richard lane spare1
Originally uploaded by blind sam.

I went to the estate sale of local new jersey composer Richard Lane. It was astonishing to see an entire life disregarded. His work was scattered around, original and copied manuscripts were laid out on the bed alongside books evincing his broad cultural education and interests.

I do not know a lot about the man yet, but his work was published by boosey and hawkes, who are a fairly prestigious music publisher, if I remember correctly.

There's a site describing his life here by an old friend. He doesn't seemed to have left any family - I really do not know - as the estate sale was conducted by a company, and because the general disregard for his life-work, and any family surely would have treated the remains of his life better.

The series is growing and becoming a little more focussed, or perhaps not as the subject is becoming broader. I've written to the faculty at MSU who looks after the Harry Partch instruments and he's ok'd me to photograph those. The series is becoming more about the spaces and the objects of a life dedicated to art and is mostly fuelled by my own musings upon the direction and shape of my life.