In 2012 I made a series of eight crosses in an attempt to convey my state of mind at the time. Pendulumerica was made as a comment on the direction of the digital state of mind we are now completely immersed in.

Pendulumerica, Mixed Media, 28" x 18" x 3", 2012

Big Baby was created in 2018 and now lives in a lovely home on Whidbey Island, a ferry ride just west of Seattle. You can see more of my wire sculpture work here: (garymackender.com/wire_sculptu...)

I have an extensive collection of cabinet card and other early 20th century portraits of folks long dead, discarded and abandoned in junk shops. I made a series of portraits in 2012 attempting to give these people a second chance in an environment they could not have imagined.

This is “Jack.”

fine art photography

This image is from February, 1984, when I would prowl around downtown Kansas City, Missouri looking for ‘that thing’ to shoot. I used a Minolta SRT102 with a standard lens that day. #fineart #photography #triX

I’m going to use Bluesky to showcase my photography and other artwork from over the years as I’m exhausted by politics (Substack posts aside).

I hung up my SLR several years ago but started with Tri-X in the mid 70s. This one was shot with a digital SLR, 2010, Tucson, AZ.

I stopped posting on here because THERE SEEMS TO BE NO ENGAGEMENT. Prove me wrong? Hello?

Friday Homestead Dispatch Week Number Twenty-Four

“I’ve just never liked bullies, and I don’t understand people who do. It’s really not that hard. I wish more people would see that it’s not hard to stand up.” — Ken Casey, The Dropkick Murphys

In between yelling at the clouds and processing the destruction of Democracy, I managed to wrap up a couple of new pieces. Yellow Zoot & New Mexico Folded Camp.

PLEASE make a call today…these Republicans are needed to stop the insanity. I also wrote a short piece on this Big Ugly Bill yesterday...see link in comments.

In the Senate, not yet passed, let these folks know this is totally unacceptable. Lee’s office: 202-224-5444, Daine’s office: 202-224-2651. And let Mark Kelly know your position: 202-224-2235, and Ruben Gallego: 202-224-4521. In Kansas, Jerry Moran: 202-224-6521, Roger Marshall:202-224-4774.

Unfortunately the budget reconciliation bill has already passed in the House but you can still call these Arizona A-holes to give them a piece of your mind: District 02 Representative Elijah Crane at 202-225-3361 and District 06 Representative Juan Ciscomani at 202-225-2542.

This is just plain robbery in broad daylight of the American people by real estate developers, mining companies, oil and gas firms, and private equity firms flipping land for profit. OUR land.

This includes our own Sabino Canyon, Madera Canyon, Aravaipa Canyon, Mt. Graham and every other beautiful public land that Arizona has to offer.

Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) along with Montana Senator Steve Daines (R) have cobbled together a quiet proposal tucked away in the BIG UGLY BILL that includes two provisions that would trigger the largest loss of public land in modern history.

Tucson representing on No Kings Day!

Friday Homestead Dispatch Week Number Twenty-One

Today’s post was cobbled together while relaxing on Donner Lake, California, all week, and a long day of flying home yesterday. Hope to see some of you at the No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance tomorrow!

Friday Homestead Dispatch Week Number Twenty

An overly long post this morning but there’s so much happening right now that needs our attention. As Thom Hartmann writes, Don’t get used to fascism. Get loud. Get active. Get in its way.

One Big Ugly Bill Hey BUB!

Brrrrr, does it seem cold in here? While front-man *rump is busy waving his arms and tiny hands in the air fomenting racial hatred aimed at anyone who’s not ‘white,’ Stephen Miller and Russell Vought have achieved their wet dream of Project 2025 wrapped into this one Big Ugly Bill. Read on…

Sebastião Salgado Rest In Peace

garymackender.substack.com/p/sebastiao-...

Sebastião Salgado died this week at the age of 81. He is best known for his striking photographs of suffering and human devastation occurring all across the globe. Read more about him by clicking on the link in the comments.

Making good noise in Tucson, Arizona today!

“I have autism and I’m not broken, and I hope that nobody in Princeton Public Schools believes RFK Jr.'s lies."

YouTube video by NJ.com N.J. 4th grader calls out RFK Jr. following comments about autism

If Republican Senators are too cowardly to push back against the lies and conspiracy theories of RFK Jr., we’ll take 9-year-old Teddy speaking at the Princeton (new Jersey) Public Schools’ Board of Education meeting.

One is not like the other…

Maybe, by protesting and speaking out, I’ll be deported to England from whence came my great-great-grandfather. A wee cottage in the Cotswolds sounds pretty good about now…

I haven’t seen the official numbers but there must have been a few thousand in South Tucson, Arizona, last night as we made the trek from 10th Avenue and 22nd, down to 4th Avenue with a loop down to 29th and back up 10th.

Today’s PSA: If you haven’t had a meal at Forbes Meat Company, check it out. We split a hamburger along with a side of grilled veggies. They have a wide variety of sausages that are all processed in-house. Open 7 days a week from 8am-9pm in the 5 Points District at 747 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ.

... (which has been an example for the world for 250 years) and turn us into the newest member of the dictators club, joining Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Hungary, North Korea, and the rest of the fascist and authoritarian world.