new/work(photo): bubble battle and the summer solstice
It is safe to say that no matter how I’m feeling, bubbles always make me happy. Blowing bubbles is a simple pleasure that, over the years, has become my favorite summertime tradition. As soon as the weather hits 70 degrees , I head to the store to purchase a 99 cent bottle of instant euphoria.
Imagine my giddiness when I found out about a “Bubble Battle” taking place during the Summer Solstice. I didn’t think I’d ever find a place where I could openly share my love for the soapy goodness, but I was wrong. At precisely 6:21pm, in the heart of Times Square, hundreds of people gathered together armed with bottles, bubble guns, bubble machines, and one machine powered by a sock monkey. I overheard a person proclaim it to be “Bubblepalooza”, and I deemed it very appropriate.
The event lasted around an hour, and it drew a ton of confused and curious onlookers. I had a few people approach me and ask why we were doing it, and all I could tell them was that we were doing it for the love of bubbles. And that is what made the event so awesome. There was no ulterior motive, no cause we were celebrating or protesting. A bunch of random people gathered together simply to have -and create- an enjoyable, whimsical moment in the midst of a chaotic city. It felt partly like a hippie love fest and partly like an art happening, but whatever you want to call it, it was one of the most touching, surreal moments I’ve had, and I was happy to be a part of it.
In fact, the whole day was a testament to the beauty of New York in the summertime. I had wandered the streets for most of the day ,since it was so gorgeous out, and stumbled upon a few other events in my neighborhood. When I had ventured out to Times Square earlier in the day in the vain attempt to find a bubble gun (Toys R Us let me down), I got to witness a giant yoga class taking place. Much like the bubble battle, it was interesting to see people participating in something that is so peaceful, in a place that is anything but.
Later on, I ran into a small block party on 48th street. It had a very homey, neighborhood feel to it. There was a cool old-school rock band playing, and people were just hanging out on their stoops enjoying the music and weather. Toward the end of the block was a dunk tank and other games, so I watched the poor woman get constantly hurtled into the water by various players with good aim.
Aside from the bubble battle, the highlight of my day was befriending an older gentleman who was chillin on his stoop. He seemed so happy and serene, that I felt compelled to wave at him as I passed by. There are times when potential photos just pop into my head, and the minute I saw him, he looked like a classic black and white image. However, I sometimes don’t like photographing random people on the street because I feel like I’m invading their privacy. As I continued on, the image in my head kept nagging at me, so I finally decided to turn back and approach the man. I told him that he looked really cool sitting there and asked if I could take his picture. He was very sweet and said, “Of course”, and then posed for me. He was totally accommodating while i snapped a few shots, and I thanked him profusely when I was done. That brief encounter with a kind soul helped make my summer solstice a memorable one.
My friend, Rachel, and I share a love for all things abandoned, decrepit, and crumbly. So when she suggested a trek to the Green-Wood cemetery, I was all for it. It was a gorgeous day for shooting, and I was surprised at how lush and expansive the grounds were. REALLY expansive. We wandered around for about three hours and barely made a dent in the place. It didn’t help that I lost the map as we were trying to find the way out! Luckily, we were semi-close to one of the exits, so I didn’t doom us to life in the cemetery. There are apparently quite a few notable residents of Green-Wood, but we narrowed our sights to just two: Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Bernstein ’s grave site was relatively easy to find, and it turned out to be a nice memorial bench and plaque surrounded by flowers. The flowers were surrounded by bees, so Rachel and I just admired from afar. I was very thankful for my telephoto lens at that moment. People left rocks and coins by the plaque, but one go-getter thought to leave his business card. I hope that works out well for him.
The next stop was Basquiat’s grave, and we had high hopes for that one. We conjured up all sorts of ideas about what a Basquiat grave could look like, it being Basquiat and all. However, it turned out to be a simple, modest gravestone. It was so simple and modest that it took us about a 1/2 hour of searching to find it. When we finally did find it, I was a little dissapointed that he didn’t get more ornamentation. A few people left coins, rocks, and flowers (no business cards this time ’round), but otherwise not much fanfare for such a prolific artist. Someone did take it upon themselves to draw a Basquiat-like crown on his tombstone, so that homage made it a little better.
There was a lot we didn’t get to check out, so we’re hoping to go back again before the summer’s out. Maybe next time we’ll stalk Samuel Morse and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
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