#Darwin Centre: #Natural History Museum #CFMoller #architects
I remember many portrait sessions with scientists (Nobel laureates and more).Collectively they reminded me of a character from Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway. Dianne Wiest’s character would cushion her hands up against John Cusack’s character and whisper in quiet decibels “Don’t Speak, Don’t Speak”.
I always thought the scientists were afraid I would try to have a mano y mano about their work. I was obviously not up to the task. Dozens of scientists later, I realized I had been thrillingly enlightened through osmosis by my one on one experiences. My mind remembers those geniuses fondly, but mostly like an encounter with the whirling Taz (Tasmanian Devil from the Looney Tunes).
I remember one morning driving from Los Angeles to La Jolla. The dreamy California wave sets along the coast pushed my mind into a bit of the divine. It was a bit too early to see (even for me) the world through Hunter S.Thompsons’ kaleidoscope eyes. So I dreamed of dreams to come until I arrived at my destination.
I was nearing the Nobel laureate Gerald Edelman’s Neuroscience Institute.
#Nobellaureate #Science #GeraldEdelman
I did imagine as I drove up the La Jolla hills seeing Patrick McGoohan from the television series “The Prisoner”. He seemed to be wildly waving “turn back!! danger!”.
His Sci-fi series was among the most visually enigmatic television series. This Neuroscience Institute reminded me of the “Prisoner”. It was mind popping beautiful and alluring like science fiction tv/movie sets all wrapped up in one.
My imagination conjures up the bizarre with the snap of a finger. I am sort of inexplicably a living “Walter Mitty”.
I received the V.I.P treatment from my host. Dr. Edelman was a prince. He was famous for (among other things) his discovery of the structure of antibody molecules. Yes of course, I was incapable of comprehending his achiements. But like the thousands of portraits I have made, it has always been about making a human map about people on the planet who had made a difference.
I think at first Edelman was a bit suspicious about how I was going to capture his portrait and his institute. I was very much in love with his surroundings. I did not at first let on, that the experience felt a bit like the movies “Ex Machina” meets “Frankenstein” meets “The Time Machine”.
I have always been excited by what may be hidden in plain sight in the “Halls of Science”I have photographed. There is so much mystery and excitement to behold. I think my camera was tickled with anticipation to create even more mystery. I kept Dianne Wiest in mind, and began to make some pictures that the Institutes’ architects (Billie Tsien and Tod Williams) and Dr Edelman would appreciate far beyond my enthusiasm.
#NeuroscienceInstitute #LaJolla #Architect #BillieTsien #TodWilliams
Later that afternoon, I drove down the hillside. When I got to the bottom I paused long enough to reflect on my day. I went for a quick swim at Black’s Beach. I saw my day as an accumulation of emotional layers bursting with excitement. I dove through the breaking waves relishing my decades of photography.
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I remember one day, flying over Switzerland. I was on my way to photograph the scientist Carl Djerassi. He created the key ingredient for the Oral Contraceptive (The Pill).
I was pre-visualizing my portrait session. I began to think about my photography experiences. Every time I snap a picture all of my memories and ideas are compacted into one frame. In a visual way it is akin to the Swiss CERN’ (Large Hadron Collider). When ideas or atoms or any ingredients are combined, something greater comes from it. Maybe the above is a bit sophomoric thinking and silly, but why not run with the truth?
I drove with a bit of madness from Geneva to Djerassi’s hotel near the Swiss Alps. The dead of winter is not for the feint of heart. Slipping along the ice and skimming along the snowy banks was crazy. But I was late, and I had a limited time to capture what I needed to get. I knew if I accelerated, I would get to my destination a bit sooner. “Vroom”.
My arrival was a bit anti-climatic. I knew Djerassi was quite wealthy from his discovery and other investments. I was ushered in to a small hotel room. Carl sat under a single police interrogation styled light. He studied his watch and said, “you are late”. So without much ado we danced. Sometimes, I felt like Tevye on the rooftops. Sometimes I feel like dancing the Capoeira.
It seemed that we immediately built a friendship. I was traveling for photography. He was traveling to liberate his identity. When I met Carl, I could hear him moan like Marlon Brando , “I coulda been a contender”. It was something that pervaded the Djerassi’s session. He wore his burden on his forehead. He shoulda won the NOBEL! Carl was a fabulous session.
#CarlDjerassi #contaceptive #ThePill #Scientist
Somehow any conversation weighed down by the Nobel issue was eclipsed by something more euphoric. In a way he just wanted to engage in my life as I wished to do with him. The genius told me he had fifteen minutes when I arrived. But two hours later we agreed to say goodbye.
Many people have felt comfortable commissioning me because I don’t gossip. It is the acknowledged law of the land that you don’t reveal the intimate conversations.
Carl did share many stories about people we had in common. His tone was pure admiration.
It was the dark of night when I got back into my car. I realized that I had met Marlon Brandos “contender” from “On the Waterfront”. But more importantly, I met a great intellectual icon in the company of the Swiss Alps. I raced along the dangers of winter’s darkness back to my Geneva comforts. Is there a better way to reflect upon photography’s pleasures?
#Rosecenterforearthandspace #americanmuseumofnaturalhistory #neildeGrasse #polshek #ToddSchliemann #architects