Lindsay Perth is a transplanted Canadian artist who now resides in Scotland. She is one of the artists whose work is exhibited in the Never Been to Houston show. On the right is one of her photographs from the exhibit. Lindsay answered a few questions about Houston and the show for us. Read on:
What was your perception of Houston before you started this project?
My perception was of lots of glass and reflections and blocked skylines, ones that jut out of a very flat green land. In my minds eye, as if I were walking the streets there are lots of cowboy hats and big cars and reflections. The citizens are very ethnically diverse as well, and due to the warm weather people are dressed for hot days. Before I started my research I knew the obvious trademarks of Reliant Stadiums retractable roof, the Space Center, Enron, famous cutscape, Janet Jackson's nipple and more recently an influx of Hurricane Katrina victims.
What did you do before you started this project? Did you research Houston or just jump right in?
I did about a weeks research online and in libraries and talking to people who had been there. I also found out that I had been to Houston- in my mothers womb, about - 12 weeks before my own countdown to being Lindsay Perth. I asked Andrea Glover if that disqualified me, luckily it didn't it.
I researched the languages, crime stats, gun culture, drug culture, the citizens attitudes towards their police force - in fact try to understand the politics of a city in general, community layout and descriptions of these communities, sex industry, transportation - a huge factor in the face and feel of a city, and defining how citizens live and work, I read books on the history of the city and how people entertain themselves - I was very interested to read about the club scene and Houston being the birthplace of Chopped and Screwed. I researched how the city makes its money and spends it. Also how was the city dealing with housing and in the influx of Katrina victims etc. I was interested to learn the important of the Port of Houston. I also read a lot of newspaper sites and Houston blogs. I read there is a taco truck on every street corner .. I've been trying to find an ice cream van or such thing to take my cowboy pictures, but instead I made my own taco and got him to eat it on the photo shoot! One incident I'm going to try to replicate or reference is the Police on horses stomping on protesting Janitors in November of last year, hopefully I can do it before the project is over.
I also researched famous people who came from Houston, as a sort of piss-take to celebrity culture defining peoples attitude. So, thats why I've got the bearded cowboy in a lot of my images. Its a homage to Houston's own ZZ Top.
How difficult was it to find images that represent a city you've never been to?
Apart from a few geographical layout images of where the communities and street names I've not really looked at pictures. I didn't want that to inform my image making by using other visuals. I wanted to get a visual identity through reading. One such book titled, Ephemeral City on the architecture of Houston really helped me get a sense of the city and how it develops and has developed, I looked at some of its photographs but mostly it gave me in insight into Houston through its words. Architecture is often a key to such civic growth. I already know that glass towers cutting up the sky, the shadow casting and the reflections, each one an icon of capitolism. Here in Edinburgh, we don't have skyscrapers so I aim to work with both extreme angles and reflection.
Also reading locals opinions and rants on blogs offers more understanding and learning material than prescription images. I read alot of newspapers too and did absorb in the images from these sources from people on the ground so to speak.
Did your perception of Houston change while you were working on the Never Been to Houston show?
Yes, very much my perception has changed. I was surprised to read about the large theatre district, the rich cultural activity in Houston! Also that the city is quite youth orientated, its a party town, obviously from it having one of the youngest populations in the country. Nor had I realised the importance in Houston's economy of expansion into chemical engineering and biotech industries. This is just some of it .. I'm quite keen to explore the city first hand now.
Do you have plans to visit the city anytime soon?
Well, I sure would like to. I'd really like to eat by a taco truck on a warm day and people watch. I'd also like to photograph the city from a street level - the communities, the people and explore its diversity and how it identifies itself. Its strikes me as a city with overlapping meanings and associations, lots of juxtapositions, and perhaps I've been impressed with this image through my research but it does comes across and ephemeral in a very resilient way. Adaptable in a responsive way. I like that.
Is there anything else you'd like to say about Houston or the show?
I'd like to thank Andrea Grover and Jon Rubin, the Aurora Picture Show and the Lawndale Art Center. A great idea that really underlines a societal pro/con about relationships between our own environment and unknown remote environments and how these impressions are mediated, understood, interpreted and then spat out the other side. For however faithful, reliable or authentic that virtual experience is there is no substitute for the real thing.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit