Neptune

Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Beautiful Ohio

The last week in October of 2011 I traveled to Cave-In-Rock Illinois with my mother to visit my grandparents and great aunts. It has been at lease 20 years since I was last in southern Illinois. I had a vague idea of what to expect but my childhood memories are rusty at best. Upon my arrival it was like I was seeing this land and its people for the first time. The small town had not changed much, the population is only 350 and the river still flows in the same direction.

Cave-In-Rock State Park 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

I primarily worked on photographing family, my grandparent’s house and the surrounding area which borders the Ohio River. Family and old friends would come over throughout the day to share stories and fish along the river’s edge. I found myself still, listening, and looking. Sunset sunrise, ladybugs hatch, looking, listening, being still. Only the river moves in this town with her friend the sun walking across the sky.

Densel, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Garden of the Gods, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Paige, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

By the end of my stay I became more interested with objects within the house. Items my grandmother chose to collect or the way she has decided to decorate and furnish rooms. As my departure grew near, my stillness faded and a sense of urgency ran through me. I had thoughts of “what if I never make it back to this beautiful land?” “Will these wonderful people and their stories still be here?” I worked as if with a fever on my last shots down to the wire when I was forced into the car to be taken away. One day I will return, hopefully not before it’s too late.

Fake Fruit, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Rooster, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Flood

Old TV, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

What Did You Say, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

I Said There Is A Flood On The Way, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Sad Donkey, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Big Boat, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Rainbow, 2009 © Traverse Day Robinette

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Spookyweird

Spookyweird is a working title to a project I started back in 2009 where I photograph places or objects where something, well spooky or weird happened. But there is more to it than that. I’m currently working on an artist statement and a proper title to explain it all.

The Sink, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

I traveled to Southern Illinois to visit my family and to photograph “The Sink” and “The Cave”. The Sink is an area where water fills up a valley and forms a small lake. The Sink is not made by flooding or is fed by a stream. The Ohio River is close by though The Sink is not made or affected by the water level of the river. Only bullhead catfish live in The Sink and they are cannibalistic, feeding only on themselves. Locals in the area will wait for the water level of The Sink to lower to the point where they can go out with buckets and pick up the fish with their hands. Densel, my 94 year old guide, showed me the way to the vantage point where I took this image. He said he knew the owners of the property but when we pulled up no one was home. The whole time I worked with my 4x5 I feared I would be gunned down. Lucky for me The Sink was full and Densel said that sometimes it would be dry for years and he hadn’t been up there in a while to see it. It was amazing to finally see this place that my grandmother so often spoke of.

The Cave, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

The Cave is located in Cave-In-Rock along the Ohio River. I have visited The Cave before when I was little but this visit was definitely like seeing it for the first time. The Cave has been used in different ways throughout the years. It has served as a church, general store, brothel, and a hide out for pirates. Its blackness is haunting; alone inside I herd sounds and my mind played tricks on me so I didn’t stay long.

Olivia, 2011 © Traverse Day Robinette

On the drive from the airport heading north through Kentucky I told my mom about my plan to photograph The Sink and The Cave. Detecting I was interested in capturing the oddities of where my grandparents live, she told me of Olivia. My great grandmother was a collector of everything. She always had a particular fancy for an old skeleton that the town doctor had in his office, so much so that when he retired he gave the skeleton to my grandmother. I first imagined that the skeleton was of the ordinary plastic variety found in any regular doctor’s office. My mother corrected me and told me matter of factly that in the old days they used real human bones, this skeleton was very old, and was definitely of the real bones type. She continued to tell me that skeletons used for medical purposes came from India during this time. My family first thought the skeleton was a man but later learned it was a woman changing its original name from Orville to more appropriately feminine name Olivia. Olivia was originally stored in a barn. A tornado hit the town and destroyed the barn but Olivia was lifted up and set back down unharmed. She is now stored in the kitchen of my great grandmother’s old house and sleeps in a pink velvet casket. My great aunts dress her up and take care of her and sometimes bring her out on the porch for Halloween which one year resulted in having the police called. I had never heard of Olivia until this trip to Illinois and was laughing like a nut as I drove my rental car on to the ferry smiling at the idea of the treasures that lie on the other side of this beautiful river.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Year

Island Swimming, 2010 © Traverse Day Robinette

Monday, January 23, 2012

Snow Storms

Growing up in Texas snow was in short supply and snow days were non-existent. Upon my arrival to New England a Nor'easter delivered over a foot of snow. My dreams had come true. At the time I was in my early 20's, yet I would roll down my window while driving in a storm and yell at the top of my lungs "It's snowing!". Nine years later I still find myself getting excited for approaching storms that bring snow and allow for the chance to go sledding, build snow forts or make snow angles.