We are all partners on the same journey: help keep the spirit alive! As previously mentioned, most Fridays here at Fading Nostalgia will be “Follow Friday” #FF: our way of giving a specific nod to our favorite sites and artists supporting all things Americana. On this introductory Follow Friday, we’d like to showcase a few of the artists/websites we’ve been inspired by for quite some time, and without which our OWN site would not be possible. Please take a glance at the hard work these artists and writers have to offer.
Vintage Roadside
There’s really no nutshell big enough to describe the abundance of road-trip-goodness that Vintage Roadside has to offer. From its presentation of incredibly detailed history that captures all things old school road-trip, to merchandise that captures the authentic graphic artwork of vintage motels, restaurants, and more, this is truly a one-stop-shop for a genuine appreciation of the pop culture that surrounded that day-and-age. The creators seek out the stuff that might be–or near-close to–forgotten, and they get everyone excited about it. Because this has been a passion they’ve thrived upon for a very long time, we really have them to thank for keeping this vibe alive.
Please follow Vintage Roadside on facebook and twitter.
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Route66News
Ron Warnick is truly the guru of all things Route 66. His site has become an institution to provide the public with news, history, updates and really anything and everything Route 66. Based out of Oklahoma–a state that takes serious pride in the history of Route 66 and keeps it flourishing–Ron considers the Mother Road his second home. His site isn’t just a documentation of historical relics. He keeps things fresh and is always on top of the current tidbits and events busting all over the 2,448 mile stretch. Hopefully his site has a long road ahead; without it we 66’ers would be lost.
Please follow Route 66 News on facebook and twitter.[break] [separator]
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Shannon Richardson
An artist of the road, Shannon captures the essence of America unlike anyone else. In addition to his amazing Americana portraiture, landscape and architecture work, he spent six years documenting his trips along Route 66 and has gathered them together in a gorgeous photographic published essay entitled Route 66 American Icon. Despite any photographs of places deteriorating or long-since-gone, he captures the mood and the spirit in such a way that it feels as though no time has passed at all. His art literally encapsulates the era, so we will never forget.
Please follow Route 66 American Icon on facebook.
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Troy Paiva
Troy Paiva, Lost America
Troy Paiva, aka Lost America, is a photographic trailblazer. For decades he has embraced the romance of full darkness of night–frequently after midnight–coupled with the eerie and ominous setting that is the abandoned expansion of the West Coast desert-land. His technique of utilizing the glow of a full moon, a long wide open camera shutter, and the creativity involved in “painting” an otherwise-stark setting with colorful lights makes him a pioneer in his field. His end results are gorgeous interpretations of what-was-once. Formerly lost, now found, these places become alive again.
Please follow Lost America on facebook and twitter.
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Noel Kerns
Always in love with the epic quality and quantity of landscapes, Noel Kerns took to the very new night-photography/light-painting photographic technique right away. While Troy explored the West, Noel unearthed ghost towns and abandoned industrial facilities throughout the sprawling state of Texas and beyond. Noel finds the most exhilirating part of night photography is the “pre-vision”: Gather in as much information about the subject matter as possible considering the conditions: dark–very dark–and possibly dangerous. (You never know when one or two floorboards are loose…and you never want to miscount the amount of steps you’ll need to climb and descend in complete blackness.) Next, consider the possibilities available to transform something completely ordinary to something beyond all imagination. Yes, therein lies the science of shutter speeds and the physics of bouncing light, but it goes beyond science and becomes a true art…a very new art…but a creativity that transcends the typical and the expected. Noel passed along his knowledge to Fading Nostalgia’s own Chris Robleski who now shares his own interpretation of the illumination of the destitute.
Please follow Noel Kerns on facebook and google+.
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Once again, please check these guys out!! You won’t be disappointed. Sometimes something so ordinary can become absolutely gorgeous and inspiring if you look at it with a sideways glance.
