samurai photog vs. the written word

"candela structure",
originally uploaded by samuraiphotog.

I've decided to experiment with having other people interpret just what, exactly, my photographs mean.

At my exhibition in April, I got to eavesdrop on people talking about my work, and it was pretty interesting. Since they were all New Yorkers, their interpretations of what the work "is" is informed by their own experiences living here, working here, wandering around.

Recently, I've been thinking about what people who are not as intimate with the city will take away from the work, or see in it.

To that end, I've decided to collaborate with someone to see what happens. What little I have read of this person's writing is really interesting. It's sharp, experienced in a way that belies the age of its author.

It could be really great, or it could fail miserably.

For me, though, the most exciting part is not the anticipation of the end result, but rather the process of discussing what can/should be done, getting to know each other's creative process (without altering it to suit the other one's requirements to make their part of the collaboration) — something I have never done with anyone else with my visual art.