Sharon Duckman – Page 2 – Lorin Duckman Today

Boca Museum Reopens

We went to the early opening for members, but the power was out due to a thunder storm. Felt normal being able to visit a cultural institution in the midst of Corona and Black Lives Matter. We even dressed for the date.

We returned the next day. Only a few people present. Museum show featured Self-Portraits from the National Gallery and prints by Steichen. We dressed again.

I got to see a Chuck Close, one of my favorites and pose with him. Too complicated to explain here.

But Steichen will always be the start, the greatest portraitist of the 20th Century. He invented it. Here is a self-portrait where he photographs himself as a painter. He preferred photography and destroyed many of his paintings.

Can’t Stand It

All that violence; all that hatred.

Lorin Duckman, 72

I turned 72, which was a good thing and a not so good thing. As to the former, I am alive; as to the latter I have CLL, a blood disorder that isn’t lymphoma or leukemia, but what it is requires me to take pills everyday and be fearful of falling or catching a cold.

I have a marriage that thrives, even though I didn’t support us as planned or become the man we both wanted me to be. I cannot shake the past and don’t have much of a productive future planned. My photography comes second to my wife, so for those two things, I don’t want for attention, assignments or affection.

I read, shoot pictures, travel and volunteer. The images I make at the Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach are printed and handed out. I have been given a wall that needs to be filled. People leave stuff at our door which I deliver and I beg for diapers (4s and 5s), along with donations of money, clothes and household goods.

Nothing can be done to ease my pain or fix the story. No one knows what happened to me, except a select few and I am not important enough to find out the truth. Not saying I was perfect, just not so imperfect to have been the subject of judicial and political torture. Few friends, none close, and few relatives, none close. Not so bad as long as I live.

Sharon’s Eames Chair

We always wanted an Eames Chair, but could not afford it. Still cannot. We settled for a knockoff. Got to “keep on truckin'”.

With a strong shout out to R Crumb who created this long lasting image and phrase.

Now What

Potato Juice

Auschwitz Escapee Dies

Herman Shine died. He was one of the few to escape from Auschwitz. Less than 150 did. 1,100,000 didn’t. Some never made it to the gate. They died on the transport or were killed when they got off the train. Some were tortured by Mengele or raped by the soldiers before being executed. Shine was lucky to be young,fit and had help. The less lucky, children, the elderly and handicapped died quickly. Most died painfully from the gas.

The Jews weren’t the only ones killed here and in the camp across the tracks. Intellectuals went first. Gypsies, Russians, Polish sympathizers and other nationalities. No one said boo or boo hoo.