Yo skids
Last night I went out walking at 3 am. I thought I might get some interesting photos of Uppsala. And maybe I did or maybe I didn't, but I did have some strange experiences. Two meetings of an older generations quite polarised views of ME, or rather of the Youth.
The first was while I was taking some photos of grafitti paintings in an underpass. A couple around 45-50, slightly drunk, happened by. The man, who did most of the communicating asked what I was doing and if he also could be in the "film". I said they were only stills, but to humor him I took his picture. As they parted, jovially staggering supported by each other, he made affirmations as to the necessety to Live for Art.
At the end of my walkabout I had to cross the train tracks at the station house to get home. As I walked along the platform, a bell started chiming and a flashing light told me to "stop". So I did. And as I had my camera with me and nothing better to do while I waited, I set the tripod up and looked around for the train to come. A man from across the tracks adressed me. I don't remember his exact frasings, but he kept asking what I was doing and what I would take a picture of. Confused I tried to keep a ready out for the train while saying that it was the oncoming train I was photographing. He seemed agitated and angry and finally his line of questioning revealed why. "It's because it's painted isn't it?" he said. "Why else would someone be out at this time". I was shocked and delighted to have been mistaken for a delinquent, and felt a surge of adrenalin. I argued with him for a while, saying he was a very prejudiced man, and that had he looked around at the glowing pink morining sky he would understand that there are many reasons to take a camera out at 3:30 in the morning. He, meanwhile, didn't relent, didn't listen. Finally, realising he could do nothing about the situation, neither the real one nor his imagined one, the bitter conductor growled "Well, now I know what you look like". I congratulated him as he was walking away and the train entered the station. I didn't get any good shots, but I am thinking of documenting train grafitti and tags as a photo project.
Gnight
