mike and mike


Mike and Mike….yes, there they are…Mike Young on the left and Mike Courvoisier on the right…cold Coronas both and hanging out at my loft..as usual…some of the best late afternoon light that always floods my apartment has been shared by the two Mikes and yours truly…discussing life, love, and yes, books…Michael Loyd Young, the guy on the left, is nervous now…Michael Courvoisier, the guy on the right, is never nervous…Young is nervous  because his first big show, Blues, Booze, & BBQ, opens at the Powerhouse Arena  in New York on Thursday night…and Courvoisier is not nervous because he already printed and hung the show..

Mike Young was a student of mine three years ago..He told me at the time, what so many tell me, that he wanted to pursue a personal project and perhaps do a book…i have heard that before…most let it slide….not Mike Young…a Mississippi good old boy, Mike decided he wanted to document the Blues country which was not far from where he grew up…as a youth he slipped in and out of the Mississippi Delta and now he wanted to get his love for the people and the music down on paper….between two hard covers….he did it….busted it….lived it…Mike made sure this all happened by not only being a fine photographer, but by making sure he had an outlet for his books right off  the top…he convinced the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi to be a generous distributor for his book to be…smart move from a smart businessman ….

Mike Courvoisier came to me from Steve McCurry’s studio where he printed for Steve. He now makes collectors’ prints for me, for several Burn photographers, and he printed the Young show which i hope many of you will see on Thursday evening…Courvoisier is cool cool as a cucumber….focuses on computer tech stuff for me, runs my workshops,  and prints with a fervor…while i am throwing my hands up in the air every time i see the color spinning wheel on the computer, Mike stays calm, tells me to stay calm , and simply troubleshoots the problem….Mike does get a little overprotective of me from time to time, and while i have a generally open door policy on my time and my loft, Mike sees the reality….you gotta be nice to Mike to get to me…..a cold Corona helps…

this post is simply here to honor two very good friends….both men are like brothers….and i value my friendships in life as if they are family….if you do not know these two already, please come and meet them on Thursday evening….NYC photo crowd in attendance…Powerhouse Arena, Dumbo, Brooklyn…and if you are nice to Mike C then you can stop by my place for the after party to meet Mike Y and the two Mikes best halves, Maya and Ofelia, patient women both…and oh yes , blues giant  TModel Ford will be playing at the Arena for the show…might even get him over to the loft also….wanna make friends with him? just bring a bottle of Jack Black…….might just take a little nip myself….


mikeyoung-bbbbq-powerhouse-newsletter

87 thoughts on “mike and mike”

  1. friends…..
    like a fine wine…
    I’ve got a funny story with Trey…..
    music
    photographs
    and
    friends…….
    WHAT NOT TO LOVE!!!!
    ***

  2. michaelK..he is cool, they are both very cool! met them in mexico.

    mikeY..congratulations for this, great great book!
    too bad I’m far away and I can’t join you..

    mikeC..see you soon in NY..unfortunately I wont be able to be there before the end of december

    ciao!

  3. Regarding the media adaption of the (rumored) Apple Tablet thread from a few days ago, here’s an interesting development: http://www.hearst.com/press-room/pr-20091208a.php

    The short of it is that five large magazine publishers are developing an open standard for digital magazines. It could be a good thing to get get a jump on that if it’s not too technically onerous. Early adapters with compelling visual content will likely get noticed by a much wider audience than normally possible.

  4. Met both of these guys in Oaxaca, and glad to see them both up here. Saw the Blues, Booze, and BBQ work on exhibition in DC — you all are in for a treat! Enjoy.

