In Autumn, Geronimo Weeps

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In Autumn Geronimo weeps - no pony With a blanket -- Kerouac

A haiku by Jack Kerouac spray painted across a brick wall in tiny Adams, Tennessee

“In Autumn Geronimo

weeps — no pony

with a blanket

Kerouac”

Those words looked like an epitaph to a dying town, when I read them on the side of an abandoned and decaying building in what was formerly downtown Adams, Tennessee. I admit, I was moved reading this poem, standing in the dew-wet grass, swarmed by gnats and mosquitoes on a humid, cloudy summer morning. The place felt haunted… not the building, the entire street.

Adams, Tennessee -- May 2013

Adams, Tennessee — May 2013

What happens to a church, a street, a town when no one longer wants it? An indignant mockingbird warned me away from the old church (below). From the roof, she insisted she would defend her property.

Broken Sidewalk and Abandoned Church --Adams, Tennessee. 8 x 10 inch black and white prints are available.

Broken Sidewalk and Abandoned Church –Adams, Tennessee. 8 x 10 inch black and white prints are available.

Buy a fine 8 x 10 inch print of the photograph above: $40.00

Not that Adams has disappeared. The little town still exists, with people playing softball, going to visit the legendary Cave of the Bell Witch, and worshipping in churches, but the core that once centered it is crumbling.

Abandoned and Ivy Clad, Adams, Tennessee

Abandoned and Ivy Clad, Adams, Tennessee

One is never far from a proselytizing message in Tennessee. Even a delapidated building will do.

One is never far from a proselytizing message in Tennessee. Even a delapidated building will do. Perhaps someone should pray for Adams and other vanishing little towns.

Thanks for reading. See more of my photographs here, and be sure to visit me on Facebook.

~ Keith

Buy a fine 8 x 10 inch print of the photograph Broken Sidewalk and Abandoned Church: $40.00

 

New Marriott Downtown Milwaukee Acquires My Photograph for Lobby

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Conceptual rendering of the new luxury Marriott Downtown Milwaukee, copyright Kahler Slater, Inc.

Conceptual rendering of the new luxury Marriott Downtown Milwaukee, copyright Kahler Slater, Inc.

 

The Mitchell Building, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson, will be part of the lobby decor in the new downtown Marriott Milwaukee

The Mitchell Building, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson, will be part of the lobby decor in the new downtown Marriott Milwaukee

I’m happy to announce that my architectural photograph of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Building will be hanging in the lobby of the brand-new luxury Marriott Downtown Milwaukee when it opens later this year.

Many thanks to Bridget, of DAC Hospitality in Atlanta, for brokering the deal. Conceptual art of the new Marriott shown is copyright of Kahler Slater, Inc., linked here from the project website.

Follow the progress and see construction photos of the new hotel here: www.downtownmilwaukeehotel.com.

See more of my photographs on my Website here, or visit me on Facebook here.

Thanks for reading.

~ Keith

 

 

Portfolio: Black and White Photographs of Charleston, South Carolina

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I’m excited to announce the public release of my new portfolio of fine art photographs taken in and around one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen–Charleston, South Carolina. From the gorgeous marshes and islands along the Atlantic coast, to the historic downtown, Charleston is a treat.

I’ve made a handful of select images which I hope capture a little of the city’s uniqueness. Below are a few of them. The rest of the portfolio can be seen here.

Abandoned Marsh House, Charleston, 2012, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Abandoned Marsh House, Charleston, 2012, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Abandoned Marsh Boat, 2012, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

Abandoned Marsh Boat, 2012, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

 

Buy a Print

Fine prints of the photographs are available in a variety of sizes and price ranges. Send a message if you’d like to know more about making a purchase.

See the entire portfolio here.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

 

New Release: “Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path”

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New black and white photograph, ”Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path”

I’m excited to announce the release of my new photograph, “Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path.” Photographed in the historic, old waterfront area of Nashville, Tennessee, this photograph depicts the soft shadow of a barren tree over a cobblestone path. I hope you like it.

