Jason Wilder

Infinitely Curious and Mildly Amused

links I like/endorse

Doyers
gonechester
greenwood books
nts
popwars
spiritualized
sun ra arkestra
vernacular social club
wayofm

  • reptilians

    I can’t tell if these are crocodiles or alligators but I do recognize an idiot walking among them. I also see a baby on the railing.

    I’ve started writing liner notes for albums I own that came with no liner notes. I have a bunch of 4×5 and 5×7 photos that were test prints or prints that didn’t sell. I just flip them over and write while listening to an album. I know I get excited when I see someone’s name written in the liner notes or cover of a record. Surely other people like this too right? Anyways, my records will end up somewhere after I am gone. Hope whoever finds it likes it.

    I have made photos for a couple local band’s record covers. After the idea and the shot, it was left to the band and whoever made the decisions about the cover. The above cover was shot at the Bug Jar on a very cold close to Christmas morning back sometime in 2010. I love how there’s life going on behind Casey. I also love how she’s holding her glass. A stylistic decision she naturally chose instead of gripping it or holding it like a cup of coffee. Well after the fact, I do wonder if she had her purse and some stuff on the bar that would have made the photo better.

    Adding liner notes to my vinyl collection made me think of the idea of creating a cheap service doing cover art for indie bands. Give me $50, let me listen to your music and I’ll make something for your cover. Could be a photograph, a collage, found photos, a drawing, a painting, etc. I’m tired of AI covers, sad font decisions and lack of originality in album covers. I’m not saying I could do it better or maybe I am. If you are doing a physical release, fork over an extra $50 and I will make photos for your liner notes. Or if you ask nicely, I’d do it for free.

    Been rewatching Twin Peaks with Beth, who hasn’t seen it. That’s been dominating my tv habit lately. I did see Winter in Sokcho. Here’s a review I sent my cousin:

    It was very subtly shot.  Lots of blues.  Themes and tropes were done in a way that both humanizes and makes the characters more interesting.

    I gave it 4/5 on Mubi. Anyways, it’s the type of movie I love. Full of impactful nuances by both the cameras and actors. In all of these types of movies, you want a sequel. In the movie an artist moves into town at a local boarding hotel to draw/write his next book. He doesn’t know how long it will be. He just knows he likes to poker around for inspiration. That reminded me of one of my favorite recent-ish photobooks:

    Dogbreathe by Matthew Genttempo.

    Blake Andrews introduced the book in his review:

    Matthew Genitempo’s method has always relied on intuition. He approaches photo projects with no clear finish line in mind. Instead he settles in somewhere and pokes around, secure in the faith that his gut will lead him to photographs. Gradually he learns the lay of the land and meets a few locals. One thing leads to another. Acquaintances string together, rhythms flex, and passing moments deepen into portrait sessions. After a while he’s got a book.

    Tonight I listened to Kath Bloom and Velvet Underground while writing this post and looking at Dogbreathe.

    I also had weird ideas. One was to record a roaming tv show on VHS and ask random people questions. The whole episode will be talking to people about that question.

    For instance, a sample question would be: “What do you do with all your Christmas cards?”

    I’d roam anywhere and ask anyone and everyone that question and keep trying to talk to them until they walk away. If I see kids or a young couple about to get married, I’d rephrase the question. “What do you think you will do with all your Christmas cards?

    Another idea I had was to recreate found photos. Try to recreate as close as possible the photo but in real life. Models would have to be hired to stand, or in this case, lay in pose. I found his online obituary. Someone wrote:

    With our deepest sympathy. You all are in our prayers. Find comfort he is in a better place now.

  • Seen on Walks

    Back in 2015 around my 40th birthday I was contacted by someone for a show of my candid street photography. I was very excited seeing as how it would have been a solo show in a pop up gallery of sorts that was just a gallery, not a coffee shop or another additional business with some space on their walls. It would also be, technically, my first time exhibiting.

    There was room for 200, give or take, 8×10 photos I made from 2001 to 2015. I made this playlist as a mixtape for the show. Each photo would have a title that was the song on the mix.

    Anyways, as with most things for photographers, it was too good to be true and the show didn’t happen. The playlist still exists, though, minus some songs that are no longer streaming. I doubt I will ever get a solo show in the future as I’m no longer on social media peddling my photos and my id. That’s all ok, though, because keeping up appearances on social media is exhausting and bad for your health.

    Looking at photos that were going to be in the show is like seeing a past that does not exist anymore. I have mixed feelings about all of that. One of the more sad feelings is that I’ll not be able to make the same type photos again in Rochester. Most so called street photography done in this area are pretty landscapes with minimal people and with almost nothing that says anything about the human condition or the times we are living in. Or they are posed. That’s not a complaint, just an observation, and a reminder of the reality photographers face in smaller towns.

