Soft Skin Latex – JANE PAIN

Covid Chronicles, March – December 2020

December 29, 2020December 30, 2020Posted in 35MM photography, Art, Music, Photography, travel, UncategorizedTagged 2020, 50150, Ali Logout, Alice in Wonderland, Americana, Bombay Beach, Castration, Central Park, Children With Dog Feet, Covid, Devil's Dildo, Devil's Dildo Makes Me Cum, Escape From New York, Exquisite Mayhem, Fashion, Feather Nest Inn, Femme Boys, Flintstone's Bedrock City, Foot Fetish, Gavilán Rayna Russom, Gimp Mask, Grippie Socks, HÜSTLER, Horse and Carriage, Jane Chardiet, Jane Pain, Jane Pain Chardiet, Latex, Latex Hood, Love Motel, New York City, Overlook, Posterboy 2000, Psych Ward Socks, Road Trip, Route 66, Safe Word, Salvation Mountain, Scalple, Shelter in Place, Slab City, Social Distance Portraits, Social Distancing, Soft Skin Latex, Theo Ehreet, This is Spinal Tap, Times Square, Trans Verberation, Twisted Thing, Viva Las Vegas, Wear Your Mask, Work Rash, Zoe Zag2 Comments

The last night things felt “normal”. These photos were taken in mid-March. Although Covid was a topic of conversation- it was still a news story that just made you nervous.

I took the negatives to be developed right away, but forgot one roll in my camera. These shots are from that roll, developed months later via no contact drop off.

Taken Sunday, March 22, less than two weeks after the banana shoot with Jenna at 538. All non-essential businesses were mandated to close at 8PM that evening. I purchased myself some plants, hoping they would make my anticipated two weeks at home a little more cheerful.

The exterior of the warehouse where we shot the banana pics. One of the first houses I photographed for my social distance portrait project.

I began a project doing social distance portraits. I would walk to my friends houses, and snap a portrait of them in or in front of their house from a safe distance. I worked on the project obsessively, and now how hundreds of photos of the New York City underground on lockdown.

This series is currently being compiled for a forthcoming zine. I estimate that there are at least one hundred different homes documented. I shot the series at every chance that I had. In the end, I think the project may have saved my life.

I stopped doing my social distance portrait series after I began protesting.

My Father on Father’s Day. Upright bass on the boardwalk.

I often felt like a teenager again. Hanging out on sidewalks, train tracks.

Block party. Bushwick, Brooklyn. There was live music until the cops shut it down the moment the sunset.

Inspired by Theo Ehret’s “Exquisite Mayhem”.

I used some Soft Skin Latex pieces that were on loan as an excuse to take photos. I needed the excuse.

Devil’s Dildo commissioned me to shoot their album art and some promotional photos. Instead of turning a profit, we spent the whole budget on taking a trip to a love motel in New Jersey.

Devil’s Dildo in Soft Skin Latex. We were also able to shoot some photos at TV Eye after hours.

HÜSTLER commissioned some work soon thereafter. We rented an Air B n’ B upstate, close to an abandoned psych ward. I was so pleased to making music-related work again.

“Strippers worst nightmare” , the dreaded string.

Gavilán Rayna Russom. Promotional shots supporting “Trans Verberation”. We were inspired by Catholic guilt and 80s Madonna.

On set for Twisted Thing video, directed by Ali Logout.

Day one of road trip. LA to Las Vegas. Ed outside the first prison that he went to, now abandoned.

(What is left of) Flintstone’s Bedrock City

Grand Canyon. I had to take a photo because I was there.

Sedona, AZ

I wanted to phone to appear melted and warped. The track is about working customer service over the phone.

I feel obligated to mention that I did not shoot any photographs indoors/ the models without masks unless the models and myself had quarantined and gotten tested. I followed CDC guidelines to the best of my ability, shooting or not.

I am immunocompromised, and do my best to protect myself and others.

I felt that I needed to practice photography as a form of harm reduction. Like most artists, the pandemic presented limitations to my work that I thought would be impossible to navigate at first. This is a celebration of the photos I was able to take in spite of this years’ circumstances.

More on my experience will be published alongside the Social Distance portrait series.