Those were the inspirations behind the latest series of blank journals and photo book now available in my blurb bookstore. Three new blank journals, great for jotting down notes (the old-fashioned way) while traveling, plus a photo book … uhm … blooming with tulips. Yes, Mr. Mapplethorpe was the inspiration.
Before its recent reconfigurations, I remember that the Boston Public Library Copley branch had a room on the second floor filled with photography books, an area different than the Fine Arts Department. I used to love to sit in there and flip through coffee-tabled sized books about artists I’d never heard of before. That’s where I first saw Mapplethorpe’s book of tulips. Years later, during the midst of a creative slump, someone gave me tulips. As I watched those stems slump over in the vase, I remembered Mapplethorpe and I thought, “Hey, why can’t I do a tulip photo shoot?!” And so that what’s I did. A fun spur of the moment endeavor that I think produced some lovely and maybe sensual images. See for yourself. You can view a preview here.
