This is an article/review of Jerry Hsu's Photo Gallery that I did for Looseworld.com. Here's the link to the original.
This past Thursday, Vice was holding an opening reception for one of their featured photographers called The Torture Never Stops: A selection of photographs by Jerry Hsu. Jerry is more notably a professional skateboarder for Enjoi. It’s easy to like someone who’s just good at whatever they do. And that’s Jerry.
To learn more about Jerry watch a profile on him on Patrick O’Dell’s great series Epicly Later’d:
The gallery was a few blocks from Canal St so it wasn’t to far from where I lived, which was good because it was hot. It wasn’t unbearable heat, but I made the dumb choice of wearing thick jeans, because I was too lazy to change into shorts.
As soon as I entered the gallery I realized I wasn’t going to stay long. Besides the environment of “cool” people looking at pictures, it was somehow hotter in the gallery than it was outside.
I quickly went to my self-confidence move of checking my phone. I didn’t go to the show with anyone, so I needed to collect my thoughts before I really walked into the seemingly judgmental stares.
After checking on my phone (which consisted of browsing the pictures I have taken) I proceeded to find the free drinks table. Besides liking Jerry’s pictures and needing a reason to get out of my apartment, the reception did advertise free tequila. I don’t know why this made my decision to go that much easier, considering I don’t really get drunk from tequila (long story) and getting really drunk as a goal never is enjoyable, just really sad (longer story).
I walked from the entrance to what seemed to be the drink table. I cautiously approached it, convinced I already looked like an idiot, and asked what was going on.
Lady: Do you want to get your picture taken?
In my head: No. I hate pictures of myself. Especially if they are taken by people I don’t know who might use it for things I don’t want them to be used for.
What I said: Yes.
I walked over to the table, which was actually just had a pile of shirts on it. The tequila company was doing promotions, by giving out a free V-neck if the person got their picture taken in front of a stack of boxes of their tequila.
I got my picture taken with the shirt on and asked the lady behind the table if I had to keep it on. She said yes, but in a way where I knew she was just fucking with me, but possibly not. I walked away, already sweating and took off the shirt.
I then proceeded to look around. There were stacks of free Vice magazines as well as little pocket-dumb-promotion-guide to the city thing. I grabbed a magazine and I spotted the actual drinks table.
I saw the DJ booth, next to the drinks table, which was odd because I couldn’t hear any music over the whirring of the industrial fans that were going a max capacity to stem the stagnant heat.
I walked over to the table not knowing really what to do. I’ve been to an open bar before, so I was sure to bring tip money, meaning it wasn’t really an open bar. Is it really ever? If you leave with the drink and don’t leave a tip does that guilt really constitute the openness of an open bar? I wish I could ask someone who didn’t feel guilty doing that and see what they say.
Behind the drinks table were what I could only describe as hunky men in the aforementioned v-neck t-shirts. I stood in line as I eyed two men behind the table next to a cooler, who had no one in their line. I didn’t realize they were also serving beer so I went to them, tip in hand.
Walking away from the table, beer in hand (guilt free) I saw Jerry’s photos from his photo blog http://nazigold.tumblr.com. I saw many of them before on his site, but I looked at them again, not wanting to just stand around.
I felt odd standing there. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know what the standard/respectful time of viewing photographs is or the fact that I honestly tried to study a picture that was simply a man (Kevin Long) on one knee holding an engagement box.
I mean how long can you really study a picture, before you go “OK. I get it.” Trying to study a photograph also doesn’t help when Jerry’s photographs are anything but complicated. They’re often just single note joke pictures or odd juxtapositions that are great, they just don’t lend themselves to intellectual discussion.
Pretty soon it got to the point where thick jeans and heat means leaving a fairly dull reception. I finished my beer and waddled home fantasizing about a cold rejuvenating shower.
The pictures are great. Even better on the numerous websites they can currently be found on, in the comfort and convenience of your home PC.
GIVE AWAY:
If you want the free t-shirt I was given (and wiped my sweaty forehead with, which I later washed) email us at holler@looseworld.com and you will be put into a drawing to win the shirt. The winner will meet at an undisclosed location (probably the looseworld office) and receive the t-shirt and a pat on the back.