Tree Shadow on Cobblestone Path, 2013, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

Cobblestone Path, 2013, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

 

Buy a print

$140

Click here to buy a fine black and white print of “Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path.”

12″ x 18″ Black and white photographic print on luster surface photo paper, mounted on single ply board for flatness in the frame (no extra charge). Includes a white margin outside the print area for easier framing. Sold unmatted and unframed. Signed by the artist in the white margin. Interested in another size? Let me know.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

Old sign: Syracuse Plows, Nashville

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New black and white photograph, Syracuse Plows, Nashville.

Syracuse Chilled Plows was a top selling brand of farm plow from 1879 until 1911, when they were purchased out buy Deere Co. I spotted this hand-painted sign on an old building in Nashville’s crusty riverfront area. Since the brand ended in 1911, I’m assuming this old sign is at least 102 years old–probably older. Nashville is enjoying a resurgence at the moment, and as the waterfront area revitalizes into a full-fledged entertainment district, I fear these old signs will disappear forever.

Syracuse Plows, Nashville, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Syracuse Plows, Nashville, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Buy a print

$48

Click here to buy a fine black and white print of “Syracuse Plows, Nashville.”

8″ x 12″ Black and white photographic print on luster surface photo paper, mounted on single ply board for flatness in the frame (no extra charge). Includes a white margin outside the print area for easier framing. Sold unmatted and unframed. Signed by the artist in the white margin. Interested in another size? Let me know.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

Yay! I’m Featured Artist on Artsy Shark!

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artsyshark_stacked_logo

Big thank you to Carolyn at Artsy Shark art business website for naming me as featured artist for the day! Quite an honor for me :-) .

And thank you also to the well-wishers who left nice messages on my Facebook page as a result of seeing the post on Artsy Shark. What a kind and generous group of artists!

See the really nice write-up here.

 

My Texas Capitol Lone Star Door Knob Becomes Part of a New Corporate Identity

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Thanks to South Llano Strategies for licensing my “Brass Door Knob on Texas State Capitol Building,” photograph on their new corporate identity. Nice to be working with people in my old home town of Austin! The business cards and Web pages look great!

Last year, Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas acquired a large print of this photograph as part of a campus interior design project. If you’d like to own a print of this photo, scroll to the bottom for information.

South Llano Strategies selected my Texas Capitol door knob photograph to use on their corporate identity.

South Llano Strategies selected my Texas Capitol door knob photograph to use on their corporate identity.

A section of the South Llano web site, making prominent use of my photograph.

A section of the South Llano web site, making prominent use of my photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brass Door Knob on Texas State Capitol Building, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

Brass Door Knob on Texas State Capitol Building, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

 

Buy a Print

Fine black and white prints of this photograph are available for purchase below.

Small Print

12″ x 12″ square signed print — $125.00   Buy Now

Large Print

16″ x 16″ square signed print — $185.00   Buy Now

See more of my photographs here. And be sure to come visit me on Facebook.

Thanks for reading!

~Keith

 

 

Wallspace, My Gallery in Los Angeles, Plans First Birthday Bash

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Los Angeles art gallery Wallspace LA is celebrating its one year anniversary in April, and I’ve had photographs with them since the beginning. Sounds like it’s going to be a great bash. Below are the details in the official Wallspace announcement.

“1″

at Wallspace
Saturday April 27th 7pm-10pm
607 Nth La Brea, LA, CA 90036

Email: art@wallspacela.com
www.wallspacela.com

Wallspace LA First Anniversary

Last year we opened our doors with a big, hot bash and now, one year later, it’s time to do it again.

Please come join us for “1,” our celebration of Wallspace.

We will have been open 478 days, we have over 350 artworks on view and represent over 60 Los Angeles-based artists all in
“1″ gallery.