  5. mike y! :))))0

    CONGRATS…on the book…on the show..on the corona!…no need to be nervous….that’s only for the moment when u gotta dance with Harvey…..

    big hugs for ur show and all success for the book…

    mike c: that cat is the avatar of cool-HEAD’d! :)))))))))….HE’S stayed calmed all through my own panic attcks…and he is quite the printer…but quite the Fog-Pilot too! ;))))))))))…..

    and i know first hand, Harvey, that a good tequilla can substitute for a Corona with Courvosier….

    knock em out both at powerHouse and the Kibbutz…

    cheers yu’all
    b

  6. BRIAN FRANK

    yup…Mike took me to a Cubs game when we were traveling across country shooting families…how he gets away with that in a Yankees town is beyond me…Mike is his own man is all i can say…

  7. MIKE Y

    Thursday is your day to shine the spotlight on the music, people and places you – and LOTS of others – love with a passion. If you see it that way, your nerves will calm down. This is not about you; it’s about them. All those blues musicians and blues lovers alive and dead. And at your side will be one of the all-time greats: T-Model Ford. So relax, sip your Coronas and get ready for a wonderful night of fun, fellowship and sharing. The show is hung, I’m sure it looks awesome, and you’re in for the time of your life. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, one who deserves it more. These photos are full of the beauty, soul and downhome sound of your neck of the woods. I’ve seen your book and am here to say it is a WONDER! Wish I could b there onn Thursday, but just know I’m with you in spirit.

    MIKE C

    If ever there were a Master Printer, it is you. I’ve seen your masterful touch on DAH’s prints, on your own prints, on a print of mine, and on at least a dozen prints that were hanging on the walls at the first Burn Gallery exhibit in October. In each case, you captured the essence of the image and made it shine forth. I would LOVE to see the prints you made of Mike Y’s photos for this exhibit. With his artistic eye and layers of saturated color, I’m sure they sing! Thank you so much for collaborating with him on this project. What a team!

    DAH

    Can’t ignore you and your part in helping to make this all happen. I know from having worked with you myself, that your mentoring can turn a good project into a great one. Blues, Booze & BBQ is certainly a good example. What a prize! So I know you’ll be feeling like a proud papa on Thursday night. Enjoy the hell out of it!!!

    Patricia

  8. a civilian-mass audience

    BURNIANS…
    I am gonna grab a case …I am coming back

    I hope I find the way…too many silents… :)))

    Wait for me…

  9. Nice putting a face to a book, hi.. if the prints and show are as good as the book is then there’s nothing to worry about, for anyone ;)

  10. Mike; Good luck and congratulations for the book launch.

    One of my fondest memories is going to an old pub (called The Gluepot; now torn down) with my brother here in New Zealand to watch Clarence Gatemouth Brown play.

    He walked out to play; cowboy hat, tobacco pipe, a beaten up old Gibson guitar and equally beaten up old Fender amp. He had the audience in the palm of his hands as soon as he walked out on stage. It was only a small venue (1-200 people) and he was practically in the crowd.

    During the songs whenever he felt like a break he’d just sit on his amp and puff away on his pipe watching his band play.

    One of the highlights was him playing his fiddle and narrating a hobo trip he once took, using the fiddle to make all the sounds (train, people whooping, and a dog yelping as “the train came down the track and cut the dawg’s tail clean off”)! I’ve still got the autographed poster safely stashed away!

    Good on you for successfully getting what was once just an idea into print, a real accomplishment.

    Cheers

  11. You can be sure that if I were in New York City Thursday, I would be there.

    But I will be right here in good, old, frozen Wasilla, but you can be certain I will get a copy of the book and read it – first in silence, and then with the blues playing in the background – just to see which way causes the music to play most strongly in my head.

  12. a civilian-mass audience

    It looks like Mike and Mike(hi MikeC.) have been friends for …many years…
    please, BURNIANS, check the photo…
    I see so many similar facial characteristics…
    -nose looks the same
    -the high cheek bones
    -upper lip thinner
    -prominent lower jaw and chin…
    -deep-set of eyes
    now check where are the cameras…come on …they even hold the beer with the same hand…

    OK… I better stop drinking cause …I see double…
    just let me know when JOHNYG and other BURNIANS are in town …

    We are going to a partyyyy
    to see photos,
    to buy books,
    and drink some beers,
    to smoke some cigs
    and kiss some ckicks…
    VIVA MIKE with your BURNing BBB’s…

  13. Mike Y – Good Luck with your show on Thursday! Wish I could be there – will toast you from here with my Mescal brought from Oaxaca.

    Mike C – Hello! I will think of you forever more when I see one of those little memory stick things for the laptop. Ha! That would make a good line in a romantic song.

