Alleys & Ruins no. 96, Steps III (2006, Des Moines, IA, 11:30pm)
Steve, a friendly homeless guy in his 60’s walks up to me and says Hi. I’ve been walking around alleys all night in Des Moines, having found nothing to shoot, so this is a welcome distraction. He’s very animated, gesticulating in exaggerated ways when he speaks. He quickly lands on the subject of his life and wants to tell me his life story.
With arms gesturing in absurd, unrelated and distracting ways, he tells me when he was in his 30’s he was drifting through life. A close relative dies and he gets a big inheritance. He decides it’s time to get serious. He gets a job, finds a woman, gets married, and buys a house, because that’s what you do when you get serious. The marriage lasts 3 years and they divorce and sell the house.
In the settlement he is told to pay his ex wife half the value of the house. He freaks out since the house was paid entirely with his inheritance. His arms and hands are moving like mad now. He says the hell with the verdict, I’m going on a journey! He buys a van and decks it out with plush carpeting in the back, installs shelves, a closet, a bed...
He takes the money and goes on a road trip around the country. He spends money extravagantly, meets lots of women and one introduces him to crack.
After 2 years, his bank account has been reduced to zero and he’s a crack addict. Soon after he’s living on the street. He fights the addiction and tells me breaking his crack habit was the most horrendous thing he’s experienced in his life. A thousand times worse than being homeless, which he seems to accept as not too bad. Now he’s mostly drunk, whenever he can, but there’s no way in hell he plans to stop that, he says laughing heartily as his arms finally come down.
ALL SHIPPING IS FREE
FINISHES
Our unique and vibrant photographs will add depth and stunning color to any home, office or public space. They are offered in two main finishes1. Metal float mount
Our Metal prints have a magical luminescence. Their vibrant, saturated colors jump off the wall, and will last for generations. They are created by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets making them incredibly durable and scratch resistant. The finished piece is float mounted, so they float one inch off the wall.2. Archival prints
We print on premium quality Sunset eSatin paper, using archival Ultrachrome inks for incredible endurance and color saturation. These prints will last for generations.11x14 and 16x20 sizes are available with or without a window mat. If you are unsure which is best for you, feel free to contact us. Most clients seem to purchase without the window mat.
Prints larger than 16X20 are available as full-frame prints, without a white border or a window mat. If you want a white border, just let us know!
CUSTOM SIZES
If you have a specific size requirement, that's no problem! Maybe the perfect size is somewhere between two of the sizes in the drop down list. In that case, the price would be the proportional difference. We’ve also stretched and cropped pieces for customers to fit precise spaces. Give us the dimensions and we'll email you image options for you to choose from. There is no charge for the extra labor in custom sizing pieces.LIMITED EDITIONS
Metal prints in the following sizes include a Certificate of Authenticity, which will be mailed to you:48X65 or 48X72: edition of 15
43X57 or 40X60: edition of 25
32X40 or 30X45: edition of 50
24X30 or 22X33: edition of 100
16X20 or 16X24: edition of 200
GUARANTEE
We want you to be happy with your art purchase. If a piece arrives damaged or defective, please contact us and a replacement will be shipped. All of my finished pieces are created using the highest quality archival processes. They come with a lifetime guarantee against fading or color shift.