New Cooper Union: I really like the new Cooper Union. The surface is a rough perforated metal skin, it’s bold and tough but somehow sensual too. It’ll be a great space to create work in for the students.
Water tower: There’s something lovely and old about all of New York’s water towers. I bet those apartments know all about that water tower. It must be a constant presence in their day, the shadow arcing across their rooms.
Central Park: They were an Upper East side couple, he’s a jazz saxophonist busking for a living. From their conversation they’d obviously had enjoyed him for a long time over the years.
New York: I always miss the towers when I see the end of the island. They made sense from that viewpoint. Up close they were pretty oppressive but from out in the bay, they were elegant and precise, a point to orient from.
The Royale: The first time I took Jack to the Royale on St. Marks he was only about six. The barber shop had six Russians cutting the hair of the usual East Village assortment of clientele. He yelped when the scissors first cut his hair and, to a man, all six barbers yelled “Be a man!” which startled him enough to sit and accept the ordeal. So it was interesting for me to bring him there, a man now.
Pump and meter: There was another one along the wall… this one had it’s meter open.
Old pump: Came across this lovely pump today, a brass nozzle gleaming amidst decades of diesel soaked stone and yard.
Clouds over Lough Key: Doing shoots for my mother’s upcoming history book on Breifne. Getting out and about with an agenda always means picking up other shots too… I was up trying to find something to indicate the Curlew Mountains (and failed really) The only thing that spoke to me (in a very crowded sky) was this fella.
Liffey Descent: Our Liam (not shown, video to follow..) did the Liffey Descent, 16km down the river, hundreds of competitors, three weirs to go down and what’s called a portage which means Dads get to lift your boat with you and run gracefully down a muddy hill.
The Fifth Weir: The race official said ‘there’s four weirs on the course’ to which of course his Dad had to say…