My Photo scholarship 2010 entry
Worldwide | Tuesday, September 28, 2010 | 5 photos
The following are images of a man who I met at the legendary flea market on Chicago's Maxwell Street. His name is Tyner White, but is often referred to as T. Maxwell McWhiteKnight, and is something of a visionary: the inventor of the Stradizuki, the Bogie, and the game of Lawn Chess, and theorist of Treetheism and Psychophoenetics. Tyner invited me into a warehouse on 135th, his home and office, and introduced me to his one-of-a-kind universe.
The images show Tyner demonstrating the Stradizuki, a toy violin constructed from salvaged bits of junk (i.e. a sprite bottle, cat food can, coathanger wire). Also pictured are Tyner's handcrafted cardboard briefcases, which are filled with detailed schematics of other devices; the inventor carries these everywhere he goes and is always eager to share his ideas. The final image depicts White delicately sanding a piece of scrapwood for a work-in-progress.
I am a traveler who likes to venture off the beaten path. I have a knack for landing myself in strange situations and for meeting colorful characters. I am not a professional photographer, but wherever I may be, my Canon is stowed in the accessible front pouch of my pack, ready to record the sublime strangeness of the world around me.
I have had dreams of hiking through the Himalayas. The serenity, the starkness, the nature and culture that's escaped the grip of the Western world- these things are enticing for me. I want to experience culture shock. I will bring on this trip an eye for the vivid details that make the land come alive.
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