An Exercise In Imagination...

http://www.davidscottholloway.com/lego

I’m too sentimental. That’s what I’ve been told. I compulsively document a lot of my son’s things; shoes, toys, uneaten pizza crusts. Whatever speaks to me in the moment.  

2020 was the first time my son didn’t get anything Lego for Christmas. That evening I found myself thumbing through a pile of his mini-figures, when I came across Captain America. He was fantastic, or maybe amazing? No, that’s Spiderman. Spectacular? No that’s Spiderman too. I dunno. He was perfect. A little beaten up, played-with, loved. He was wearing an older outfit. The thing that caught my eye was, he had a mustache. It. Was. Glorious. 

Lego Nick Offerman as Captain America

“So that’s what this is, an exercise in imagination, a work-in-progress, thinking of Nick Offerman as many of my favorite characters in many of my favorite films, TV shows, and even IRL.”

Instantly I knew how I was spending my night. I stayed up until sunrise, putting together every combo I could dream up with. Every metaverse role that I dreamed of Nick Offerman playing. Maybe it sounds silly, but in my opinion, the biggest movie franchises don’t take enough chances that inspire me. They aren’t letting actors go off the rails and be more than what people think they are. I get it, they have massive amounts of money and resources invested in making something they need to reap financial rewards. But one of those resources are the deep pools of talent they have. The creative talents of a handful of actors and directors can redefine what it means to be the lead. 

Taika Waititi has always been on my list and then he did it. GENIUS. Because of him, Hollywood has never been better. THANK YOU! Jack Black has always been on my list and I LOVE that guy. He has been a leading man, but I dream of seeing him in something I don’t expect him to be in. Look at what Chris Pratt has done! He is an inspiration for everyone. Simon Pegg. Bokeem Woodbine. Rebel Wilson. Tilda Swinton. Sam Rockwell. Julian Dennison. So many greats.

Lego Nick Offerman at Batman / Bruce Wayne

“Nick Offerman is way more than a mustache… but it’s symbolic.”

And YES YES YES Nick Offerman is on my list. When you think of him, you think of Ron Swanson, which is amazing, an iconic character that everyone loves, but his range is phenomenal. Is there a character that he couldn’t play? Whatever the role, he makes it his own and he makes it interesting. Check his IMDB, he has been at this nearly 30 years and he just keeps getting better. Besides being half of the really lovely creative power couple of Mullaly and Offerman, you’ve already seen him in Lego form. He was Metalbeard in The Lego Movie! 

I’m not saying the actors in these roles that I’m reimagining didn’t kill it. They totally did! That’s exactly why we have fallen in love with Ethan Hunt, Owen Grady, John Wick, Rick Grimes. Ok wait, the last one isn’t the best example, because I 100% believe that Nick Offerman would’ve made an infinitely better Rick Grimes. 

So that’s what this is, an exercise in imagination, a work-in-progress, thinking of Nick Offerman as many of my favorite characters in many of my favorite films, TV shows, and even IRL. I’m making them in Legos because I don’t have him around to shoot a portrait series with, but also because this project is partially about me being a father and documenting the things that remind me of my son’s personality and these moments in time. 

Some friends have said, “Well this is more like Tom Cruise playing Ron Swanson, or Shaun White as Ron Swanson…” I get it. That’s fair, Nick Offerman is way more than a mustache (and I prefer him with a beard), but it’s symbolic. Every generation has a guy with an iconic, legendary mustache, a mustache that will be remembered. There was Clark Gable, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, Sam Elliot. My generation has Nick Offerman.   

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Nancy Pelosi Swears In New Members Of Congress

http://www.davidscottholloway.com/swear

Women's History Month is coming to an end, but I wanted to share some relevant work of mine from my archives. This gallery is of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during the mock swearing-in ceremony with the new members of Congress back in January of 2009.

I spent a lot of time working on Capitol Hill. I loved walking the halls, attending hearings, and documenting politics in action, but I think I often enjoyed these sorts of odd photo-op moments a little more.

The members have already been sworn-in, in an official, closed-door event. They then recreate the Speaker swearing-in each of the new members for the media. There were two side-by-side photo positions and one group would get ready while the Speaker was with the other group, then she would change sides. The event was all for show, but I think it is also really fun and meant a lot for the newest members of Congress, their families and staff.

#CapitolHill #NancyPelosi #womenshistorymonth #politics #WDC #Congress #photoop #SpeakerOfTheHouse #womeninpolitics #leadership #BTS #behindthescenes #Photojournalism #washingtondc

Hey Tony, I told you so.

Space Knife © 2018 David Scott Holloway/All Rights Reserved

Since I’ve posted this photo on my LinkedIn profile several people have asked me about it. So here is the story. 

The knife belonged to Anthony Bourdain. Crafted by one of America’s greatest knife smiths, Bob Kramer, it was forged from a blend of steel and meteorite. Bourdain had been wanting one since he did an episode of Raw Craft with Kramer. Then in 2016, Tony told me he got one of Kramer’s knives. I told him I had to photograph it. I started calling it “Space Knife.” Every time I’d see him I’d ask if he brought the space knife for me to shoot. Or when we were traveling he’d glance over to see me standing off to the side miming a cutting motion and I’d look right at him and doing my terrible Jim Carrey impression say “Sssssspaaaaaace Kniffffffe!”

Obviously, he didn’t travel with it. I hadn’t even really seen it. He had shown me a photo on his phone. Then in April 2018, we were in town at the same time, he said I should come over and check it out. 

He got it out and handed it to me. He told me I could cut up anything in the kitchen, but I had to eat whatever I cut up. I used it to cut up a couple of apples and a chicken sandwich that I had been carrying around in my backpack.  

He was hilariously critical of my terrible knife skills. He said his daughter could cut better than I could. This is most definitely true. I wanted to cut my finger off so I could say that I had meteorite in my blood. He gave me some guidance and then watched me use it again, then told me I should stick to washing dishes. I have had a couple of great jobs doing dishes and I find it to be really meditative. 

I set up a light and wiped the knife off and made this photo and a few others. We started talking about art and I started digging through some of his things I hadn’t seen. He had a lot of cool art; an exploded skull, a polished Michelin Man statue, a portrait of his friend Iggy Pop, a few Ralph Steadman drawings, his Simpson’s script, lots of curious and cool things.

I kept opening drawers and pulling things out, I’d say “What’s this?” or he would say “Come look at this…” and lead me into the other room and pull a book off the shelf or print off the wall. As it often did the conversation turned darker. Tony had a dark sense of humor and was introspective about everything. I kept commenting on how cool this thing is or that thing and he said “It’s all just shit that someone is going to throw in a dumpster when you’re dead.”

I replied, “Well maybe my stuff, but I think someone is going to want most of your stuff.” He said “We’ll see.”

Well Tony, I told you so. 

202 of Bourdain’s items were put up for auction as part of The Collection of Anthony Bourdain and were sold at "amounts significantly higher than their estimates," according to the auction house, taking in $1,846,575 in total.

Tony paid $5000 for the Space Knife. That was a steal, but at the auction, it went for $231,250. I often try to wrap my head around that number, nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Maybe that might have also been a steal, that knife has a bit of Bob Kramer’s heart and a bit of Anthony Bourdain’s soul. That’s pretty powerful stuff. 

Much of the auction proceeds will support the Anthony Bourdain Legacy Scholarship at The Culinary Institute of America. That’s pretty great too.