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The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
"The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death" is an exploration of a collection of eighteen miniature crime scene models that were built in the 1940's and 50's by a progressive criminologist Frances Glessner Lee (1878 – 1962). The models, which were based on actual homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths, were created to train detectives to assess visual evidence. This seven-year project culminated in an exhibition and a book The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death (The Monacelli Press, 2004).
The models display an astounding level of precision and detail: shades can be raised and lowered, mice live in the walls, stereoscopes work, whistles blow and pencils write. My photographs highlight the models’ painstaking detail, as well as the prominence of female victims. Through framing, scale, lighting, color, and depth of field, I attempt to bring intimacy and emotion to the scene of the crime. I want viewers to feel as if they inhabit the miniatures - to loose their sense of proportion and experience the large in the small. (cont.)
Three-Room Dwelling (baby’s crib)
Dark Bathroom (tub)
Parsonage Parlor (doll)
Kitchen (from afar)
Kitchen (door)
Garage (hat)
Three Room Dwelling (gun)
Burned Cabin (from afar)
Un-papered Bedroom
Three Room Dwelling (aerial)
Blue Bedroom (man)
Attic (letters)
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Murder Objects
The objects in these photographs were instrumental in cases of sudden and violent deaths. They pertain to solved-crimes, and are displayed in a glass cabinet at the Baltimore Forensic Medical Center. This series reflects my interest in how artifacts are displayed and viewed in particular cultural contexts and conditions. The mundane household objects reveal the transgressive possibilities of the domestic interior. During this time I was researching psychometry, in which psychics hold objects and receive psychic vibrations contained in the objects. I believed these objects would help to sharpen my psychometric abilities.
Nipple used as pacifier causing asphyxiation death of infant.
Electrocution. Note: Voltage Exit Burns
Elderly man who had daily medication prepared for him, cause of death related to pills left in container at time of death.
Lantern fueled by gasoline used by victim to heat automobile, which he was sleeping in. Victim died from carbon monoxide exposure generated by lantern. Note: Aluminum foil around heater globe and vent to restrict “light glow” of lantern.
Exhaust pipe cut by victim in an effort to camouflage a carbon monoxide suicide in a vehicle to have authorities rule as accidental.
Car Accident
Drug Paraphernalia
Pagan Motorcycle Club ID made from Tattoo on decomposed body.
A twenty-three year old woman was stabbed thirty three times with a pair of scissors in a drug related homicide. She was also bitten on the left side of her face during the attack. Bite mark impression castes were obtained from a suspect. He latter pled guilt to first-degree murder and received a life sentence.
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Haunted Houses
Haunted Houses is a long-term project in which I photographed and collected oral ghosts stories in over eighty haunted sites throughout the United States. The series was inspired by turn of the century spirit photographs and Victorian ghost stories written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. In being the medium through which the spirit of these houses was recorded, I continued the tradition of female sensitivity to the supernatural. When I photographed in haunted houses, I tried to open myself to the invisible nuances of a space. I photographed using a large format camera, with exposures often ranging from a few seconds to a few hours. Though the medium of the visible, photography makes the invisible apparent. By collecting extensive evidence of the surface, one becomes aware of what is missing, and a space is provided for the viewer to imagine the invisible. (cont.)
Atlas Theatre, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Army Barracks, Vancouver, Washington
Old Bermuda Inn, Staten Island, New York
Private Residence, Clinton, Maine
The Roehrs House, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Private Residence, Hawthorne, New Jersey
Apartment No.2, Brooklyn, New York
La Petite Theatre, New Orleans, Louisiana
Vealtown Tavern, Bernardsville, New Jersey
El Rancho, Las Vegas, Nevada
