Seeking individuals in San Diego to participate in a new portrait based project

[ChrisLongyne]

Hey Folks,
I've recently started a new portrait based project and I'm looking for individuals that would be willing and interested in participating. You can find a pretty thorough description on my website here - https://chrislongyne.com/new-project-proposal/ as well as view some of my work. I'm not looking for models but just regular folks as this work pertains to everyone since we are all confronted with these issues.

I'm based in San Diego so that's where I'll be making most of the work but if there are several people interested in participating in one location I'd be willing to take a trip to work with them. Feel free to make recommendations if you know people that would be interested.

Also, I'm an open book so feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

Thanks,
Chris Longyne
chrislongyne.com

[BrianShaw]

What issues are we confronted with? I’m not sure if I qualify or not.

[ChrisLongyne]

Hey Brian,
Below is the overview of the ideas for the project (copy and pasted from my website), let me know what you think.

Synopsis:
The idea is to visually explore our physical relationship with water and plastic. We are virtually never out of contact with plastics, made from oil, petroleum, natural gas, etc. From our clothing, blankets/sheets in our beds, eye glasses, headphones, makeup, surgical implants, shoes, floors in our homes, food wrappings, etc. The idea that to divorce ourselves from fossil fuels will be a major life change, but the consideration that this, now normalized, aspect of our daily lives has only become prevalent in the last 70 years, which is a very short time period. We, as a species, have lived for tens of thousands of years without fossil fuels and plastics so although many may think it will be very difficult or impossible to go without them, I’m certain that it’s doable since we have had such a long history without them.

When it comes to water, we are made up of nearly 2/3 of it, so as we continue to pollute and contaminate the water we depend on to live, how does that speak to our own self contamination. We may think that when we throw trash in a river it flows away from us, never to be seen again. Problem being that we literally consume those pollutants we thought we discarded, by way of the plants and animals we eat that have incidentally consumed our waste. It’s like a boomerang humanity threw, not understanding that it would inevitably return to our doorstep.

In a world of finite resources and almost exclusively synergistic relationships there is no doing anything that does not come back around to you. The choices we make need to be considered in a more holistic approach, knowing that what’s good for our neighbor, whether that neighbor be a human, a tree, a frog, a lily, a river, or an ocean will also be good for us. As a society I think it’s vital for us to create relationships with each other where when you are happy and successful I am also happy and successful. None of us stands alone.

In Practice:
I’m looking to photograph people in bodies of water – oceans, rivers, lakes, swamps, puddles in parking lots, abandoned swimming pools, bathtubs, etc. as well as explore other physical interactions with water. I like keeping project ideas somewhat broad so that there are many ways to visually interpret them.

For plastics I want to go as far as wrapping people in plastic and, say for instance, having them lay out in the doorway of a grocery store to attempt to illustrate how our foods are mummified in plastic. A person tangled in plastic netting in the water in some capacity, someone (fake) drowning in a recycle bin full of single use items, prosthetic limbs, etc. but also more everyday types of interactions.

All these ideas would be done safely of course and it would be up to the individual to determine their personal comfort level. As you can understand by now, I’m looking for folks who are a bit adventurous, so to speak, and/or are passionate about pushing the creative process in order to attempt to achieve something new and exciting. Not to mention have some fun in the process.

People:
All people from any background are wonderful and welcome to be a part of this project. The only thing you need to possess is the willingness to participate. I can offer, in exchange, the use of the photographs in digital form (scanned negatives) for use on your personal social media platforms and an 8×10 gelatin silver contact print of one of the photos, handmade in my darkroom.

FYI:
I’m based in San Diego, CA and will be working with my 8×10 view camera. I don’t drive or use cars so most of the locations I find will be in the city near my home. That being said, if there are several people in a city or town that want to participate I would definitely consider making a trip to work with them (tell your friends).

[Tin Can]

I attended a Chicago Art event, where an over 18 small naked woman was wrapped tightly in Saran Wrap. I knew her. No pictures allowed.

The surprise was, her father had over his shoulder up a stairs. He was very gentle. It was the woman's Performance Art with daddy

It was also on a highrise rooftop so a bit of danger

A point is, that Performance was the only one I remember from that night!

In today's Dangers, be very careful what you do in public, they are unhinged

1999

[Tin Can]

Are you aware of Yoko Ono's 'Cut Piece'

She did it many times and received abuse and danger

I was a Performance Artist for many years

[ChrisLongyne]

That definitely sounds interesting. I also appreciate the advice, that is a good point. As is the case when presenting any creative work to the public, it's hard to predict what people will bring with them to the viewing. That, in my opinion, is where the power lies. The same piece can make one person cry, one person furious, and leave another totally indifferent.

Indeed the process of making the work is another thing so I will keep that in mind. I kind of assume, and hope, that if a passer by see's someone working with a big old wooden camera they will assume that the nature of the event lies in the creative realm and not in some malicious construct. Problem is that we are all limited by the perceptual models we create so anything is possible.

[ChrisLongyne]

Yeah I always consider what she must have been thinking when I've seen video footage of her performing that piece. Being both excited and a bit scared, among other things I'm sure.