    Now that I’m ten years older, I have different photographic goals that I am ironing out due to a burst of inspiration from the movies I’ve been watching and the news I’ve been reading. I’m itching to get back out there and try to make something of meaning, despite the dangerous reality we all face at the moment in our country.

    https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/seen-on-walks/pl.u-LdbqqeBTqqqyxW

  • My Hermès Handbag!

    Working on my studio loft. It’s giving me an outlet to move around and not read the news. Gonna make it nicer/comfortable and start having people over to look and talk about music, art, and collecting or play chess on the floor with the cool rug I picked out.

    After getting it settled, I have to organize my found photography collection. I also have zines/books in progress. Add that organizing my collage source material. I going to have to cull and sell some of that.

    I’m already tired of winter. You’d never know I am a North Country native. We got mail saying the landlord didn’t pay their RGE bill.

    Been digging this band:

    I’m seeing a lot of AI art on album covers. Pretty gross.

  • speaking of, no spoilers

    The Mastermind at Dryden was pretty damn good. Glad I had a previous viewing at home. Allowed me to view the fringes of the screen and enjoy the crowd’s reactions to certain scenes. It’s a beautifully shot and executed film. A film student read her essay about the movie beforehand. It made me appreciate the Mastermind even more.

    Next up is Peter Hujar’s Day. Love a good dialogue so let’s hope this one lives up to its expectations.

    Speaking of talkies, we watched Or, Something the other night. The “subway takes guy” co-wrote and co-stars in it. I’ve seen clips of the subway takes and it all seems pretty interesting. Great dialogue, had a Jarmusch / Linklater vibe. Gave it four out of five stars on Mubi. Wicked ending. Made me want to write something.

    Speaking of wicked endings, we finally watched Bugonia. Loved this movie. Would give it a five out of five. Jesse Plemons is so damn intense. Emma Stone surprised me with how she portrayed her character. I truly was asking myself “is she or isn’t she” (an alien) all movie.

    Finally, Die My Love took two days to watch. I needed a break. It was intense. It’s like an American Midwest Betty Blue. Jennifer Lawrence has a way of reeling you in when the script is right and that script (based off a book) was very right.

    Jennifer Lawrence could have played Stone’s role in Bugonia but Stone would not have done what Lawrence did to make this movie a great movie. Four out of five stars on Mubi.

    Next up for movies are:
    Bird: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/bird
    Winter in Sokcho: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/winter-in-sokcho
    River of Grass: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/river-of-grass
    Detective (rewatch): https://mubi.com/en/us/films/detective
    Grand Theft Hamlet: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/grand-theft-hamlet

  • mubi

    We recently ditched Criterion for Mubi. Nothing against Criterion but I wanted to mix it up and Mubi has the kind of movies I’m craving. Plus Mubi has some 80s Godard films I wanted to rewatch. So, here’s some reviews of the movies I watched the past week or so.

    The Mastermind

    Inspired by French new wave heist films, but in America. In 1970. Living legend of cosmic jazz, Rob Mazurek, did the score. What little dialogue was poignant. Beautifully shot, written, and dressed. Every detail put into this movie is impressive. This is also coming to the Dryden on January 7th. See it.

    Christmas, Again

    Finally a moving Christmas movie without corny dialogue and ideology. The ending is sad too. Portrays the existentialism this time of the year of over thinking beaten down loners like me.

    Invention

    Kind of a low budget, but not terrible, after midnight movie on a community television station. If these things existed anymore. It’s about paranoia, conspiracy theories, science break thoughs and the human condition wrapped into one movie.

    Fragments for Venus

    I will not attempt to try to find words for the deeper meaning of this film, but what I understood of it makes me want to watch it again. I can relate to the two main characters, two black women, in a personality way, especially the second woman to be shown. I love how quiet observers can be worthy of artistic representation instead of the doers.

    Shithouse

    I wish I had a movie like this in my formative years.

    Louder Than You Think

    This is about Pavement’s first drummer, Gary Young. This is a very sweet bio pick about the drummer and a natural accompaniment to the movie Pavements.

    Moor Mother: Jazz Codes

    All emotions potentially possible in this short that has a sweet cosmic/spiritual jazz soundtrack.

    Two Days, Two Nights

    To keep her job a woman has a weekend to convince her coworkers to forgo a bonus so she can stayed employed. I really enjoyed the ending.

