I’m not a full-time bartender yet. I just got the latest Monocle with a story I photographed on a “hot” neighborhood in Bangkok. Lots of fun to explore a place I knew only superficially. The story looks nice too — even ran some food shots and an additional pleasure of working for Monocle was they paid me on time. (Truly astounding in these times of 90++day invoice delays.)
Exploring the wood street in Bangkok was a vision of what Thailand used to be — covered in teak forests. The only wood (it seems) available is teak or rubber. Rubber wood is reclaimed from unproductive rubber plantations, which were planted after clear cutting the indigenous forests. We wanted to find European bentwood cafe chairs. I’m not sure what wood is used — I found a single antique in Jatujak Market’s furniture zone for $75 from Czechoslovakia (that old.) For a Burmese teak version the price is the same. Local teak $15 less. Either teak or rubber we’ll still be botching some part of the remaining forest here. Sustainability? Not in Thailand.
Photography projects are done for many reasons, but most often as an antidote to the frustrations, vagaries, despair of photography done to make a living. True creative expression is poured into a personal project while only a few droplets ever stain professional work. I try to be as creative as possible on assignments even if photographing something I could care less about from any other position than behind a viewfinder. However, photographing for a living is now as precarious a path as being an auto worker or a farmer. Now the special project is something to do instead of work.
I’ve decided on a new special project where I use all my creative experience: the aesthetic decisions and problem solving learned as an art director; the framing, timing and patience of a photographer; the real-life testing of countless hotels, bars, restaurants and resorts while on assingment; the ear to understand English spoken with the thickest of foreign accents… How will I use these well honed skills?
Open a bar + gallery.
Why the f—? No clients (other than my 3 partners) to tell me you can’t do that. Somewhere to listen to decent music while drinking. A job to do between assignments, while waiting for the world to figure out how to develop content for Apple’s tablet. Lay out my creative choices and see how people respond. How the f— did I decide? My wife and I had countless converstaions —”if this was our place…” or “why isn’t there something like this in Bangkok.” She’d reached the frustration boil-over point trying to get a good job as an art/culture manager.
We asked around, looked at spaces, but usually too expensive or just the wrong space. We were made aware of an empty building (very small) 10 minutes walk from our house. It had the right vibe and after talking with the owners we found it was the right price. Well, why the f— not go for it?
Company formed, lease signed, demo and construction begun (2 days ago.) Already headaches and obstacles, but they are intimately ours and worth sorting through with the end in mind.
As I see my plans and designs take form I’ll try to keep a running commentary on what it takes to open a bar in Bangkok. It will most likely be more interesting than reading about photography!
wishing all of you,
…are just around the corner. ‘09 was a rough year for many. I’m lucky to be living in Thailand with low overhead and having a predisposition to live simply. Many have faired far worse around the world at the collapse of über-capitalism’s house of cards. I just got a collection of old Bob Dylan from a friend — “In the Pines,” “The Witmark Demos,” and “The Minnesota Tapes.” Scratchy, echo-y, wobbly tunes sung accompanied by guitar and harmonica. Many of the songs are by Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly or early anonymous folk singers, describing hard times and bleak futures. But underneath the melancholy is the surging, about to bust out, young Dylan. This will be my soundtrack as we transition to a new decade.
