Altered States of Agoraphobia Flickr Group

Chuck Patch

A Kochanowski

Jim Hart

Aaron Noah Graham

Don Hudson

Tim )ezra(

Alexis Gerard

For some time now I have contemplated extending my own personal photographic work to involve the work of other photographers and artists and last month I started the Altered States of Agoraphobia Flickr group as a response to this. These photographs presented here are only a tiny selection of the 1000 plus images which have already been submitted to this group.

This Flickr group, much like my own on-going work, could be described as a psychological, geographical and cultural investigation into the United States of America today by what I call its ‘Resident Aliens’. It is a contemporary photographic exploration into both the psyche of the artist and also a document of the world in which he inhabits and the forces acting on both. It is a journey which explores the destination with the aim of eventually creating, collectively, both a personal and also universal portrait of America by its residents.

It is an experiment which I hope is full of insight and discovery.

My intention with this group is to link some of the images submitted there to my blog in the form of edited sequences, artist’s features and for the purpose of exploring ideas, notions, observations and trends made by artists who are tuned into the subtle energies at work internally and externally in America today. The ASA members are psychic agents. A national artistic collective of like minded photographers with a certain outlook and of vision who are interested in making insightful and sensitive observations. It is a place where 1+1=3 .

I have also set up a separate blog to platform some of the work submitted to this new project. Altered States of Agoraphobia (II) which can be found by following this link below:

http://alteredstatesofagoraphobia2.blogspot.com/

Glore Psychiatric Museum

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit the creepy but extremely interesting Glore Psychiatric museum in the city of St Joseph in Missouri. St Jo is also a beautiful city which I have plans to visit again and explore with my camera soon

This is what their Glore Psychiatric museum website says about it:

In 1968 the Glore Psychiatric Museum was started in an abandoned ward of the St. Joseph State Hospital by George Glore. He had been collecting historical psychiatric treatment devices as well as interesting items made by the patients of the hospital for over 40 years.

The original set up featured full size replica exhibits of 16th, 17th and 18th century "treatment" devices that resemble the torture devices used during the same period. These were created by George for a mental health awareness week celebration. The public loved them and he was encouraged by superiors to expand the exhibit. More mental illness treatment items were soon added and the museum had begun.

The museum was relocated to it's current location in 1997 when the asylum campus was converted to a correctional facility. Being located just off the main campus, the building was spared destruction by the project but is shadowed by the fence of the newly constructed Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center. Luckily, the building is still historical and maintains its ties to the past, it was built in 1968 - the year Glore first put together the exhibits - and was used as a clinic for the patients of the asylum.

Glore continued to develop one of the largest collections of mental health historical items until he eventually retired from the Missouri Department of Mental Health

Glore Psychiatric Museum
3408 Frederick Avenue (One Mile West Of I-29, Exit 47)
St. Joseph , Missouri 64506
816-364-1209 or 800-530-8866

39th St, Kansas City

Here are a selection of image made on Kansas City's 39th St.

The 39th Street West business district and its surrounding neighborhoods offer some of Kansas City 's richest history. Once a vineyard supporting a winery, 39th Street West rapidly became home to some of Kansas City 's most stately, stone and brick homes, destination restaurants and boutique retail.

One of the earliest suburban neighborhoods to flourish in Kansas City's turn of the century expansion, 39th Street West was served by two light rail lines: a single-track streetcar line running to Rosedale, and the "Strang Line" providing a direct connect to areas further south, like Olathe.

"39th Street is a colorful neighborhood district offering a fun mix of fine dining, casual & ethnic specialties. An eclectic mix of shops, bookstores & coffee houses." ~ AOL Cityguide

The King And I at Get the Picture

Lawrence, KS

Liberty, MO

This is another selection of images from my series 'King and I'.

On my travels in the USA Elvis began appearing to me like some religious/cultural vision in a wide range of places and in the strangest of circumstances. From New York City to rural Kentucky and Virginia to the desert towns of Arizona. He has appeared in Shopping Malls and Thrift Stores and everywhere in between. Elvis has become one of the many ‘psychic coordinate points’ which I mention in the introduction to this blog and I have often orientated myself culturally around his scattered presence.

This series has naturally come to a conclusion, or perhaps the end of a chapter, after the inclusion of my recent portraits of Tarry Westley which were entered into Alec Soth's Flickr group From Here To There: Assignment #2. For chapter two and three of this series I intend to make portraits of Elvis impersonators and to also eventually travel to Graceland.

The complete series, including the portrait of Tarry Westley has now been published at my agency website 'Get the Picture' which can be found here:

http://getthepicture.fr/En/Photographes/Kossoff/King&I_1.html