Document CV
The event began at 8:45 pm on November 07, 2011 and ended at 8:44 pm on November 14, 2011.
Before the event, I knew the event would come. I planned the event. The event came to me in the night. I met Carlos Vega in the night another night. The event was because he is Carlos Vega. The event was because I want to photograph Carlos Vega not as a document but through me. The event came to me in the night. The event came to me after I first met Carlos Vega and before I saw him again. I would see him once more before the event to see what he thought about the event. The event was anticlimactic, and explaining cannot explain.
The event
Pay Carlos Vega what he would make in a week at work to spend a week with me. Pay him out of courtesy.
Before I planned the event, I met Carlos Vega. I saw him walking with his snake. I spoke and he spoke and he spoke. Saying what he said cannot explain. When planning the event, I did not know what would come from the event. I felt it needed some direction but did not know which, so it had none. Another time I asked Carlos Vega about the event could I pay him what he would make in a week at work to spend a week with me. I did not know Carlos Vega. He did not know me. The event had to be then. It had to be clear. Carlos Vega agreed to the event. The event was planned for a couple weeks from then. It had to be then. I did not know Carlos Vega. He did not know me. Carlos Vega and I came from different places. He and I had only told each other exactly what he or I wanted the other to know. The event was clear with no direction. I told peers and mentors of the event to come. All had some concern more or less or less and more concerned. You do not know him. Some were scared. Carlos Vega would sleep on the couch. Some were scared. Some are honest. Some knew me and knew themselves as guarded. Safe as safe. He will love you maybe not maybe like all I meet. Explaining pieces of conversation could not explain. Explaining body language could not explain explaining. Explaining could not explain Carlos Vega. I was concerned too never scared and always vulnerable. I thought I could bring clarity and confrontation when needed. I thought the event would accelerate intimacy maybe forced. I thought I would go about business as usual during the event speaking with Carlos Vega as a person there. I thought the event would gather materials not perform. I thought I would not document the event. The documentation of the documenter is always false. The documenter gains access without the established trust typically required. The event happened because I wanted to photograph Carlos Vega. I wanted to photograph him not as a document but through me. Big world who are the people where are the animals. The event happened because he is Carlos Vega only because he is Carlos Vega. The event might as well belong to Carlos Vega. Carlos Vega brought a camera to the event on his own accord. I took very few photographs of him but did take some. He and I took one photograph together. During the event, some asked Carlos Vega if he was an artist, and he would look at me. With and without judgment one has notions about what an artist is where an artist comes from. I told him I could not answer questions for him. Things did not go as planned, but things did go. Things never go as planned, but things do go. One and things can never go about business as usual when one is documenting. I was not documenting, but business was not as usual. Carlos Vega walks slower and eats slower than I. Not each but every moment altogether was exhausting for me trying to work and exciting for him vacationing from work. Some saw his sad eyes. Some saw his care for the animals. Some who were scared saw Carlos Vega saw a person unafraid.
Carlos Vega is my friend. The intimacy gained during the event did not feel forced deeper than most. And of course we had to care for the animals everyday, which took longer than Carlos Vega lead me to believe it would.