Around this time every year, I take stock of this website and think about its roots and its evolution. Last month marks five years since Muybridge’s Horse launched. A lot has changed since then – I left my largely undemanding desk job (that allowed me to turn my blog into a comprehensive website) and my quiet, slow life in Kansas and made the move to Portland, where I worked part-time for two years before gaining full-time status last summer. I stopped having free time that I could devote to researching, emailing with, and writing about artists. And blogs pretty much ceased to be a thing.

Due to all these changes, I’ve moved from updating twice weekly to once per week – if that, at times. I’m always trying to tell myself, “That’s okay!” I remind myself that this website is for me, and anyone who happens to see it as well is a bonus. I’ll keep posting here for as long as I can, however infrequently. Maybe (hopefully), 2018 will be the year the site changes form a bit and becomes less of a blog/feed and more of an archive and artist index. It is so difficult to imagine my life without MH. Thank you for being here.

As always, submissions are OPEN. Email me with your art or the art of folks you know or the art that you love – muybridgeshorse@gmail.com. For now, I thought I’d share some of what I’m reading, as I’m reading more now than I have in a long time. (And just in case you didn’t know, you can keep up with MH on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.)

Apologia, Barry Lopez I have been meaning to read this story for so long. Of course I’ve been aware of Barry Lopez and his writings, especially since moving to the Northwest, but I had yet to find Apologia since it was recommended to me during the portfolio walkthrough at the national SPE conference in San Francisco in 2012. I’m an avid library user and I prefer to borrow books whenever possible, but my library system didn’t have a copy. It took briefly living in a different county this summer and registering for a library card there for me to finally get this book into my hands, and I absolutely loved reading it (and looking at the woodcuts by Robin Eschner). So many things I’ve read recently have made my heart hurt with emotion. This book is no exception.

The Dead Bird, Margaret Wise Brown I can’t believe it, but I only found out about this book when reading Ellyn Kail’s post about the Remembering Animals exhibition on Feature Shoot. This one my library did have… right downstairs from my office. The copy I read is illustrated by Christian Robinson, of Last Stop on Market Street fame (and of Gaston fame, to me). I’d love to track down older versions to see the illustrations. The ones by Remy Charlip look pretty wonderful.

Beyond the Dark Veil: Post Mortem & Mourning Photography This is another book I have been after for a long time. Many months ago, I put in a purchase suggestion at, you guessed it, my library. I was thrilled when they bought it! And it came to me as a hold. I’ll admit that I’ve had to return it and put it on hold a couple of times since then, as I really wanted to spend some time with it. The past few days I’ve flipped through it several times – and it is incredible. I can’t wait to read the essays that accompany the amazing images.

Comic Epitaphs from the Very Best Old Graveyards Can I mention the library one more time? If you haven’t realized by now, I work at a public library, in the administration division. One of my roles is to post on social media and keep up with other libraries’ profiles. A library we follow mentioned that they received this book as a donation, and I immediately added it to my Amazon Wish List of books. Then it occurred to me to see if my own library has a copy, and we do! This was super fun and lovely to read. It reminded me of waiting in line for The Haunted Mansion at Disney World/Disneyland – reading the funny gravestones leading up to the ride is almost my favorite part.

Of One and The Other, Jayanti Seiler Lastly, I am truly looking forward to digging into Jayanti Seiler’s beautiful photo book, which arrived in the mail last weekend. I supported this book through GoFundMe; Jayanti is seeking funding to self-publish a limited edition of her high-quality fine art book consisting of text and over 50 images from her project. An additional set of books will be printed within a couple of months. Check out the project and give your support now as these books are only available through March.

Other things I’ve been reading:
Pigeons: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual I bought my first house (!) earlier this year, and my dreams of keeping pigeons may finally be on the near horizon. I love learning everything about them. If you have tips or insider knowledge, get in touch!
When a Pet Dies, Fred Rogers The world did not deserve the gift that was Mister Rogers. I adore him, and reading this sweet book for kids after seeing the Remembering Animals exhibition was poignant.
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Sherman Alexie I love the chapter “Drive, She Said,” about how Alexie’s mother would stop for roadkill, collecting a porcupine and taking it home to harvest its quills for war-dance regalia – “and the dozens of times she gave extraordinary meaning to ordinary porcupines and their quills.”

Posted March 9th, 2018