"Only photograph what you love," the mom of a friend told Tim Walker. I stumbled on this quote in a special edition of L'Uomo Vogue. This must be true for any artist to continue and thrive being one. And for this case, also for bloggers: only post what you love.
What is a man?
With so many things to feature and discuss, it's easy to go crazy and even publish up to 10 posts a day. But then again, love cannot be hurried.
A man is comfortable being alone. Loves being alone, actually. He sleeps.
I know I have been rambling for so many months now, and am grateful to find out that some of you do read my thoughts and not just peruse the pictures. Truth be told, I love complexity and approach things from different angles. (That's why I ramble!)
Or he stands watch. He interrupts trouble. This is the state policeman. This is the poet. Men, both of them.
Have you noticed, perhaps, this blog's banner? It's not a picture from a magazine or an art gallery. It's actually the floor of a jeepney (a public mode of transportation in the Philippines), with three layers of paint scraped, peeled, and scratched in every possible way. Sometimes I think like that.
A man loves driving alone most of all.
Then patterns appear. Even if they come in weird shapes, they can be deciphered in repetition.
Style — a man has that. No matter how eccentric that style is, it is uncontrived. It's a set of rules.
Things become transparent — sheer — and joy increases because you can see every shape and also the entire pattern.
Sheer shirt, tie, and shoes: all thrifted; jeans, Neil Barrett; belt, APC; watch, Tissot. Photos by Patricia Suzara
A man watches. Sometimes he goes and sits at an auction knowing he won't spend a dime, witnessing the temptation and the maneuvering of others. Sometimes he stands on the street corner watching stuff...
No one taught him this — to be quiet, to cipher, to watch. In this way, in these moments, the man is like a zoo animal: both captive and free. You cannot take your eyes off a man when he is like that. You shouldn't. The hell if you know what he is thinking, who he is, or what he will do next.
'What is a man?' by Tom Chiarella, Esquire magazine