  14. a civilian-mass audience

    oh,yes…as IMANTS well said…
    Congrats to all
    and Welcome JULIETTE…another BURNIAN lady !!!

    I LOVE YOU BURNIANS…don’t drink and drive …oime

  15. JOHN GLADDY…

    i hope you received the directions to my loft under the Cutouts thread…pls leave your flight arrival time here if you are still checking in here…the only problem now is that i will not be coming to New York until thursday morning..Chris Bickford also staying my place, so he should be around to let you in…otherwise you will become a bit like some of the homeless i have seen in your work…well, one cold night out on the streets of New York will toughen you right up and you will be a better man for it….good luck…

    cheers, david

  16. DAVID

    No problem. Flight gets into JFK at 11pm local timne. British airways. I have the house number and directions etc etc. see you thursday am then i guess. Homeless?? would be far from the first time.
    John

  17. JOHN…

    i am trying to work it out for you…please call me when you get in 202 413-1137…or, give me a number where i can send you text with instructions on how you can get in…in any case, i will tell you what to do…mostly likely Mike or Chris will have figured out a way for you to get the keys…

    ALL…

    lest you think Mike Young is getting all the attention, please know that i always get excited when a book on which i have worked gets published..it could be one of my own, or it could be a book i have mentored..i think this is the 4th book that has gone into publication by an author other than myself that i have helped produce…it will not be the last….

    next on deck is Patricia Lay Dorsey…then either Eric Espinosa or Panos, or Kyunghee Lee or Anton depending on several factors…the biggest factor is just the photographer actually being finished with the work..i will also work with Erica if she needs help in getting to print…and Imants for a limited edition series….

    i can only do one or two per year…that it unless we have our own Burn imprint or partnered imprint which is looking more likely all the time…by the way, these have all been simply volunteer projects on my part…some have been former students, but most have not…i just see a photographer who i feel needs the extra push and then one thing leads to another…

    three years ago Mike Young was as far from having a book as anyone you can imagine…his only personal project prior did not even involve people pictures at all…but, he listened…he learned….he thought a lot about his project…and then all academic discussions out the window and he just went out to shoot…and he stayed out…and he came back in…and i sent him out again…and back in …threw him back out, until i squeezed the last bit of energy out of him…now Mike gets his moment…the opening, the crowds, the smiles, the pats on the back…the bug will bite him….he will want it all over again…

    life is different after you have a book…for those of you with that dream, do not lose it…whatever it takes is whatever you should put into it…a book is your benchmark…there really is no other….

    cheers, david

  18. “life is different after you have a book…for those of you with that dream, do not lose it…whatever it takes is whatever you should put into it…a book is your benchmark…there really is no other…” -DAH

    Here, Here!!!

    “It’s a rainy night in Georgia” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAY7HhWpy_4 you just can’t top Tony Joe White

  19. It is one of the great truisms of modern American life that anyone who says that they do not wish to complain is either a) about to complain about something; b) is already complaining about something and is taking this opportunity to start complaining about something else; or c) lying. The statement begs for a qualification, for a but or an and, especially the former; no one says I do not wish to complain so I won’t. No, saying that you don’t wish to complain needs a but even more than my brother does, and he’s up to a two pack a day habit as it is. So, as I see no reason why I should be any exception to the rule, here goes: I do not wish to complain here, but (see, what did I tell you?) I wonder if anyone here in our happy little burg realizes that there is a pooper-scooper law on the books?

    Yes, there is, boys and girls, you can even look this worthy ordinance up online, if you wanted to; the City Code is available for the public’s perusal both online and in hard copy here at the egregious mold pit wherein I labor day in and day out. The law, which apparently had bipartisan support from both cat and dog owners, requires that pet owners who walk their pets on the public thoroughfares and whose pets consequently relieve themselves on those same public thoroughfares, must then pick up the pet’s droppings—with what is solely at the discretion of the pet owner—and place the excrement in the nearest litter basket. Now, I will be among the very first to admit that this law basically targets dog owners; cats relieve themselves in sandboxes or in private places of their own; tropical fish are hardly likely to leap from their aquaria nor will hamsters abandon their wheels in order to relieve themselves on the streets of our fair micropolis. The legislation is squarely aimed at dogs and their owners. But at the time, dog owners understood the need for the legislation. No one who remembers the bad old days, the days when you could see grown men and women hopscotching their way down Main Street in order to avoid the semi-mountainous piles of ordure wants a return to the filth-freckled streets of yesteryear. No, we are all for the pooper-scooper law here in our happy little burg, even if it is now very clear that some of the citizenry haven’t gotten the word.

    I bring this nauseating topic up first, because I am tired of having to deal with the remains of Fido’s lunch on the sidewalks everyday, and second, I damn near tumbled down an old railroad embankment and into the creek that runs through the south side of town last week while trying to avoid stepping into some pooch’s poop. This, as you might imagine, was not fun, as I am entirely too old and out of shape to go around playing Tarzan at a moment’s notice, and the next time it happens there might not be a convenient tree or its branches available for the grabbing. I was down along the aforementioned creek in order to take some pictures of the old 19th century millhouses along the water’s edge, which are a favorite subject of mine—I actually have more pictures of them than I really need, now that I think of it—and to get the best angles the intrepid photographer must cross some old railroad tracks. Metro-North, a division of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, a public authority renowned here in the Vampire State for its ability to lose money while operating a monopoly, owns these tracks and apparently does not care what the dog owners here do with them.

    I suppose I could do the popular thing here and not bring the subject up at all; this, in fact, was my attitude towards the matter in general and the matter in particular for a very long time; but after the Tarzan misadventure and my hurried scramble up the embankment to the relative safety of the tracks I saw something that stunned me, something that caused me to stop, brought up by a toxic brew of shock, horror, and outrage. There, on the track, or rail, and not on the tie, or sleeper, for those of you accustomed to British usage, was a nearly fresh pile of dog dung. The disgust I felt towards the dog’s owner at that moment knew no earthly bounds, and had this fiendish wretch allowed his brute to defecate there in my presence I would have committed murder most foul and entirely justified upon this vile specimen’s loathsome carcass.

    I do not blame the dog. The dog is merely doing what all animals must at one time or another. Take a moment, however, and think of how the owner has perverted this natural bodily function. This submoronic dolt has, with malice aforethought and with the complete and unhindered use of his admittedly limited faculties, trained an innocent beast to relieve its bodily wastes along a length of standard gauge rail and then, if this altogether dubious and completely noisome accomplishment were not enough, left the dog’s waste there on the rail for all to see. You would think that someone with enough wit to train a dog to perform such a feat would also have the wit to clean up the mess afterwards, but you would be wrong.

    No, having trained the dog to relieve itself on a rail, this malevolent jackass left the pile of poop where the rest of us would have to look at it, no doubt to better advertise his dog’s intellectual accomplishments. It would not surprise me in the least to learn that this miscreant also videotaped his dog’s misadventure, if so willed an act can be rightly called thus, and has sent said tape in to some cute pet video show, so that others of his dimwitted ilk can likewise enjoy the sight of a dog crapping on a rail. The mind boggles at the possibilities for commercial exploitation here.

    Clearly, a warning will not suffice with this scurvy knave. The law stands as warning enough, common decency stands as warning enough, a desire to protect the health of his fellow citizens stands as warning enough, and yet this whelpitudinous jackanapes still permits his mutt to pollute the public thoroughfares. No, mere deterrence is not enough in this case. A public example is needed here, lest others think that they, too, may flout the full majesty of the law with impunity. It is clear that the outraged citizenry of this our happy little burg must take matters into our own hands. We must tar and feather this contemptible lout and run him out of town on a rail, preferably the rail his dog has developed such an excretory attraction for. Then, and only then, will the decent, hardworking people of our town be able to walk the streets with their heads held high, and without keeping one eye peeled on the sidewalk looking for Rover’s next “accident.”

  20. great stuff…

    as already said above this is what it’s all about, sharing…

    sharing good photos, stories, messages, thoughts… communication…
    sharing good times and the tuff ones too…

    what not to love!

    once again i wish i could magic myself to NYC for a few days…
    to all there and especially Mike – have a great time!

    “for those of you with that dream, do not lose it…whatever it takes is whatever you should put into it…”

    DAH… i’m thinking a lot about the best way to develop/expand Postcards and my new work. (like should they fuse into one project or are they separate entities…) i have a bunch of new material… i could really use your advice on this before i get really busy with it in the new year… any chance for a brief chat?

    cheers

    sam

  21. TO MIKE AND MIKE,

    here’s to maya and ofelia….. the real, real coronas behind these cool catzz….

    good luck for the show. if i were there, id bring my karaoke machine and once Tmodel Ford gets tired, ill be there to give him a breather break…

    kisses!!!!

  22. AKAKY Rides Again!! And about time, too.
    Whoever comes up with a convenient, hygienic, cheap, and efficient product for dog poop-scooping will probably make millions. Meanwhile, supermarket vinyl bags seem to be the favorite solution.

    Congrats to MIKE YOUNG on his show and book, and to SEAN GALLAGHER who continues to more than justify the faith in him as the first EPF grant winner.

    Appreciations to MIKE COURVOISIER for holding down the technical end of the DAH empire. Without you, Michael, where would he be? Clueless in Digital City, probably.

    And Congrats to PANOS for leaping into a new mode of photography and relating to the world… not without its growing pains and its learning curve, no doubt, but I’m sure it has expanded his horizons and understanding… which is the best possible reason to take pictures, isn’t it?

    And a Hello to BOB BLACK who seems finally to have found a balance he can live with and sustain as a commentator and participant on BURN without either BURNING himself out or chronically swearing to go cold turkey.

    Me? I’m hunkering down into some “day job” work for a few days, but expect to have a “statement”, both visual and textual, to make in the near future.

    Stay warm, everybody… we are having a serious cold snap here in the PacNW.

    Cheers,

  23. Frank Michael Hack

    Mike Y…best of luck on the show. I wish I could be there, and for the party afterward. Mike C…you are the best, ever-patient and talented and the man who directed me to the Big Fat Black Pussy Cat…many thanks.

    Frank

  24. DAVID.
    07980955548.
    I have your number so if i dont get a text telling me the keys are under The second flowerpot by the third bloodstain on the first floor stairwell, or something, then I will call you from JFK.

  25. a civilian-mass audience

    JOHNYG,
    focus…focus…this key is for your Greek house …:)))

    Well, we wish you safe travels…may the travel spirits be with !!!
    and cross your fingers …that CHRISB. will be there …
    ENJOY

    P.S BY the way…do you snore???

  26. AKAKY. Has been enshrined in law over here in the UK for ages. Owners must clear it up as it drops out. Special shit bins are everywhere. A whole industry of ‘poopa-scooopers’ has arisen. There are few things as satisfying as watching lady soandso having to pick up little fifi’s dribble in a little bag and bin it.

  27. rainy cold crappy morning warmed by the goodness of DAH

    “i will also work with Erica if she needs help in getting to print…life is different after you have a book…for those of you with that dream, do not lose it…whatever it takes is whatever you should put into it…a book is your benchmark…there really is no other…”

    I so wish I could celebrate with you all on the successes of Mike and for the growth of burn, will send my spirit writ large! DAH, saw your neighbor Tim H. last night and he was talking about this being such a great time to be a visual creative..maybe there is something in the water over at Kent :)))

  28. david b – as a longtime dog lover (with all the responsibilities that come with that) you’ve got me cracking up – thanks for the video!

  29. SIDNEY…

    nice summary..thanks

    AKAKY…

    brilliant again….we must get all your work together in one space..serious…you have done some great pieces..

    YOUNG TOM..

    do not understand your question…the 10th is the show…the weekend is for Burn meeting…you coming??

  30. a civilian-mass audience

    I wish to all the BURNIANS that out there …”fighting” with very hard weather conditions to be safe…

    “Heavy snowfall, wind pounding Midwest, New England…Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa …Thousands of power outages were reported in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky, New York and New Jersey.”

    “It’ll get worse before it gets better.” BUT it will get better…Please, BE SAFE…

    We count on YOU…all of YOU …
    MIKE are u ready ???:)))

  31. Mike Y – congrats on the show and the book. A copy, not yet well-thumbed but certainly getting there, sits on my table….was hoping to be there for the opening and the weekend but cannot…will play blues and drink one in spirit with you all, both that evening and the next morning, for I’m sure you will all still be at it then…

    DAH, have not lost the need to speak briefly with you, nor your instructions on how to do so, but it is not urgent and I know you’ve been especially buried this pas few days. Am registering for the Miami workshop and will watch for you on Skype next week, and if that doesn’t work for you we can simply email or catch up later.

    good light here – the rain has ended – and to all…
    a.

  32. If you’ve only seen Mike’s photos online, the online version just doesn’t do justice to the photos. They are amazing in the book. I really like that the photos are printed full bleed, too. Just buy the book.

  33. Yes, CIVI, a huge storm system is making its way across much of the midwest-to-eastern US, but this time Detroit is lucky. All we have are high winds and scattered showers. Travel safely all you Burnians who are on your way to NYC!!!

    Patricia

  34. a civilian-mass audience

    LOVE you ourPATRICIA…A BURN party without our PATRICIA …hmmm…

    Good light …like ANDREWB…
    and oime…oime…JIM…
    your fan, always.

  35. a civilian-mass audience

    before I go,

    I would like to know…if it’s possible…if…to have some photo coverage …from the
    BURNing happenings …!!!
    maybe someone …with camera or iphone can provide …some visual stimulation…

    maybe…

    P.S I LOVE yOU ALLLLLLLLL

  36. Congrats to all, enjoy the fest tomorrow night, and thanks again to Mike C. for handling my print request a while ago.

    PS: David, Mike does have your backpack on his right shoulder, in case you wondered (again!)… :-)))))

  37. The photo of Mike and Mike … its on the 10th floor … just a silly observation. I would love to be there, believe me, but no. Tell John Gladdy to call the couch. Hopefully I’ll get to meet Mike Young someday, seems like a cool dude.

  38. Just read off FACEBOOK:

    “…James Nachtwey studio seeks experienced intern for a minimum of three months. Candidates should have or be pursuing a degree in photography, and/or possess comparable photography work experience. The internship is unpaid, so please be financially prepared to participate in this program…”
    —————————

    The way it’s done?

    I always pay people who work for me, especially more than 3 months, even if I have to teach them a bit the job, and even if it means I am not making as much money, but grateful for the help (I am a painting contractor).

    Maybe, Panos, there is still magic in this modern-greeks world, after all!

    :-))))))

  39. a civilian-mass audience

    you rock BRIAN …
    i was looking for this one :)))

    WE WANT TO PARTY
    WE WANT COVERAGE
    WE WANT VISUAL

    maybe there were no cameras …allowed …:)))

  40. a civilian-mass audience

    ANDREWB.

    hey mate…it’s getting late in Grecoland …
    how long I can keep…my eyes …wide open …???

  41. Must have been some party….net.silence all day from the NYC burnians!

    Where is the reportage? Photos of Michael’s moment at Powerhouse, bubbles flowing, the afterparty?

  42. Hey Civi!

    glad you liked em…
    and thanks, you’ve reminded me that i need to do a lot of sorting & cleaning in my archive, way over due…
    make way for the new…

    looking forward… ; D

    sam

  43. a civilian-mass audience

    SAMMIE,

    an Englishman …in the Australian forest …
    make way for the sun !!!

    Silent Night…
    All is calm, all is bright…
    na,na,naaaaaaaaaaaa
    na,na
    na,naaaaaaaaaaaa

    POWERHOUSE …full of silence…
    where are you,
    our NY “fires”
    BURNing lonely
    in the room
    silent night
    I am out of Booze…

    P.S I can do better …:)))

  44. Hey, folks. DAH, Anton, John G, Michael Y, Chris B and who-knows-how-many other Burnians are in the midst of intense creative confabs at the loft regarding all things Burning, including the Circus. Knowing them, they’re sleeping about two hours a night, if that. Let’s send them good energy…

    Patricia

  45. a civilian-mass audience

    Our PATRICIA …
    yes, yes,yes…we haven’t stopped to send good energy …
    music…silents…untitled quotes…

    we need to exercise PATIENCE …PATIENCE…PATIENCE…
    BUT
    we are BURNIANS…and as BURNIANS …we are BURNing !!!

    LOVE …LOVE…LOVE

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