This past Thursday, Vice was holding an opening reception for one of their featured photographers called The Torture Never Stops: A selection of photographs by Jerry Hsu. Jerry is more notably a professional skateboarder for Enjoi. It’s easy to like someone who’s just good at whatever they do. And that’s Jerry.
To learn more about Jerry watch a profile on him on Patrick O’Dell’s great series Epicly Later’d:
The gallery was a few blocks from Canal St so it wasn’t to far from where I lived, which was good because it was hot. It wasn’t unbearable heat, but I made the dumb choice of wearing thick jeans, because I was too lazy to change into shorts.
As soon as I entered the gallery I realized I wasn’t going to stay long. Besides the environment of “cool” people looking at pictures, it was somehow hotter in the gallery than it was outside.
I quickly went to my self-confidence move of checking my phone. I didn’t go to the show with anyone, so I needed to collect my thoughts before I really walked into the seemingly judgmental stares.
After checking on my phone (which consisted of browsing the pictures I have taken) I proceeded to find the free drinks table. Besides liking Jerry’s pictures and needing a reason to get out of my apartment, the reception did advertise free tequila. I don’t know why this made my decision to go that much easier, considering I don’t really get drunk from tequila (long story) and getting really drunk as a goal never is enjoyable, just really sad (longer story).
I walked from the entrance to what seemed to be the drink table. I cautiously approached it, convinced I already looked like an idiot, and asked what was going on.
Lady: Do you want to get your picture taken?
In my head: No. I hate pictures of myself. Especially if they are taken by people I don’t know who might use it for things I don’t want them to be used for.
What I said: Yes.
I walked over to the table, which was actually just had a pile of shirts on it. The tequila company was doing promotions, by giving out a free V-neck if the person got their picture taken in front of a stack of boxes of their tequila.
I got my picture taken with the shirt on and asked the lady behind the table if I had to keep it on. She said yes, but in a way where I knew she was just fucking with me, but possibly not. I walked away, already sweating and took off the shirt.
I then proceeded to look around. There were stacks of free Vice magazines as well as little pocket-dumb-promotion-guide to the city thing. I grabbed a magazine and I spotted the actual drinks table.
I saw the DJ booth, next to the drinks table, which was odd because I couldn’t hear any music over the whirring of the industrial fans that were going a max capacity to stem the stagnant heat.
I walked over to the table not knowing really what to do. I’ve been to an open bar before, so I was sure to bring tip money, meaning it wasn’t really an open bar. Is it really ever? If you leave with the drink and don’t leave a tip does that guilt really constitute the openness of an open bar? I wish I could ask someone who didn’t feel guilty doing that and see what they say.
Behind the drinks table were what I could only describe as hunky men in the aforementioned v-neck t-shirts. I stood in line as I eyed two men behind the table next to a cooler, who had no one in their line. I didn’t realize they were also serving beer so I went to them, tip in hand.
Walking away from the table, beer in hand (guilt free) I saw Jerry’s photos from his photo blog http://nazigold.tumblr.com. I saw many of them before on his site, but I looked at them again, not wanting to just stand around.
I felt odd standing there. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know what the standard/respectful time of viewing photographs is or the fact that I honestly tried to study a picture that was simply a man (Kevin Long) on one knee holding an engagement box.
I mean how long can you really study a picture, before you go “OK. I get it.” Trying to study a photograph also doesn’t help when Jerry’s photographs are anything but complicated. They’re often just single note joke pictures or odd juxtapositions that are great, they just don’t lend themselves to intellectual discussion.
Pretty soon it got to the point where thick jeans and heat means leaving a fairly dull reception. I finished my beer and waddled home fantasizing about a cold rejuvenating shower.
The pictures are great. Even better on the numerous websites they can currently be found on, in the comfort and convenience of your home PC.
GIVE AWAY:
If you want the free t-shirt I was given (and wiped my sweaty forehead with, which I later washed) email us at holler@looseworld.com and you will be put into a drawing to win the shirt. The winner will meet at an undisclosed location (probably the looseworld office) and receive the t-shirt and a pat on the back.
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