Friday, November 21, 2008

Choosing Titles


I've been thinking about the titling of my series of people pictures. I have been calling them Color People after a line from an Animal Collective song, De Soto de Son: "Color people say oh no, cause they think it’s contagious/Marshmallow people say oh yeah, 'cause they think it's a masterpiece." I think it fits perfectly, but it's a little obscure. It seems to allude to race, without really doing so, which I kind of like, but I doubt other people will be drawn to it for this reason.

So I've been leaning toward "Selected People." It's descriptive, it's plain, it proabably helps the viewer figure out what's going on a little.

My final choice is a little more poetic: "Many Are Chosen." This, of course, alludes to Walker Evans's series "Many Are Called," his series of grave and sad subway portraits. (It comes from the Bible itself: "Many are called, but few are chosen.") These pictures are a serious influence on my work. As are PL di Corcia's Heads and Harry Callahan's downtown Chicago candid street portraits. I'd like to put myself in a line with them, naturally. Who wouldn't?

I like "Many Are Chosen" because, in my book, all are welcome, all are equal, and nobody's going to heaven anyway. But I like "Selected People" for it's simplicity. I like "Color People" because, to me, anyway, it's funny and it explains my work a little.

So, for now, it's "Selected People."

No comments: