I know this post is mad late…

Im also writing at a pretty mad late hour…its 3:22am right now.

In case you’re wondering, the pictures that we took for the exhibit were supposed to be our interpretation for one or all 3 of the scripts for the City Life Project. I shot Rich Kidd’s Trespassing script in Jane and Finch the day the pictures were due at midnight. lol. To anyone who’s unfamiliar with Jane and Finch, heres an excerpt from Wikipedia.

“The community has one of the largest concentrations of criminal gangs of any area in Canada. It also has “one of the highest proportions of youth, sole-supported families, refugees and immigrants, low-income earners and public housing tenants of any community in Toronto”

I mean Im no stranger to the neighbourhood, since I grew up all around the area, but it aint the most comfortable thing to walk through the hood at midnight with $3000 worth of equipment in one hand. Im not a nimble teenager anymore who has something to prove you know? lol. Im guessing me walking into the complexes with a only a marina and tattoos showing probably helped my cause. I bumped into a couple locals while I was walking around, and I just nodded at them as if I lived on the block. lol.

If you hate the photos, Im sorry. I tried.

The City Life Exhibit was great and crappy at the same time. Great because it was another chance for me show the world my work. Crappy because I wasnt satisfied with my work and also crappy because half of my students in Concrete Willderness were a part of the exhibit and they totally smoked my ass right out of the water.

Its definitely a bitter sweet feeling. You feel amazing because your students have learned well and theyve become great at what they do and love. But on the other hand, its a subconscious bummy feeling when you realize that your relevance to their careers are diminishing. Its one day closer to a day they no longer need you. Which is great because I dont want them to dependent on me forever, but I guess I just feel like a parent of sorts right?

Its like seeing your kids grow up and theyre ready to move out and spread their wings. Theyre thankful for what youve contributed and how you’ve influenced them, but its time to take the knowledge and soar.

By no means am I bitter, lol, its just an interesting feeling is all. Ive never felt this feeling before and I thought it was something I should share.

I looked at my pieces on the wall beside them and realized how amazing theyve become as artists and how much theyve grown since I first met them. I was so proud…and then I suddenly realized I wanted to take my work down. lol.

I want to give a special shout outs to the amazingness that are my students at Concrete Willderness who were a part of the exhibit – Andre, Ruthie, Johan – You guys are my shit!

Also I wanted to shout out the other photographers that were a part of the exhibit – Maryam, Cristian, Anthony and Jada of the Remix Project. Shout outs to Gavin, Brock, Drex, and T-RexXx for including my work in such a important and successful event. I am truly honored.