Ciociaria – Fiuggi landscape

Ciociaria, Fiuggi Landscape copyright 2010 Douglas Stockdale

Midway between the ancient city of Fiuggi and the realitively modern “spa” town at the base of the hill, is an in-between place, as ambougious as the history of Ciociaria. It has the ear marks of a place that is neither one or the other, but came about over the years, probably more modern in its time of construction than it is ancient. Nevertheless, the old memories still seem to linger.

I recently had an opportunity to place this photography in the midst of the other early stage photographs from this project and it was interesting to see how this photograph seemed to fit within the Ciociaria narrative. I did notices some aspects of this photograph that are motivating me to retun back to this same location and look again. I think it has some potential.

Best regards, Douglas

Suburban Landscape – Rancho Santa Margarita

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA copyright 2010 Douglas Stockdale

One of the benefits of spending a lot of my time in Europe is that when I return to Southern California, the landscape and terrain takes on a subtle strangeness. I believe that my assumptions have been disrupted and I start to see my surrounderings from another perspective and maybe what I have taken for granted. It is not neccessary to travel away from your immediate surroundings to look and see it without your cultural blinders, but for me at least, it does help.

Reading the recent Larry Sultan photobook Katherine Avenue has re-awakened an earlier photo project of mine that resulted in a short-lived photobook, a project that I knew that at sometime I would come back to. Perhaps that time is now.

Best regards, Douglas

Ciociaria – Project in Development

House cleaning, Fiuggi copyright Douglas Stockdale 2010

Ciociaria – The name of a traditional region of Central Italy without a defined border nor historical identity. The name Ciociaria comes from the primitive footwear of its inhabitants and the origins of this particular kind of shoe are ancient.

Last month, I continued to reflect on my on-going Italian assignement and especially since the majority of the time, my hotel was in the municipality (comune) of Fiuggi, which is located in the provine of Frosinone, just about an hour south of Rome. I have found Fiuggi to be both a complex and interesting comune, part ancient hill city dating well before the 1200′s and the more contemporary section that is part of the area’s summer spa tourism. This is part of the region that is known as the Ciociaria, and as noted above, a place which does not have a really defined area nor it does not have an historical identity, which for me, makes it ripe for an interputative photographic project.

The other symbolic nature of this project is that this name, Ciociaria, refers to an ancient style of shoe worn in this region, and this is a project that I am photographing during my walks through the area by foot, or in my shoes. nice, another layer of meaning.

Best regards, Doug

Singular Images – three years & counting

Salon, Napa, copyright Douglas Stockdale

While in Euope and posting actively on this blog, realized that I have been writing and posting on Singular Images for over three years. I guess a couple of years ago, I would have been counting the days to make an anniversary post, but some things have changed since then. I don’t know that it is neccessary to dreg all of the changes up, but this blog has become one of a place for reflection. Why do that in public, I still don’t fully understand, but nevertheless I do.

At times recently I wonder if this blog will weither away and die an unknown death. Then something occurs and I am motivated again to post my thoughts or want to push a photograph or two onto the web and see how it looks. It is a place of solace during my international travel, that much I have begun to understand.

So a quick recap of things to come: I am re-working my project Insomnia: Hotel Noir (photograph with this post will potentially will be included), eliminating the blue tonality and darkening the mood. Since I have some additional insights on my trip to China, I will probably try to finish Wo Zhi Kan Kan. Now with the time I am spending in Europe, prodominately Italy and probably soon more time in France, I have a preliminary project in Italy that I working some kinks out and for France I have a project that I am now investigating there as well.

Best regards, Douglas