Barry at 16 or 17: a self portrait of the hippydopersurfer.

I don’t really need to give much of an intro to Barry - to me he’s the heart and soul of Open Salon. He’s an artist in every way, and also just a really great guy. He’s offered us all a peek inside in this interview, a glimpse into how he thinks, and its far more interesting than anything I could write. I’m proud to call him my friend.

So what brought you to Open Salon? You were on before me...
I got on pretty early, no. 198 by invitation more than a year ago. I had the chance to talk with Joan two weekends ago, and I asked her about it. She and Kerry, maybe some others, but not many, made lists from people they knew of at Regular Salon and got together and acted as advocates for the people on their own lists.

You were invited because you commented on Salon?
Well, that's the funny thing. I was not in any way prolific in commenting, but the few things I said must have struck a chord.

The crowd on OS in the beta days was definitely special. How much do you think this community helped encourage you?
It felt like home early on. I've long had relationships with communities and fora online - platforms somewhat for participating in an artistic way, but it was OS that I first felt like I found something that I really felt was a home for me.

Did you have any clear intent about what you would post here?
I really didn't. I can write. I thought that would be what I'd do.

Your stuff is so rich and varied - from personal stories to your art. When did you start posting your photography? I think thats what I first noticed.
My first post was an anti bush rant. Then, I did some writing, but always had an image of my own for a hook. The first post that got me thinking seriously about doing mostly a photo blog was a two parter, reprieve part one  and two - about celebrating not having cancer, and doing a road trip to celebrate that, and it's progressed from there. I do think that my narrative, the words I use are important too.

Very personal. How does it make you feel to share so much? Its not easy for some people.
Interesting question. I've always been “what you see is what you get.”

Yes - its the combination that makes your work so powerful. IMHO.
I don't hide much, it's just the way I've been. I want that combination.

I think thats what draws people to your stuff. Since you're an artist, can you tell me about your creative process a little? I am wondering if you specifically think about a topic and then find the imagery, or if you have an idea you'd like to explore and start writing? How serendipitous are your posts?
Well I keep a few moleskin pages devoted to incipient ideas for blogs, so it's more of a concept first.

I imagine you always have a camera handy.
I never go out of the house without a camera, even to the grocery store - "you never know," but some of the ideas in the moleskin are graphic based as a primary hook, but it's always combined. Others as an idea I want to get out, then find the images.

I go through dry spells though, after a really meaningful post, like the Prada Marfa one. I wonder what the hell could be the encore, or what could follow, but something always comes. I just can't predict the timing.

I do get inspired by Rob St. Amant,  Procopius, even your own self.

Aww.
You're so imbued with art to your core, it's an inspiration. (People, I had to leave that in - cause its practically the nicest thing anyone's ever said.) Sometimes I think I get more attention on OS than what I deserve really.

So lets talk about that. Do you consciously follow up "deep" stuff with "lighter" stuff?
It has to do with my approach in how it's evolved. I offer something a bit different that a really compelling political post like Saturn's, or a compelling personal narrative like Sandra's. So, people might come to me for an oasis to see something different. Also...I try to offer affirmation both in what I do, and in the comments I make.

People come to you because they get you.
You are too kind and too much of a friend and too prejudiced.

Its true. You most certainly encouraged me.

So Barry - which posts are you most proud of? Brag a bit to me please.
Hard to answer, but I can give you some thoughts on that, and it will probably change or I'll feel differently. You're an artist, so you know how we can be critical of our work, given our personal evolution, and how our abilities change. Like many artists, I look back and see things that I, now that I have the ability, would change the process or delivery.

So I'd separate my own OS children into two things: writerly and graphically.

So writerly then:
A story of mine that was from beta, early on, was an autobiography on being a 4 or 5 yr. old and dealing with ghosts: "kids and ghosts"

Oh man thats a scary image.
I was so delighted that it was selected for the cover of the inaugural no longer beta coming out of OS to the public. The image was a photo of mine from the Univ. of Minnesota, Frederick R Weisman Art Museum. It was a huge kite.

So what about graphically?
I think the one that stands out for me is one I spent a lot of time on before it got on the computer. Prepping, thinking - lots of thinking, and the composition of the images.

I gave a talk recently to an AP art class at the Talented and Gifted High School where two of my kids attended on photography, composition, structure. Thinking things through before you get to the shutter.

What was that like - teaching?
It was great! Great response from the teacher and kids. I talked about things they could easily plug into, and then extrapolated: The rule of thirds, and how that relates to the golden rectangle, and the fibonacci expression. How that translates into nature, like in a section of the nautilus. Teaching about getting closer...closer. Don't take a photo of someone and include their shoes, take a picture of their soul - not sole.

So look at heffalumps, girafficles and friends, and scroll down, and tell me the emotion involved. In just getting a pic of the elephant's feet, or a section of her tail, to see her age, to extract many things from things not seen.

The image just below the tail. Her eye. Not showing all the iconic things people think of when the visualize an elephant, but you can see the deep cracks in her skin. Not just wrinkles, but things breaking down.

So this post for me combined things that are my essence:
- my conflict with zoos
- my love of the animals
- my hatred of bureaucracy
- the power of advocacy

But it combined my writing with my visual art. You can see why it's important to me.

On the other hand, something like the Prada  post had a minimal amount of text, yet it was concisely parsed. The words like an extended haiku.

It was a personal quest for me to go there. The images needed only an occam's razor approach in narrative to set up the journey, the quest.

Those two graphics intensive posts are very different, but let me say in an aside, I am very very grateful for the OS platform for being able to reach out so far. I'm really indebted to Joan and Kerry and the team.

OS is also about reading and commenting on other people's work. Who do you think deserves more attention? Is there someone who really inspires you?
kmbearden. She's got a rare ability, and doesn't get near enough attention, but there are others I could find that would fit that bill too.

Is there anything we would be shocked to know about you?
Oh. You know how photographers are complimented for having "an eye" or "a great eye?"

Yes.
It's not shocking so much, but has some irony. I have terrible eyes. I can't tell until I get home whether or not I have a good shot. When I look up into the night sky, I see 5 moons. I had a disease as a teenager that left uncorrectable scars inside and out in my eyes - the right especially.

And yet you take such great pics!
So I have to rely on experience and technique, and take lots of shots - thank the gods for digital. I'm not sure if something is focused the way I want till I get back to the workflow. I have computer glasses, and reading glasses, but what I have isn't correctable.

Do you then purposely take a variety of the same shot? To make sure you got it?
I do when I think things through. Sometimes I wish I had taken more.

Do you have a pic I can post with this? One that you like?
(I love love the one of you with your car - as a teenager - but any one you especially like.)
I have one that I like but it drives Deven nuts for some reason because it doesn't show my chin.

More reason to use it then.