Kings in Paris

I hung out on set yesterday in magical Provins, France, and absorbed the ins and outs of creating a music video project. Francois was a positive force on set as he smiled his way through it all. My friends from Norway, Kings of Convenience, have a new record coming out in October called "Declaration of Dependence" and this video shoot was for the single, "Mrs. Cold". I shot the cover of this record while we were all spending time together at Casa Rincon, Mexico. So nice.

"Paris suits you well"

(drawn by Erlend in wet cement ouside Glass Cube Studio, Mexico )

Been calling Paris home for almost 3 months now. Moving from California back to Paris, after 10 years of jumping around in Oakland-Santa Barbara - Mexico - Paris - Marfa, feels incredibly new again. I feel new. I lived here straight after graduation in 1999 and had a trippy year of vision quests and independence. Im here again now with the love of my life and inspiration nation. Decade circle.

The latest project I recently finished was working with EMI records on the new Kings of Convenience record. It was a sweet surprise when they said I had "won" the competition. The image they chose was shot on the Rolleiflex camera and has a natural mood at the dusk hour in Mexico. Considering the hang outs at Casa Rincon Mexico are always super-duper-intense-and-rad, I am proud the photographs from such a magical vortex will live on ... attached to music that I LOVE. Check out Casa Rincon's recording studio, Glass Cube, where other KOC member, Erlend, recorded his latest record with WBA while renting the house for a 2 month period.

My mind is swimming with ideas for projects and I have began revisiting video & film as an extension of photography. Back in art school, I had a bunch of friends in the film department, and shot lots of 8mm and 16mm footage from the back seat of vespas and inside creepy old Chicago hotels. Some of those old 8mm films are now living in the archive of the Art Institute. I can't wait to see those again. It will be either tear-style funny or really heavy and poignant. Along with video, Im starting a travel blog dedicated to art, architecture, food, and finding all places 'in-between' that deserve publishing. I am way into sharing. I'm a twin afterall. Hi Simone.

Will be heading over to Belgium for the Pukkelpop music festival after Vetiver perform tomorrow. Will chill with Mike and see him play with Wilco, and then hook up with the duke when WBA play the following day. Between Vetiver, WBA, and Bart Davenport playing here and there, along with visits from travelling bros, I feel Im living in a place with a beautiful glistening bridge between Paris and home. Let our worlds expand.

Even though I've moved far away from home... home keeps coming back to me. So stoked to be feeling IT.