Wallspace is a dynamic gallery that shows art in a non-conventional setting. Hung salon style on 14′ high walls, our aim has been to create a floor-to-ceiling visceral experience. “My goal in opening the gallery space was to give as many emerging and more established Los Angeles artists as possible the opportunity to be seen and exposed but also to create an environment where people can be comfortable with art. Art is a visual experience and the cacophony of artists’ work here gives everyone plenty to talk about. I love and encourage discourse!” says Valda Lake owner and founder of Wallspace.

We look forward to seeing you at Wallspace and invite you to celebrate our one-year anniversary and reception of “1″ at Wallspace on Saturday 27th April from 7 to 10pm.

Wallspace Artists

amadea bailey, bobbi bennett, mark benson, biija, avi binur,
mb boissonault, hilary bond, mark brunner, eddie campbell,
leah cooper, cutter cutshaw, todd davis, ruth de jong, lori dorn,
shannon drake, shannon duffy, ruben esparza, andrea fellers,
sean finocchio, jodi fuchs, kim gritzer, patrick haemmerlein,
stephanie han, zeal harris, linda jacobson,marz junior, cj kang,
eve kemp, jenn kennedy, janos korodi, teresa lakier, tom lasley,
jung ji lee, ivan loftstom, steve mccabe, celeste maguire,
melissa mahoney, jason mascow, rose masterpol, melinda mcleod,
nick mcphail, chris mcneil, sona mirzaei, dan monteavaro,
michelle oppenheimer, gary palmer, duane paul, judy ragagli,
somsara rielly, sonja salinas, amy shock, natasa prosenc stearns,
lulu stewart, dean styers, kymm swank, johnnie thornton,
chris trueman, ioana urma , stephanie visser, nina weintraub,
and neil alan wicks.

Wallspace Photographers

abe atri, sonya louise barham, tris beasley, maureen clark, sarah coupland, miranda cristofani, keith dotson, tony edwards, tiago fagundes, kelvin lake, maria loewenstein, meg madison, paula marsili, yael martinez,
patricia niven, louis stanley and helen truzowski.

“Cedar Creek Charlie” Fields – Folk Artist and Southern Eccentric

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On a recent visit to the Museum of Appalachia, in Clinton, Tennessee, I saw for the first time some startling work by a deceased folk artist I’d never heard of before.

A display from Cedar Creek Charlie's polka-dot house at the Museum of Appalachia. The figure is wearing Charlie's actual clothes, as you can see in the family portrait of him below.A display from Cedar Creek Charlie’s polka-dot house at the Museum of Appalachia. The figure is wearing Charlie’s actual clothes, as you can see in the family portrait of him below.

The strange work of “Cedar Creek Charlie” Fields left me so fascinated (and a bit unsettled), I had to learn more about him. Fortunately, members of his family have posted information and photos about Charlie, and their RootsWeb page is supplemented by a great synopsis of his art on the Smthsonian’s folk art Website. Born in 1883, Charlie was a bachelor who lived in a cabin with his mother in rural Appalachian Cedar Creek, Virginia. After her death in the 1930s, Charlie began painting every surface of the cabin in red, white, and blue squiggles, stripes, and polka dots. He even painted a set of clothes, which he wore to greet visitors. He worked and lived in Cedar Creek until his death in 1966.

Charlie Fields, also known as Cedar Creek Charlie, in a family photo posted on their RootsWeb site.

Charlie's cabin seen in a family photo posted on their RootsWeb page about Charlie.Charlie’s cabin seen in a family photo posted on their RootsWeb page about Charlie.

Some of Charlie’s work was downright creepy, like the cabinet with baby dolls seen in the photo below.
But apparently he was a fun-loving and popular local character, who built a ferris wheel in his yard and welcomed families with children to tour the house and enjoy the rides.

Some of the painted folk art of Cedar Creek Charlie -- CREEPY?Some of the painted folk art of Cedar Creek Charlie — CREEPY?

I encourage you to learn more about this fascinating American original by visiting his family’s well-illustrated page about him here: http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/~varussel/photos/cedarcreekcharlie.html. Or read about his artistic legacy on the Smithsonian’s page about him here: http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=1536.

Thanks for reading!

~Keith