TexasGirl Photography

I went to Denton in the 90’s, in college. My only shadowy memories of the place are my friend’s dorm room, and shooting pool in a bar. So, when the good people at the Instant Film Society invited me to be a part of their exhibition at UNT CoLab (which of course I said yes to! The answer is always yes!), I was really excited not only to participate but also to get to see a little bit of a place I hadn’t really been to before.

To quote their website, the gallery is “Located in historic Downtown Denton, just a half block off the beautiful Courthouse Square, on the corner of N. Elm and Pecan Streets, in the John B. Schmitz building (circa 1878).” I was especially excited about this, since I had no idea (knowing nothing at all about Denton) that there was a historic square. If you’ve spent much time on my blog, you can probably tell that I’m a big fan of historic squares, especially ones that are still well used. In this case, I am happy to tell you that my expectations were exceeded!

Not only did I get to meet the gallery director and the member of the Instant Film Society who invited me in the first place, but I was also impressed with what a nice space they have, in such a great location. I wasn’t able to explore the entire square, but what I saw made me look forward to attending PolaCon EVEN MORE (if that was possible).

My daughter went with me, making the art-drop into a mother-daughter day road trip. When we left the gallery, we went to a bookstore that the people there had recommended. Accurately described as a “big purple building” and “a used bookstore in an old opera house,” our heads pretty much exploded when we saw Recycled Books. We are a book-loving family by nature anyway, and while this place instantly transported me to my childhood, it blew my own child’s mind with the scope and quality of the selection. It is also obligingly photogenic! I’m not sure what I enjoyed most: the vibes, the books, or the look of the place itself.

If you’re a bookworm, this place is heaven. It’s probably heaven for record enthusiasts too, but since we (fortunately – oh my bank account) don’t have a turntable right now I didn’t bother looking at the vinyl.

So, what’s the point of all this? Besides extolling the beauty and day-trip-worthiness of Denton, TX, I also want to give the kindest shoutout not only to the Instant Film Society but also to UNT CoLab. If you’re anywhere near there before October 2nd, please stop by the gallery! I have some polaroid enlargements on display, plus a couple of cyanotypes from my Body Botanic project. And hey, if you’re an instant film enthusiast, why not go to PolaCon?? Take a look at the links in this article for more details. I’ll be there on the Saturday; I hope to see you!

All images from the same roll of film, made with the camera pictured above: Canon P, and Kodak Tri-X film