Recently, at the recommendation of Ahuva Berger I bought myself a pro Flickr account. Ahuva was right, I’m enjoying the social interaction on Flickr immensely and I’m also constantly running into cool and interesting photographers and artists.

I guess I’m an ass for not realizing earlier on that I would enjoy a social network dedicated to images.

Normally I wouldn’t bother to blab about this but earlier today I bumped into someone truly extraordinary. His name is Merkley??? (question marks in the original), and his photography is exceptional, alluring, critical and intelligent. So much so that not only do I dig it entirely but I’m feeling jealous as well…

The long bizarre titles that Merkley??? bestows upon his work can only be described as Spam Art, yet Merkley??? is merely describing for us the reality he is shooting. Paradoxically because we judge Merkley???’s captions to be too absurd to be precise we cast aside the reality he creates, despite the fact that it is tangible enough to be captured on film (or memory card in this case). To add to the confusion, not all the objects in a Merkley??? photo were actually there when the shutter clicked. Merkley??? has no compunctions about using Photoshop to add objects, animals and sundry doodads into his photos after the fact.

Merkley??? is definitely not a “photographer’s photographer”. He holds nothing sacred in his process and from the little material I read from him before writing this I’m willing to venture that he actually takes pleasure in blaspheming against the traditional dogma of photography. I’d go so far as to say that blasphemy is the closest thing to a hobby that Merkley??? has.

BUT…

Despite the whimsical Redneckish vibe he exudes it is very clear that beyond the tomfoolery and clowning about Merkley??? is a serious artist, committed to his concepts and messages, and very much in tune with the culture his photographs so eloquently criticize. Merkley???’s commitment to art and dichotomous disdain for it’s trappings reminds me of Chuck Dodson and the rest of my friends from the Hot Springs art scene. I guess I feel the same way pretty often but being “A nice Jewish boy” I tend to repress it…

The widget below depicts Merkley???’s work - notice the captions. If it doesn’t appear try reloading the page.