Though I Prefer The First Photograph, I Never Felt Quite Right About The Text Placement, So I Created

Though I prefer the first photograph, I never felt quite right about the text placement, so I created a second version. This one reads stronger to me and is more similar visually to the version I made for Tokyo in the spring.

Zachary Trebellas. Ποιος θα μπορούσε να είμαι στη Θεσσαλονίκη; (Who could I be in Thessaloniki?). Text on 35mm photograph. 2015. In August I spent three weeks in Europe with my friend Shareen and my twin brother Miles. Ten of those days we spent traveling around Greece. As Greek-Americans, he and I were very curious to see the country we’d related to in various ways for our entire lives. As I expected, it was full of foreign and new experiences, but some familiar ones as well. I was happy to be able to see so much of the country and finally experience it first hand. At the same time, I knew ten days would be only a taste of Greek life. Like I did with Japan, I long to spend more time in Greece to get to know it as a place and culture, and to build my own Greek experiences and memories. I wonder when, down the road, I’ll be able to make that happen. Thessaloniki, Greece’s artistic capital and second city, is where I’d want to have that experience. I hope in the future I’m able to.

—— This piece is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.

A Greek Record Store franchise bearing my Greek name, Ζαχαρίας (Zacharias). Athens. August, 2015.

I whipped this up the other day to celebrate the fact that I’m back in the etsy game. Check out my shop if you’re curious!

New items all this month.

Zachary Trebellas. Summer/Natsu, study. Scanogram. 2015.

This is a study for one of the pieces I have planned focusing on the Japanese habits that have replaced my American ones. With this one I wanted to focus on the Japanese custom of wrapping a damp towel around one’s neck in the summer to keep cool. It is so tricky to get the composition right when scanning yourself, though. I’ve done other shots where I simulate sweat by spritzing the scan bed with water. It works sometimes, but it’s a lot of trial and error. I guess I just have to keep at it. —— This is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.

This draft is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.  The images come from a 1970's Greek cookbook we had in the house growing up.

Zachary Trebellas. Guilty by Association/共謀による刑事罰. Manipulated “Sailor Moon” screen shot and text. 2015. Left text: Shut the #¥&! up! Right text: ¥#$&ing idiot! I’d hoped to put some hand written elements into this piece, but my scanner is not cooperating today, so I had to go all digital.