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Monday, May 25, 2009

Life / Visual Art If This Bed Could Talk

Posted by Brendan Kiley on Mon, May 25, 2009 at 4:55 PM

Sent this morning from felicitously named Slog tipper Yasmine Kiss:

c927/1243294840-mattress.jpg

Ms. Kiss writes:

Dear Slog-

Look what we found in the alley between Summit and Bellvue off Harrison last night! There were a pile of lady's clothes, shoes, and a VCR next to it. When we came back to take the photo, the scavengers had already taken a pair of shoes and ruffled through the clothes. I'm from Chicago, and have actually never seen anything like this. I had no idea there was this much passion in Seattle.

By coincidence (or, you know, not) photographer Zoe Strauss—her story, briefly: Philly born and bred, is tougher and funnier than you, is given a camera for her 30th birthday, starts photographing around her neighborhood, makes the Whitney Biennial in 2006, has a solo show at local gallery Open Satellite in 2007 (where she helped serve beer from a keg and I ate my first and last hot dog with cream cheese on top), hosts an annual art show under I-95 where she sells photos for $5, publishes her book America (fucking awesome), and remains tougher and funnier than you—sent this "photo of the week" to her email list:

ccc3/1243295487-3552612739_37459d5447_o.jpg

First the desire, wrapped in plastic. Then the regret, slashed and abandoned.

And two more Zoe Strauss photos, just because:

f230/1243295710-1029939959_fca3db1982_o.jpg

And my very favorite of hers:

91ea/1243295824-11_06_zoe_strauss_04.jpg

Ain't that America.

Comments (16) RSS

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Does that bed say "Fuck you selfish cunt"? Hard to read.

And that Titanic photo is awesome.

Posted by Swearengen on May 25, 2009 at 5:09 PM

Geez, there are women out there who are selfish cunts? Stop the presses.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on May 25, 2009 at 5:44 PM

"Does that bed say "Fuck you selfish cunt"? Hard to read."

Well, that certainly makes more sense than what I can make out on my computer screen: "Fuck you elfish cunt"

Posted by kb on May 25, 2009 at 5:45 PM

. . . something to see

Posted by Chicago Fan on May 25, 2009 at 5:47 PM

Possibly a prop from Saw VI

Posted by Zoe Baird on May 25, 2009 at 5:57 PM

People who try to convince us that making art MUST be a competitive enterprise are real gems. Please hire more of them at the Stranger.

Posted by F. Seline on May 25, 2009 at 6:34 PM

Holy crap. I'm watching the big "T" right now--they've just hit the berg, and I popped over to check out the SLOGS, only to see this. Cool.

Posted by Timmytee on May 25, 2009 at 6:37 PM

Just as there was a time when having a giant inflatable titanic slide was judged tasteless and insensitive, I envision a day where children laugh and play on giant inflatable world trade center slides and no one will say it's too soon.

Posted by Super Jesse on May 25, 2009 at 6:40 PM

The titanic slide is a lot of fun.

Posted by Ah,Childhood on May 25, 2009 at 6:57 PM

If there wasn't enough crap lying around Capitol Hill already, the City of Seattle is removing trash bins from parks!

Living down the street from the site of said mattress, I'd appreciate if the Strange wouldn't glamorize garbage!

Posted by Atl2Sea on May 25, 2009 at 7:19 PM

That's so weird. It seems that mattress-grams are becoming a trend. I just saw one a few weeks ago in an alley by my apartment. It read:

"Real Talk:

LaQuan Jackson is a Snitch Bitch who talks to T.P.D."

And here I thought it was an isolated incident. Turns out it's a scourge.

Posted by Ger Kilmer. on May 25, 2009 at 7:38 PM

This mattress has been in the alley for weeks. It just appeared last Wednesday propped up on the fence with the message cut into it.

Also, I am pretty sure the pile of clothes and shoes were left at a later date by the homeless and other vagrants that rummage through the dumpsters.

Posted by someguy on May 25, 2009 at 8:19 PM

This post needs less woman, or more rape.

Posted by Mr. Poe on May 25, 2009 at 9:20 PM

Mr. Poe, don't you realize that there are real women getting real raped and that your joking about it makes a huge problem infinitely worse?

Just think about how many women were brutally murdered because of your Savage Love advice!

Posted by Christampa on May 26, 2009 at 3:31 AM