    Festen

    Like watching a family movie of a disturbing rich family where everyone gathers for the patriarch’s 60th birthday. Never had the opportunity to get into the Dogme 95 movement so this is my first introduction.

    Not Mubi stuff:

    Stranger Things. The Christmas and New Year Eves finales were entertaining. I feel if you nitpick it you probably are a blast at parties.

    Frankenstein. Guillermo del Toro usually does not do much for me but I liked this one. Nature vs nurture. Be careful what we create and how we treat it because it could not lead to an undesirable ending.

  • citypop

    2025. Final blog post of the year.

    I didn’t beat the bar in 2025. Maybe next year?

    I didn’t make many photos in 2025. I’d say it was 75% low sprain muscle type injuries to my leg and now my arm. I tried but pain in both situations wasn’t ideal. The other 25% was just stuff, like work and other welcome and unwelcome distractions. Focusing on the positive, I (and Beth) did a lot camping and reading, sometimes both at the same time. Lots of chess too. The ChessUp board is my favorite toy.

    Plans for more photo work in 2026 for sure.

    Most of the books I read were political and philosophy based. Although the Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley notebook books were an inspiring and a lesson in self awareness. The Neko Case and Replacements biographies were eye opening. I doubt you really want my thoughts on the Letterists, Situationists and Existentialists; probably a good thing.

    Really digging 60s – 70s American soul and funk music this year. That and 80s – 90s Japanese citypop. Right now I am watching a YouTube video of a DJ sweating through his bucket hat while playing some Japanese citypop at some bar in Seattle. I wish we had stuff like that here.

  • mystery train

    Mystery Train Records. Gloucester, MA.

  • zen garden sky

    Collage by me. Other working titles: “raking clouds” & “sky work.”

    Thinking about projects I’ve started and how little energy I have to do them lately. Capitalism is tiring.

    Thinking a lot about chess and how it’s the one activity that maintains my attention.

    Thinking about the lack of any vinyl listening bars in Rochester.

    Thinking about how we have a chess club in town but it’s not that inviting and comfortable to play at.

    Thinking about vinyl listening bars that are also chess clubs.

  • spinning around the sun

    I’m not big on vinyl “community” YouTube channels. There’s some good ones out there but most are just bragging about their collections or have uninteresting “hot takes” … much like photographer influencers, which are the worst of the art world influencers. This one came up in my feed, though.

    Mr. Ellis and his above thoughtful video “Quiet Music for Noisy Times” made me subscribe to his channel. He recommended Laurie Torres and Sam Wilkes, both of whom I enjoy. He did put me on to Gavin Clark, and I am quite enamored. Shameful I am just learning about Clark now.

    Gavin Clark’s Spinning Around the Sun is going to get played on this week’s Fantastic Voyage. Clark’s song writing of reminds me of Neil Halstead’s Mojave 3, whose albums need reissues. There’s some videos on Youtube with Clark singing in someone’s living room. The comments are filled with heartfelt tributes. I would love this on vinyl but shipping costs will keep it out of my collection.

    Not sure what to do today. I did walk to the DMV to renew my driver’s license, so I at least did something. It was very gloomy out and the nearest intersection’s lights were out. A winter jacket was too hot and a spring jacket would have been too light.

  • every man for himself, a tangent

    Godard made this film when he was 50. I’m turning 50 this week. I love Godard’s movies from the 80s. Sure, I love Breathless, Le Mepris, Band of Outsiders, etc, his output in the 60s is legendary … but this film, is a kind of entertainment I could not get in American films of that period. I think mostly it’s due to that I lived in Northern NY growing up. These 80s Godard films had an edge to them that seemed dull in most American films. I was close to the Canadian border and my mom was a French teacher. I was aware of an existence that was not anything Northern, NY and was fascinated by it. I saw Band of Outsiders via a satellite dish in the 80s. It had an effect on me. It was the same age, sort of, of my parents’ 60s American experience, but was way cooler.

    Getting to his 80s films in the 90s, close enough for them to be relatable and not that old. I’m no Godard expert or a film scholar, amateur or pro. I’ve read his biographies a long time ago; enough to not remember much, and watched almost all of his movies. Know enough about his life that he was kind of a jerk and flawed. Godard to me was an idealist and tried to portray that in his films. He was loved more by his films than as a person it seems. Almost as if what he showed on film was ok but words out of his mouth were (sometimes rightly) taken in a wrong way.

    Anyways, I’m on a tangent. I just can relate in a way.

    I have time off from work to relax. To ease into 50. Younger me would think this setup is cool. Watching Godard in an old school house. I’m going to enjoy Godard’s 80s films as a send off into the, hopefully, next 50. Maybe it will inspire me.