Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Local photographer Michael Traister says stop the hate, come with an open mind and “I love Asheville.” All this in recent to comments left on a post about the Freaks of Asheville calendar project he photographed.
Michael, all I can say is that I love your work. I, too, love Asheville. And I’ll be buying lots of your calendars.
I am the so called “Feces of Asheville” (ouch!) photographer and posted a response a few days ago only to have it removed by Ashvegas.com? Am I not allowed to defend the writings of these haters, wow! I’m not sure why there is such a backlash against this project?
I have been a photographer in NC for 20 years and have had other “controversial” or odd ball projects but none have ever evoked the reaction that this one has. I have learned not to take criticism personally so I can take it and I believe even bad press (or bloggers) is good press. Usually it is baseless as is the case here. Most everyone who has seen the show has given me a very positive response and to judge the motives and people involved is very disheartening and unfair to them also.
I would gladly meet ANY of you who have felt compelled to write such negative things in person if you’re bold enough to show your face which I seriously doubt. You are entitled to your opinions whether I agree with them or not and you are not being forced to buy the calendar. Please hold off on such strong opinions until you either go see the show and read the artists statements or see the calendar. If you still don’t get it then fine.
If you would care to meet in person I will even buy the first round of coffee or beer. Please just stop the hate. “Asheville status quo and dull”….? You need to get out more and look at things in a more positive light. Obviously neither one of you has actually had to live in such a place and there are plenty out there. (try Greensboro or Charlotte!) I will say I agree with you that I do find it turns my stomach a bit when people constantly brag about how great it is here but you have to understand that there is a reason they feel this way.
I have lived all over the South including some other very cool cities like Athens, Chapel Hill and I love Asheville for what it is. Despite what you think it is a very unique place, especially for the South and I will defend it to the end. I love Asheville. It is full of lovely people both freaks and non freaks and most of them are supportive of other Ashevillians. In closing I again say as they say in Asheville…..”peace out” my friends. You’ve wasted enough of my time.
"’Feces of Asheville’???
Just to clarify –
Jen Bowen, myself, is the photographer of the acclaimed ‘Faces of Asheville’ a community documentary portrait project, 2007-2009.
Michael is the photographer of the ‘Faces of Izzy’s’ portrait project, 2008-current.
-JB "
I think they are referring to his Faces of Izzy’s not your "Face of Asheville" at all, just so ya know. We don’t even want to get started on that one.
Don’t you know that if you take a picture of something and turn it black and white its controversial. Thats the think in Asheville B/W = Art no matter lame the pic is.
Quote=
"I have learned not to take criticism personally so I can take it and I believe even bad press (or bloggers) is good press." – photographer
Well, it depends on how you look at it. The bad press is not really about you in general it is about the project. If anyone should be speaking up and saying anything I think it is Kitty for starters. It is her project, her concept. Seems like you do notice the criticism and I think you take it a little more personally that you claim to.
Criticism is only going to get worse as the internet grows and artists/creators just have to get used to it or ignore it. Anyone can voice an opinion and they have that right. I say ignore it. Saying something back just makes it worse. And nowadays bad press is bad, not good. It spreads like a wildfire and shows up in every search engine when people type in a referencing name.
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"I have been a photographer in NC for 20 years and have had other "controversial" or odd ball projects but none have ever evoked the reaction that this one has."
Controversial? From your images on your site I see nothing controversial. Maybe you should show those photos or that project. Now that you’ve had a taste of what the general internet public has to say not much can bruise your ego anymore.
"Am I not allowed to defend the writings of these haters, wow! I’m not sure why there is such a backlash against this project?"
Haters as you call it? I think the reason people are so against this project is that it is pointless and the images that have been shown are anything but great. I am sure that there are many people in Asheville that would like to walk down the street and not see these so called ‘freaks’. Personally I do not care either way and if you’ve ever been outside of Asheville to a larger city you see your share of unique characters. I think making a calendar of it was Kitty Love’s way of showcasing her friends, plain and simple. She wanted to shine a spotlight on herself as some kind of goddess of Asheville and make a ‘these freaks are cool’ kind of photo record. Her way of making some kind of statement? And I really do not know what it is. I read that she wanted to show everyone the magic she sees everyday in her life. If this is her magic I feel sorry for her. Grow up, get a life, and so on. Your freaky factor is not going to pay the bills and you’re not 18 anymore, you all look ridiculous.
A documentry that is set up and just another reason to freak it up. It would be different if you picked a random day and not scheduled and sent out fliers, email and workd of mouth, letting people know whats going on. But that means you might not get the level of freaky you was aiming for.
Feces of Asheville is a great re-naming of the lack luster project. Acclaimed . . .that made me laugh.
JHo – it’s all the same feces…
‘Feces of Asheville’???
Just to clarify –
Jen Bowen, myself, is the photographer of the acclaimed ‘Faces of Asheville’ a community documentary portrait project, 2007-2009.
Michael is the photographer of the ‘Faces of Izzy’s’ portrait project, 2008-current.
-JB
Yeah I can prove it 4000 years back there buddy.
And yeah it does, our opinion gets skipped over for favor of fads and other garbage shoved down the local’s throat.
But not mention anything else I say and pick out the easy parts to attack, how progressive of you.
I have lived in and visited many cities all across the US. The freak shows were fun at first – La Zoom, LAAFF and all the others, but it’s getting kind of old. And, by the way, I have moved. Been there, done that. The "Paris Hilton of the South" is just a dirty mountain town full of greedy rednecks. I can handle all the freaks, but the spike in home prices – two to three times more than other comparable cities, and the outrageous property taxes – three times higher than comparable cities, was the straw that broke the manmaids’ back. Can you say over-priced, over-hyped and over-rated? Get over yourself!
Wow–"hundreds of generations." That’s quite impressive; you’ve documented your family in this area 4,000+ years back?
Hyperbole aside, though, there’s nothing especially righteous about being "FROM Asheville." You made a choice to live here instead of somewhere else, just as the people who’ve moved here made a choice. You don’t get special brownie points just because you decide to stay in the place your parents chose for you.
Yeah we get it, Asheville is freayk, play it forward already. Vistied all over the south looks like you just hung out in college towns, you get a real good grip on the locals in the "south" in college towns.
Its our right to not like it as much as it for you to like its called FREEDOM OF SPEECH, I suggest you get used to it. The people that pay the bills around here in Asheville are getting tired of the "Freaky" moniker and the reputation of the "Paris Hilton of the South". And if you look around things are changing, quite rapidly. Asheville will always be unique but the 18 year woodstock is coming to an end as the locals are fed up.
No no This town is status quo for around here, what makes it do diverse the fact that everything downtown looks alike including the people? Street after street it looks like a DVD with a scratch in it as all signs of Diversity are gone from this town. And no your pathetic cry of Leave if you don’t like it falls on deaf ears, I am FROM Asheville, Born and raised and Im going nowhere. This has been my familys home for hundreds of generations. I am not some Northerner that calls himself local or some vagabond that moved here or some hipster that drifted in I am a LOCAL. And i have been to other towns way more diverse then Asheville . . . Unless you call Coffee shops, Bars, and book stores the beacon of Diversity as your making it.