“What is the Other Side of 8? The Answer”
In Don Julien’s photographs, we’re not home, we’re somewhere else. We’re looking at everyday stuff that catches our eye. Why? These pictures are full of empty. Coats hang limply, chairs go unsat in, pools aren’t swum in.
Maybe we like feeling alienated. It’s certainly familiar. There is odd and personal beauty in barren beaches, empty basketball courts, abandoned stuff, always with great light. Beauty is in the … well, you know where it is.
Q: What did Zero say to 8? A: Nice belt.
Q: What did 5 warn 6 about 7? A: 7 ate 9.
Is 9 the other side of 8 or is 7? It depends on your point of view, on which way you’re going. (This is the existential part of the program; the Dad jokes are over.)
Actually the other side of 8 is 8. If you turn it around or flip it, it’s still 8. How about that? Turn it on its side and its infinity. *1
Don Julien works in the movies and television and as he proceeds through his life, he makes these special mind-scapes to go along with the movie in his head. He’s always looking, always.
These become meditation places. Think about the light that is still on in the house. Think about these unexpected colors. Here’s a chance to think about your unresolved abandonment issues. We’re screwed; these are the pictures. Have a nice day.
W.M. Hunt lives and works in New York City and talks and writes about photography. He’s always looking too.
Don Julien, The Other Side of 8, Foothills Galleries, Cleveland Heights, OH, November 17-, 2021
*1 An observation made by Frazier King, Houston-based collector.
©2021