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p.s. Hey from New York. So, I'm here, and all is well apart from a really bad lack of sleep issue and jetlag as of day one, and, with a long day ahead, ugh. But enough about that. Long 'Them' rehearsal today and then the reading tonight, so I'd better get to it, and I'll fill you in on the local color and goings on in the next days. ** Tuesday ** L@rstonovich, Hey, man. ** Davidc, Looking forward to seeing you. I guess just send me an email when you're here or close, and we'll make a plan. Safe travels on your end. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi, David. Glad to hear ' ... Boonmee ...' is so good. That's what everyone I trust in Paris thought. ** Emily, Howdy, Emily. Glad you're settled in and past the panic stage. Makes sense. New house, new shadows and all that. I'm doing okay. Running on fumes today due to sleep pattern insanity, but I'm counting on coffee's friendship. ** Nb, Hey, new neighbor in effect. Yeah, got your Facebook message, and we can figure out a meet pronto. I have a couple of days off starting tomorrow, I think. ** David, Well, I've already seen your comment from tomorrow, but I'll pretend I haven't until I get there, and I'll just say I hope the results are as satisfactory as possible. ** Oscar B, Hey, pal. Greetings across the ocean. I made it, but, oh wow, was getting the RER train to the airport was complete hell. Tell you about that later. Keep everything ship shape. ** Empty Frame, Oh, right, Frieze is on now or ... was? I forget. Did you get there? Hope the wrinkle smoothed. ** Bill, Hey. Oh, looks I'm going to get lucky and the see the Paul Thek show at the Whitney. It opens late in my stay, so hopefully I'll be free-ish by then. I hear the catalog is a knockout. ** Alan, Hi. Oh, yeah, we'll have time. Like I told Nb, I think I have a couple of days off starting tomorrow, and then it'll get crazyish until 'Them' opens, and then I should be pretty clear except for the performances. What's your schedule? Let's make a plan. Thanks for the Cortazar link. I'll check it later. Everyone, Alan has a supplement to the Julio Cortazar post of the other day that he wants to alert you to, and here he is: 'I wanted to recommend this series of posts on English-language Cortazar editions that coincidentally appeared last week at the great Dreamers Rise blog.' ** The Evil Ghost of JW Veldhoen, Hey. Thanks a lot for the tip that lead to this post, obviously. And I got the email, which wasn't soppy at all, dude. If you want or need to hit the other event tonight, no problem for me. I hate doing readings anyway, although you would get to see the great Mark Doten if nothing else. Anyway, I'm around for a while, is what I'm saying. ** Sweettomb, Hey, Trinie. Will do, and email me too at the drop of a hat. I should have plenty of free time, and it'll be great to see you guys, natch. ** Plexus, Hey, maestroscity. You're jobless? Even the job with the boss who called you 'that'? I was going to say congrats on the new freedom, but I imagine it's all fucked up by hunting stress. Oh, I saw the photo censorship panel on your blog and wondered what could have been censored. Yikes. Well, if you want to add it to your Halloween costume late or anything, we can see if, uh, Picasaweb, I think, is less easily spooked. Okay, more below. Love for now. ** No more teenagekicks, Mark, my ... uh, boy. Man, do I need to tell you how very little I like that 'Dennis and the Boys' event title? So, I'll see you later. I think there's a sound check or something at like 6 pm or something if you want to come see how the mic and you are going to get along. ** Shannon, Thank you a lot, Shannon. I'm okay considering. I do need about four more hours of sleep than I got last night, though. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. That 'occult shoot' didn't look too occult other than your books, but I'm no occult expert for sure. Everyone, here's _B_A: 'Earlier tonight I went to a friend's house who was doing an 'occult photoshoot'. It was a bit risible but I took a few photos myself that are here on my blog. Nothing too gothy or Halloweeny happened but maybe the photos Ross took will tell a different story.' ** Nick, Hey, welcome, thank you for posting. You have three distinctly really interesting looking blogs. I just glanced, but I could tell. I want to hear The Communion. I'll hunt for sound later. Everyone, new commenter Nick has three blogs, all of which look quite good. They are The Communion, which seems to do with his band The Communion, and Logica Incubo Gola Cazzo, whose newest post is awesomely titled 'Splatter Lolita vs. The Neo-Con Cyber Goths', and Retributional Sodomy, which seems to address all sorts of interestings thing. Check one or all out. ** Steevee, Hey. The flight was tolerable, I think I would call it. I thought the Salem and Sun Araw comparison was pretty lazy or superficial or something, yeah. ** Creative Massacre, Oh, sure, I remember when you were going down to meet her. Really great that it's worked out. Are you guys commuting to see each other whenever you can? Is there a move on either one's part in the works? Anyway, point is, that's great news, pal! ** Andrew, Updates, excellent, I'll go check the new photos and/or writing when I get my brain back and get some time. Tomorrow at the latest. Cool. