this project was funded with a grant from the Ildiko Butler family. I spent two weeks in march of 2024 driving the ring road in Iceland alone
[after my friend fell through a barn cieling]to document the northern lights during an aurora maxiumum year.
I did not succeed in documenting the northern lights.
During my travels, I stayed on farms/homesteads, and in hostels.
I came across awesome people on my journey, including political organizers, avant-garde musicians, local sheep farmers, city slickers, and craftspeople/artisans. Included are some journals from the road and collected screenshots from security footage of the ring road. The volcano happened to be exploding the entire time I visited, creating an ominous red glow in some of the camera angles.
Until I find myself in Iceland again, this project remains unfinished.
3.19.24
The horses are on holiday this time of year.
Given a rams horn for my travels, put-down animal dried-out red stain. dashboard item. airport fear.
Tomorrow I will try the hot dog. Northern lights two nights in a row. I sat over my dinner begging for the SD card to give me back my photo. something higher revoked the exhibitionism i posed for in a public bathroom, a capture of weird body.
Best pictures are in my mind. Quite a windy day … nature is shredding off layers of my skin and carving into my face like a canyon. Paranoia has struck in that I feel Im aging.
I used the car as a refrigerator for most of this trip and did not poison myself. I can take the eyes of many horses staring over a sea of sheep gazing. too curious to sit still.
i found a passion sharing thoughts in a guestbook and now my body taking space up in the womans changing room. I took an extra shower just to recreate a photo tonight and my conscious is not any cleaner.
3.25.24
tender is the one who cares for the weak.
i felt a transformation bound in myself. i watched the floor cave and gravity test its unit.
straight to the ground covered in asbestos
we laid on the ground of an abandoned farmhouse while i cleaned his head of dust, jacket of dirt
nestled in my arms
placed next to a rusted cassette stereo boombox
i felt like an ambulance racing the jimney to the hospital
signing on the line
how do you suppose i understand the shifted mission
great sleep last night surrounded by instruments and farm animals
once you are a friend of the road no place can scare you off
even if driving alone
in the middle of iceland at night
green lights would dance the way.
3.30.24
Some days i feel im hunting
With a quick pace. for the camera.
Wind blowing holding onto my hat
after a lifetime of this i know that there is no replica of the first time for worse or for better. Refused dinner so i drank a beer instead. Angel with the racoon tail.
I love bathing culture
i needed only to be naked in front of others so that i could understand my own body. I am usually the only watcher gazer upon my flesh and bones.
Blonde on blond is what i am debuting when i return, maybe i can learn what it is like to fuck myself.
3.31.24
Thinking of two wonders. Walking up to a fence on the side of the road to pet horses and sitting on hay in a barn listening to 200 sheep eating their night meal. Nature is not about the quiet its about the heard.
GO BACK HOME