I don’t know when it happened, but at some point The Selby jumped the shark. Am I right? Like, at some point Todd became too self aware, or that he had relationships with wealthy benefactors, and had to go into their homes and photograph crap even if he wasn’t passionate about it. Now that he is too big for his britches, the frequency of shoots has also waned. I like to imagine he is off at book signing in Tahiti or bathing in a claw bathtub full of money.
I feel like it just comes off as “look at me!” now when he posts his Louis Vuitton, Cole Haan, Jack Purcell and Nike campaigns. Granted, it is his website and he can do what he wants, but it just ain’t what it used to be. I used to go to The Selby to make myself feel bad about my living quarters and pine away for an unachievable existence of decadence where I’d eventually become an old skeletal woman draped in minks hugging Chanel shoes in my coffin. Now, I am the one who feels bad for OTHER peoples’ homes. Oh, you have money and you bought THAT?! I’m sorry.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Exhibit D:
Exhibit E:
I don’t know when people started receiving praise for being completely tasteless hoarders.
Maybe I’m not getting it. Maybe this is just coming down to a disparity in personal aesthetics, but at times it feels like he is REALLY stretching. Is one of his buddies sleeping with the owner of Salties in Brooklyn? Why did this photoshoot exist? So many unanswered questions.
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Every now and then an interesting(in my eyes) shoot comes along like Jamie Isaia and Anthony Malat, who while a bit heavy handed on the macabre, have an interesting home to look at. I hope I never get drunk and find my way onto ebay. I want a mermaid figurehead! I want a specimen of red sea coral!
Their house is a mus-e-um, where people come to see-um, -snap snap-
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On the other end of the spectrum, I even liked Todd’s visit to friends Dan Martensen and Shannan Click’s home in Westchester, NY.
Maybe its because I grew up in the area, but their shoot gave me thoughts of leaving it all behind and moving out to the burbs where I would spend my days canning preserves, romping with my dog, and living out the rest of my life covered in poison sumac.
So, I have no answers. And I wish my site allowed for comments/insight incase you had them. But, maybe I’ve changed. Maybe Todd’s changed. But for now I’m going to have to change our relationship status to “It’s Complicated” on Facebook.
♥