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Maybe I saw one of the 'Cube' sequels. That would explain it. Your day had all sorts of drama and anecdotal goodness. I'm a bit too sleepy to do more than register it today. But, yeah. So, a slurry, hazy, quick version my, uh, two days, I guess. Or yesterday anyway. There's a huge strike in France right now, as you probably know. So taking the usually easy train to the airport was torturous because it left from some new weird new place, and there were hardly any trains, and it was so packed and airless that one woman fainted near me and had to be revived, which was hard because it was so packed that you could barely move your arms an inch. Eventually, I made it to the airport, and it was fairly standard after that. It was a budget flight, so the movies were shown on a screen in the cabin like in the old flying days. They were that newish Karate Kid movie, which was whatever, and 'Where the Wild Things Are', which was even worse on second viewing. The guy sitting next to me was on the first leg of a 38 hour flight to Perth, Australia, poor guy. I got to NYC. This guy Ben Pryor who's helping with 'Them' met me at the apartment. We had coffee at The Mercer Hotel, and then it was late enough for me to get into the apartment itself. It's very cool, spacious, part of a loft. It was the childhood bedroom of one of the dancers in 'Them', and now it's sort of an apartment and sort of a bedroom in the loft. The internet is hit or miss so far. Anyway, then I went to the New Museum, met the performers, and we rehearsed until 8 pm. I think the piece looks really good. There's something very innocent about it now that I like and that I think might make it kind of moving and maybe fresh. We'll see. Then my friends/ collab guys Ishmael and Chris Cochrane came back to my place, and we visited for a while. Then I crazed about 9 pm, and woke up at 4:30 am, ugh, and now today is going a very sleepy one. Anyway, your turn. ** Catachrestic, Hey, man. Nice add. Catachrestic suggests an addition to the Goth Gig post yesterday, and here he is: 'i feel like i have to append this video derek jarman did for throbbing gristle, though it's not goth, strictly speaking.' Yours is a fair assessment of Sun Araw as far as I'm concerned. Hm, fourth boy down ... I don't remember, but I think it must have been just a resemblance, unless my eyes deceived me. I'll go check back later. You want to be my avatar? Cool. So, I should recommend spooky houses to you then?Okay, I'll make a list. Knotts Scary Farm is the big obvious one off the top of my head. That's spooky house heaven. But I'll look up more. Thanks, J. Good thoughts to you too. Excuse my sleep deprived haze this morning. ** Misanthrope, Hey, G. You're probably on your way, and I guess I'll see you later on, yeah? Like I keep saying, I have a couple of days off starting tomorrow, so let's plan something tonight, I guess. ** Kiddiepunk, Is everything still okay in Recolletsland? Miss you, pal. ** Wednesday ** Misanthrope, Thanks, G. It was safe enough, it seems. See you in mere hours. ** David Ehrenstein, Hey. I don't know about Jacques Audiard filming one of Bret's books. Was that in one of the clips? I might have missed it. ** David, And now, finally, congrats so to speak. Or tentative congrats if your insurance covers it. So, the idea is that you'll sleep with the mask for, like, forever? ** Dungan, Hey, Shaun! How great to see you! Thanks a lot about my dad. Yeah, you might see me before too long. Or I think so. Both because I want to come to LA badly and because there might be an LA memorial service rather a Hawaii one. How are you? What's going on? Are you writing? I'd love a catch up, if you don't mind. ** Laurabeth, Hey, Laura! Look, if it's a hassle to come today, don't. I'll be here until October 31st, so you could come down any time between now and then, and we could see each other. So, don't push yourself about tonight. It might be more trouble than it's worth. ** Plexus, To me, the term 'queer writer' is really uninteresting, I don't relate to that term at all. Obviously, there are writers who are into making their queerness a really prominent thing in their identities as writers. As for the tag about tonight, yeah, I think that has to do with Spank Magazine co-sponsoring the event. They gave me a bunch of writers they like, I guess, and told me to pick three I liked to read with me, so I did. I guess it's the magazine that's into that moniker. I don't know about the other writers. To me, you're a writer whose name is Gabe, and I'm a writer named Dennis, and we write about anything we want to write about, and people will tag us with whatever category they want. I've had a bunch: queer, transgressive, New Narrative, experimental, Downtown, LA, bad ... ha ha. Sleepy headed love to you, Gabe. ** Will Decker, Hey, Will. Yeah, things have happened. I wish I had been there when my father died, yes, definitely, but ... I wasn't. He's not having a funeral or casket. Cremated and scattered in the ocean. My stepmother doesn't want to have a funeral or memorial service, so far at least. I forget where in Oklahoma he was from. I'll ask my sister. Interesting about Bruce Goff. I don't know his work, but I'll investigate. Everyone, Will Decker recommends the work of an architect named Bruce Goff. Here is a video showing his unbuilt Crystal Chapel project, and here is a video showing some private homes he designed. Check them out. Thanks, Will. I'm fuzzy of mind due to too little sleep, but otherwise I'm fine. You certainly sound fine. ** Andrew, Ha ha, thanks, A. ** Sypha, Thanks, James. I hope all is going well with you too. ** Ishmael, Hey, Ish! It's awesome for me too, big time. So, see you in just a few hours. I got bad sleep, but I'll coffee up and do my journeyman number. ** Right. So, we're on track again. Hope you like the latest Halloween installment. I'll go keep trying to prop my eyes open now and then rehearse, read my stuff, and whatever else. Then I'll see you tomorrow.
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