Your Cart is Empty
The story of "beauty from broken"
10 years ago I was trying to get on a record label. I was writing sarcastic/dark lyrics, which were basically the opposite of where my photography went. I was playing shows around NYC and did a cross country tour. I was getting played on 60 college radio stations, though still not saying what I wanted to fully communicate through music. It always felt a little forced.
I was always taking photos, more for myself, whereas the goal with the music was to eventually make $. I imagine that is why the photos are pure, as there was no attachment to them. Never looking through the lens thinking "this will sell"
Fast forward 5 years and I am already selling my photography full time. I haven't touched my guitar in years. I was trying for the 2nd year in a row to get off of anti-depressants and going through craziness. 2 months of headaches and crying.
I was moving things around my apartment in Brooklyn and knocked over my guitar, in the case. The loud noise started me and in a millisecond, all of my "failures" with music came rushing at me.
I punched the guitar case and broke the most expensive, beautiful and sentimental item I owned. It was past the point of repair.
I kept the guitar for a year waiting to see what I was going to do with it and how I was going to somehow redeem this to myself, make peace with music and that chapter in my life.
I ended up bringing my guitar to Puerto Rico and driving around the island, looking for the bluest water. There was really no plan. I threw it in and photographed it, getting flipped and pummeled by the waves. Once it came out of the water, the back of the guitar was coming off. I pulled it off and photographed the rest of my trip, through the sound hole.
I made "beauty from broken". My inside joke was to sell $1200 of the image. I ended doing that in a month, after releasing the image. It is now one of my favorite images, that means more than I can say in a blog post. Hopefully I came close- Matt
