The American Diorama – Yale Peabody Museum – New Haven, CT

Thursday, March 26th, 2009 | The American Diorama | No Comments

Check out these pics from amazing & beautiful YALE Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT.

The museum is operated by Yale University and the Natural History exhibits and dioramas can serve as a looking glass into the history of the ivy league institution and the nature of power in the United States in general.

Simply put, it was the rich, powerful WASPs that could afford to depart on Indian Jones style safaris, traveling the world and pillaging it’s riches and collecting exotic species on display at the Peabody Museum. Of course its a double edge sword because we owe our modern “civilized” society to the scientific innovation that resulted from this aggressive knowledge gathering.

Yale University owes its name to Elihu Yale, the school’s first benefactor. Elihu worked with East India Company and amassed a fortune through illegal profiteering in colonial India. Evidently Elihu made a lot of money in the trade of precious gems and much of his collection of rare specimens are on display at the Peabody Museum’s hall of minerals. It seems to me that Yale University was founded on the 17th Century equivalent of blood diamonds.

-Tonky

Jewelry Store Knight

Friday, February 20th, 2009 | The American Diorama | No Comments

Spotted this knight in a downtown jewelry store window. Perhaps he guards the beautiful (and fairly priced) treasures inside – Why-ever he is standing there, I like it.

-Tonky

Inauguration 2009: Scenes From the American Diorama

Friday, January 23rd, 2009 | The American Diorama | No Comments

I found my way back to civilization (NYC) after a weekend in DC to celebrate the inauguration and to generally take in the great day.

Here are some scenes from the American Diorama, my ongoing photography project. You’ll find shots of Obama Swag Vendors, FBI security teams under the Washington Monument, Rows of Porta-pots, Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum Patrons, Lincoln’s Life Mask, and more.

Prints available upon request.

enjoy!

-Tonky

Professor Edwardo Alvarado: NYC Transit Performer

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 | The American Diorama | 1 Comment

I like this guy. I was hussling around Manhattan yesterday and took a moment to watch Professor Edwardo Alvarado cut the keys. He had these great dancing figures accompanying him. Yes, I gave him a dollar as do I for anyone offering the gift of song.

-Tonky

See short video I shot:

and another random one from youtube:

Coney Island Polaroid Man

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 | The American Diorama | No Comments

Here’s another pic from my American Diorama photo series. I snapped the image on a scorcher this summer as I wandered in search of a guy selling peeled mangoes on sticks with hot sauce.

MMM just the thought makes my mouth water.

-Tonky

Times Square Evangelizers: The End is Nigh – But seriously they might be right

Monday, October 20th, 2008 | Contemporary Art, The American Diorama, Under The Patina of Knowledge | No Comments

I snapped these two pictures over a year apart on the same corner of Times Square in NYC. The images are part of an ongoing series I’m calling “The American Diorama” that looks at contemporary Americans through the fictional lens of 19-20th century colonial sociologists.

So, I saw the guy with the yellow sign this Friday and he announced, “People! Your money isn’t real. Get smart to what’s important in this life.”

While I don’t insist that choosing Jesus as one’s personal savior is the best way out our society’s many problems, we should listen to this guy. Money is the ultimate abstraction and the current economic turmoil/bubble burst resulted from us humans and particularly the ones working in downtown Manhattan worshipping our own financial inventions.

Let us all get back to the real world. Take 10 deep and measured breaths and focus on the analogue. This rallying cry from your humble narrator who just spent an hour crafting a digital blog post. <sigh>

love,
Tonky