PICTURING PEOPLE - Stephanie Gautreau Greiner

Stephanie , Baton Rouge LA 2009

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Stephanie Gautreau Greiner - Wife, mother and friend.

OBSESSED FOR ATTENTION

Tiger Stadium - Student Section, Baton Rouge LA 2008

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After hurricane Katrina struck , I became obsessed with not wanting the world to forget New Orleans.

I somehow had this notion that people would just forget , move on to the next disaster or big news story.

Well it did not happen, people still care and the spot light still shines!

Today in the New York Times:

www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/us/31orleans.html?th&emc=th

R O B E R T E L E E

Robert E Lee Theatre, New Orleans LA 2007

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Christian Patterson called me a few weeks ago, to let me know the Robert E Lee theatre in New Orleans was in the process of being torn down!

We talked about trying to save the letters. I am guessing they are each 4 x 8 ft. in size. However, the contractor wanted $5000. , to not destroy them.

We abandoned the rescue attempt and I am afraid the theatre (and the letters) are now gone!

PUMP IT UP!

Drainage Canal Pipe, Baton Rouge LA 2007 from Land's End series.

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The U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers , charged with protecting the city of New Orleans from flooding, it has been reported spent hundreds of millions of dollars on unproven pumps that will most likely need to replaced in 2012, at a cost of $430 million!

Full story:

www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-08-25-pumps-new-orleans_N.htm

PICTURING PEOPLE - Adam T.

Adam T., London UK 2006 from Picturing People

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Adam - Student , Athlete and family friend.

Annie are you ok? Are you ok Annie….*

FREE SOFA , New Orleans LA 1998 from the series HOMEFRONT

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

I am an artist first, but I also went to business school and earned a masters degree. I learned two things while there: the time value of money (i.e. a dollar next year is worth less than a dollar today), and that leverage (financial) is a two edged sword! If it’s working for you, it’s really working for you, and if it’s not, your going to get crushed!

I read more again today about the financial fall of celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, who it has been reported earns between $2 million to $5 million a year, plus $100,000 a day stipends for commercial shoots.

Annie is $24 million in the hole! How? Leverage . It’s made her not ok!

Details:

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2009/08/18/annie-leibovitz-and-the-indebted-rich/

* Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

se habla español

Flood Marked Hispanic Business, New Orleans 2005

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The Hispanic population of New Orleans, post-Katrina, has risen from 3% to 4.5%. Many Hispanics came to New Orleans for the work related to re-building the city and many have stayed.

As a result, there has been a marked rise in Spanish speaking businesses in the city.

se habla español

CONSERVATIVELY SPEAKING

Pickup Truck Graphics, Baton Rouge LA 2008

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Louisiana has been ranked the second most conservative state in the

nation, according to a new Gallup poll.

Louisiana is tied with Utah and Oklahoma , behind only Alabama and Mississippi.

However, Louisiana has the least number of “liberals” at 14%.

Bill I AM (not)

After Rain Storm in Port, 2009 from the series CRUISE

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Hurricane Bill, the first of the Atlantic season, has reached a category 2 stage with sustained winds of 100 mphs.

It is too soon to know if Bill will threaten the U.S. coast , but Bermuda will feel some effects of a storm that is about 300 miles across.

MAKING WAVES

Bar Harbour, Maine 2007 from the series CRUISE

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Tropical Depression Ana, expected to reach the Dominican Republic today, is moving quickly across the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Tropical storm watches are in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten and several other islands in the area.

Speeding along at 75 mph , the season’s first hurricane , Bill , is expected to gain speed and top 110 mph! Bill is centered about 1,160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving west-northwest at 22 mph.

Claudette , blew into the Florida Panhandle today but quickly lost steam and was downgraded to a tropical depression.

BUILD IT and THEY (MAY) COME!

WAL-MART Building Site, Baton Rouge LA 2009 from Land's End

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

I had recently commented on what a bad idea I thought it was to try an re-open Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans East. The park was not profitable with a larger pre-Katrina population, so how could it work with a smaller post-Katrina audience?

Today, it was announced a group, Big League Dreams , wants to take over the site. They operate mini-replica stadiums and full sizes courts to play baseball, softball , soccer and basketball , all free to the public! Their revenue comes from charging leagues and tournament groups to play.

This sounds like a great idea!

I think if we (they) build it, they will come!

SMOKE SCREEN

Tiger Stadium aka Death Valley, Baton Rouge LA 2008
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The LSU Tigers football team are predicted to win the South Eastern Conference - West Championship!

I cannot stand pre-season predictions, because they are usually wrong.

It's a bunch of smoke.

LETS PLAY TAG!

LOOK, Baton Rouge LA 2005 from Baton Rouge Blues

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"Tagging" is not art!

It is urinating with a spray paint can , in public, on someone else's property and by doing so "marking" a territory!

I see it everywhere I go , it's like visual cancer!

COCK OF THE WALK

ROOSTERS, Gold Hill NC 2008

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The unemployment rate nationally is about 9.7% , with some cities like Detroit, hovering around 14%!

New Orleans is about 33% lower with an unemployment rate of 6%!

I think that make’s a “Cock of the Walk”!

Statistics:

http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/0908/trans0809joblessinthecity.html

COPY CAT(TLE)

Stratford Cattle , UK 2003 from UKOK

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Chinese painting version of Stratford Cattle, UK 2003

I split my time between making art (photographs) and selling it (paintings), so last year when an article appeared in the newspaper , “Two art dealers plead guilty to fake artwork”, I was intrigued.

As it turns out, this mother and son team from Covington , La were having paintings churned out , by a Chinese art factory. This pair would then make up artists names, bios. , c.v.s and provenances and sell the paintings as locally produced. Ah great idea, except it was fraud!

Ironically, about the same time I had seen this article, a Chinese art factory contacted me about producing paintings! I sent them an image of mine, one I made in the English countryside of cattle grazing. It’s a nice photograph. I wanted to see what it would look like as a painting!

This is a kind of an international art collaborative , which I call “WORLDART”

Goodbye Robert E. Lee

Entrance Arrow near Lafayette La 2005

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

The Robert E. Lee movie theatre is located in the Lakeview area of New Orleans.

My fondest memory of the place was going to see The Exorcist there in around 1975.

The theatre has been closed for quite sometime but it was just announced that it will be demolished!

Goodbye Robert E. Lee!

Full story:

www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/08/eighteen_years_after_its_last.html