Friday, May 28, 2010

Carl Corey ~ Wisconsin Tavern League ~ For Memorial Day Weekend

According to Wikipedia, serendipitous is a propensity for making fortuitous discoveries while looking for something unrelated.
I serendipitously came across the work of Carl Corey, who lives in Wisconsin and has done a masterful job of capturing the tavern culture in Wisconsin. He has totally "nailed" it in my opinion... and I have been to many. It really tickles me to share this work because I will be heading up there this weekend.

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I have spent the last 35 years traveling up to Northern Wisconsin to get my nature fix, spending many happy hours there contemplating life and photographing with few distractions. Memorial Day weekend is usually my annual foray to the North Woods.

Kathy and Bernie Tworek, Hayward


Marty, Chippewa Club, Durand


Bob, Club 53, Amery

In his words...

"The Wisconsin Tavern League project portrays a unique and important segment of the Wisconsin community. Throughout history the local tavern or pub has served as a communal gathering place, offering conversation and interaction between neighbors and friends. Bars are also unique micro communities offering a sense of belonging to their patrons. Many of these bars are the only public gathering place in the rural communities they serve. These simple taverns offer the individual the valuable opportunity for face to face conversation and camaraderie, particularly as people become more physically isolated through the accelerated use of the internet’s social networking, mobile texting, facebook, linked in, gaming and the rapid fire of email.

It is doubtful that the Wisconsin Tavern can endure this cultural and electronic bombardment without going through transition. Evidence of this is already becoming visible, as there is an increasing amount of small tavern closures and the impersonal mega sports bar becomes more prevalent. This series attempts to document the Wisconsin Tavern as it is today."

Fredricksburg

Northwoods Bar, Tomahawk


More of his work can been seen, in person, at Wall Space Gallery in Seattle from May 27th - June 26th. What fun it will be to dip into the tavern scene this weekend and think of these images. Thank you Carl!

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