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MORSowheredidthatcomefromWhendidthatnotionenterintoyourconsciousnessWWIthinkingraduateschool.Ihadagoodmentor.AgainIwasinanotherprogramasmallerprogramthatwasdominatedbywhiteartistsforthemostpart.TherewereoneortwoAsianartiststeachingnoAfricanAmericanteaching.IwasattheUniversityofTexasUTinAustinin1980.ButmyprimarymentorMarkGoodmanwasfantastic.Itwasagoodcoincidence.HeandhiswifehadjustarrivedinAustintobeginteaching.GarryWinograndhadleft.HeGoodmanarrived.Iarrivedatthesametime.Hewascomingfromthenortheast.HisbasictrainingincollegewasasananthropologistbuthebecameaphotographerbyspendingyearsatApeironApeironWorkshopCentersinPhotographydoingstuffattheWorkshopandgraduallybeingmentoredbyvariousphotographers.Hedgottengrantsandfellowshipsandthingslikethatbuthecamefromthisanthropologybackground.ThiswasthefirsttimethatIwastalkingtosomebodyalotaboutphotographywhowasconcernedwithcontentaswellastheformalqualitiesbutverymuchconcernedwithconstructingsomethingwiththisinthisway.EventhoughmyseniorthesisinundergraduateschoolwasprojectorienteditwasreallynotuntilthenthatIreallyhadlengthyconversationsabouttheideaofworkingonlargerbodiesofworkinadifferentway.AndIthinkthatthatprobablymoldedalotofhowIstillworktoday.Thatinfluencewasverystrong.IwasattheirhouseeatingallthetimeIdgooutwithMarkphotographingtogetheralltheseconversationslunchestogetherbecauseIwashisTAteachingassistant.MORSothisbeginstoinformyourworkandyourworldview.WWYesmyworldviewexactly.MORWhatwasyourworklikethenWWActuallymyworkwasabsolutelynothinglikewhathewasdoing.Iwasdoingtheselandscapeswithcameramovementsotheywereveryimpressionisticviewsofthelandscapeveryexperimental.IwasalsomakingtheseotherpicturesatthesametimeIwasdoing35mmblackandwhiteimagesnotlookingthroughtheviewfinderandtheneditingandfindingbitsandpiecesthatIthoughtwereinterestinginthisveryexperimentalway.SoIhadayearafterIfinishedundergraduatethatIgotajobatVisualArtsforawholeyear.TheyhadafascinatingconceptatleastunderAliceBeck-Odettenotsureiftheystilldoit.Youhaveaoneyearjobandtheykickedyououtafterayear.Theypickedastudentwhowouldworkintheequipmentcageforoneyear.Theypickedsomebodygoodandsaidheresafull-timejobforayearbutthenyoureouttahere.Youhadtofigureoutwheretogobecausetheydidntwantyoutobecomejustanotherstaffpersonatthecollege.AndsoduringthattimeImetapainterwhowasvisitingNewYorkfromUTandthatshowIendedupgoingtoUT.IdidntknowMarkorhiswork.MORHowdidyoufeelaboutgoingtoTexasleavingtheNortheastWWItwasanadventure.Iwaslikethisisgreat.IwasstillnotanydifferentthanIdbeeninhighschoolImnotsurewhatImgoingtodo.MORSoyoudidntfeellikeImleavingtheNewYorkartsceneWWNo.MORYoumaynothavefeltlikepartofthatyetWWRightIdidntfeellikepartofit.Exactly.IdtriedtodoalittlecommercialworkanditwasnotsomethingIwashappywith.Itneverworkedoutfinanciallyformeassomebodystartingout.Itwasdifficult.SoIwentbecauseIthoughtitwouldbeagreatadventureanditseemedinteresting.AssomeonewhowasborninNewarklivedinNewJerseyNewYorkandPhillyTexasseemedexotic.TherewasasensethatIwasgoingsomeplacethatwaskindofunique.HairFrederickDouglass.RushRheesLibraryUniversityofRochesterNY2014