk about the latest Cardassian drama [sic].

In addition to taking pictures of Lydia and her band, I also shot the various permutations of the performers in Shut Up and Listen. They all knew each other and had been performing together, so they went through each one being “lead” performer, with others adding in as they felt the need. As several of them were leaving (and I was too) I approached one (center, above), introduced myself (along with an abbreviated “I’m Lydia’s cousin”) and told him that I’d taken a few pictures of him that I’d like to share. I handed him my card to which he replied “I look forward to seeing your art.”

I had a wonderful moment of surprise, and probably a mix of other emotions that my maleness doesn’t let me communicate. I don’t often allow myself to think of what I do as art. Or Art. I just take pictures.

No, that’s not right either. I try to make pictures as often as possible. But still, it doesn’t feel like art. I replied that I had enjoyed listening to his art, whereupon he pulled out a CD (seemingly from thin air) and handed it to me.

It was a very cool reminder that art is what we make of it. Art really is the stuff of human creation. I hope my images meet his expectations.

Sometimes, I make images are are just plain goofy. And I like that too. Art? Meh. Just fun.