View allAll Photos Tagged lean
"Lean In" 37x37cm
Painted onto metal door found in an abandon factory off Springfield Road, Belfast
Asbestos Boxing Club
Everybody still talks about 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. But as I approached the Ligoniel Amateur Boxing Club in North Belfast on a cold November evening, I was at an advantage because I had no preconceived ideas as to whether the boxers were Protestant, Catholic or Hindu for that matter. I hadn't even thought about asking before that night, and as my visit wore on, I started to assume from their names that they were catholic (Sean, Joe, Paddy). You see, there's been so much conflict in Belfast over the last thirty or so years, that both communities have become isolated in their own suburbs. So for me, this boxing club in the suburbs in North Belfast and the men who give their time for free intrigued me.
I was introduced to this boxing club by the guys who run the Safehouse Gallery and on my way to Belfast on the train that day, the usual images and preconceptions of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland came to mind. But I wasn't interested in adding to a landscape of film, painting and literature that couldn't escape the images of violence and division from the past. It was my intention to create a body of work focusing on people who're making a difference in their community despite all the shit that goes on around them.
I photographed the boxers training and sparring in Ligoniel Amateur Boxing Club (it's been on the go since 1971 and has been funded by the boxers and the community around Ligoniel) late one Wednesday evening. Upon arriving I was welcomed in by Eddie, who stood in the doorway eclipsed in the stark boxing hall light, his hand, decked out in gold rings reached out to greet me and welcome me into a club he's been volunteering in for over thirty years.
I got to know the guys from the club, each had a story, each had a reason to be drawn to boxing and the small club that was a home and a safe family. I came away from that club with a head full of stories and a meaningful idea for an exhibition in Belfast. My initial fear was that these guys would treat me with suspicion, but each was open and honest, happy to talk while I photographed.
The following day, I scoured the streets in different parts of Belfast for the signature yellow Ace Bates skips (he's the king of the Belfast skip world). I hoped that they might contain the detritus of the city; wood, metal and any other objects that told the cities history for me to paint on. I pulled pieces from skips in the Holy Land, the Shankill Road, the Lisburn Road and the Falls, then I hauled them home to the studio in Dublin to paint.
Back in Belfast on the night of the show, it was a very humbling experience for me to see each boxer come to see his portrait. It was singularly, the most rewarding and emotional moment in my entire art career. One boxer told me that it's usually "generals or dead politicians that get their portraits painted, not amateur boxers from north Belfast". But to me, these guys are the heroes of the community, they're the guys who keep the kids off the steets, training three nights a week, they're the guys who get screamed at by their wives "for volunteering more time at the club than at home". It was a privilege for me to spend time with and paint the portraits of these contemporary heroes.
The whole process was filmed by King Adz and will be online in the next couple of weeks at www.theartofasbestos.com
Vessel: "America 2.0" ~ America's Cup Racer ~ charter ~ Key West Harbor
Posted today in honor of my grandfather on his 104th birthday. (He only made it to 96).
He loved boats and even built a 48 foot cabin cruiser from scratch and by hand with
his sons from 1955 to 1960. I remember summers on that boat all throughout the sixties.
It was an amazing Criss Craft vessel with two large PT boat engines in it from World War II.
I think I have a love of boats today from those times. The last year he was here, he built
me a 3 foot replica of his most prized posession, "The Cathy Marie" in his garage. Every
time I look at it I think of him. Happy 104th Pop-Pop!! Miss you. A hunded years and a day!
12x16 canvas, inspired by a vision I had in middle of the night. I woke, sketched it, went back to sleep and then painted it the next morning
how wonderfully relaxed does this little chap look resting on mum!
(PLEASE NO AWARDS OR PICTURES OR FLASHY BADGES)
Forever Lean® provides two revolutionary ingredients that can help reduce the body’s absorption of calories from fat and carbohydrates. The first of these ingredients is a unique, fat-absorbing fiber derived from the cactus plant, Opuntia ficus-indica, otherwise known as Indian fig, nopal or prickly pear. Studies have shown that this unique fiber has a very high ability to bind fats, compared to other types of plants.
The other unique ingredient in Forever Lean® is a protein specially derived from the beans of the Phaseolus vulgaris plant, otherwise know as white kidney beans. This protein works by slowing the body’s absorption of sugar in the small intestine by temporarily inhibiting the enzyme activity that converts starches into sugar.
Together these two revolutionary ingredients can help you succeed in your quest to reach your ideal weight by helping to block the absorption of some of the fat and carb calories you ingest.
The third most effective ingredient in Forever Lean® is Chromium Trichloride. Chromium is a very important trace mineral which helps the body’s natural ability to regulate blood sugar by acting as a GTF (glucose tolerance factor) cofactor. This is especially important for normal metabolism.
To maximize the effectiveness of this supplement, however, it is important to remember that you should also incorporate a healthy diet and regular exercise into your overall weight control regimen in order to achieve and maintain your weight goal.
Helps block the absorption of calories from fat and carbohydrates
Chromium helps the body regulate blood sugar for a normal metabolism
Temporarily inhibits the body’s absorbtion of calories from sugar
A friend of mine, Carmen, manages to stay still for 5 seconds during a long exposure. Shot on Pangkor Island, Malaysia, with an Olympus E-P3 camera, M. Zuiko 12mm f2.0 lens and a 10-stop B+W ND 3.0 filter.
Handout from a display of this vehicle at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida. It's not dated and I expect this display went on for several years. I haven't been there, but someone gave me a few copies of this piece.
Just saw this description on 3-wheelers.com
"The GM Lean Machine was developed by Frank Winchell of General Motors (USA) in the early 1980’s as a concept car. The single seater vehicle is a “lean” machine in the true sense of the word as it leans into corners like a motorcycle whilst keeping the stability of a normal car. The original model was powered by a 15 hp 2-cylinder engine that produced a maximum speed of 80 mph with a fuel economy of 80 mpg at 40 mph. Shortly afterwards a second model was produced that was powered by a larger 38 hp engine. With a total body weight of 159kg this gave the vehicle outstanding performance and the Lean Machine was able to reach 60 mph in just 6.8 seconds with a fuel economy of over 200 mpg.
For the futuristic 1993 movie “Demolition Man” starring Sylvestor Stalone and Wesley Snipes the GM Lean Machine was one of seventeen concept cars produced by General Motors to be featured in the film with an insurance value of $69 million."
The Checklist Manifesto, a book by Atul Gawande, offers a great example of the lean startup model in action.
www.pebbleroad.com/perspectives/view/checklist-manifesto-...
Abercrombie & Fitch model and me at the store in Paris, France. Gosh, I love taking photos with these guys.