Date: 93-01-22 12:48:27 EST
From: nicholson@slovax.enet.dec.com
Subj: RE: Lifting the Darkness!
To: JohnCartan

I put the tape in the mail Monday; you should see it any day. As for Archipelago...

I have a "rush" writing job for you: write a short biography of me for newspaper release for my photo exhibit (really). Presumably this would go in the local central Utah papers. Creativity is to be encouraged, but keep it to a paragraph or two. Maybe Betsy would know the sort of thing they want; I have no idea. I have to ship it off immediately to the Art Gallery curator.

I assume you'll be coming to the opening. It's the first Saturday in February, 7-9 PM, at 123 S. Main in Ephraim (or is that 123 N. Main? I don't quite remember). Also, be sure to bring plenty of cash: you'll want to go home with a print or two.

--

Still no time with Visual Basic, but lots of fun with Access. More on this later.

Did you hear about the big Seattle storm? Lisa and Jon's house has been without power for nearly two days so far; I'm writing in the dark in the cold, all bundled up. And as the networks are still screwed up, I've dialed in to Santa Clara, then connected through a gateway to Bellevue, then over the extended LAN to Salt Lake. Performance is surprisingly good. And computers ARE getting easier to use...

Northwest Duk

My response...

My Dear Mr. Duk:

Here is my first attempt:

Like most wilderness photographers, Paul Nicholson likes to be alone with his subjects. He can usually be found toting 50 pounds of camera gear through a seldom-explored canyon in the high deserts of southern Utah or swiming through a kelp bed in the chilly waters of the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest.

Nicholson began toting his Nikon as a teenager on backpacking trips through Idaho's White Clouds Wilderness Area. In 1980, after claiming a BS in Physics from the University of Washington, he moved to Salt Lake City and began regular trips south. When not behind a lens, Nicholson works as a software consultant for Digital Equipment Corporation. This is his first public exhibit.

Betsy glanced at this, scoffed, and wrote the following:

***

Paul - it's hard to write about what your photographs might "mean" having only seen one. Essentially they are asking you to tell them why you take the photographs that you do, and what they mean to you. John's paragraphs would be great for the gallery catalog. Anyway, here goes:

Since he was a teen-ager, Paul Nicholson has painted his awe of nature with his Nikon. On Feb. 4, a collection of 15 years' travels through southern Utah, the Pacific Northwest and other adventures will be on display at the ?? gallery in Ephraim.

Nicholson's vistas reflect a sense of contemplation combined with a keen observation of nature. The exhibit, his first, will include an artists' reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the gallery. Nicholson, 34, a Salt Lake City resident, is a consultant for Digital Equipment Corporation.

***

I have to admit that Betsy's version is a lot closer to the mark. Perhaps I should stick to fiction:

On February 4, Ephraim will receive a rare visit from internationally acclaimed photographer playboy Paul Nicholson. Those familiar with Nicholson's work will be surprised to hear that his upcoming exhibition does not include a single nude biker or leather-clad farm animal. Instead, the artist wishes to share with us his love of a different kind of nature, the outdoor kind.

Born in the dark alleyways of Sicily, Nicholson first came to public attention as a "pimp turned photag" whose lurid pelvis shots and daring exploitation of street urchins set Europe abuzz. He took the states by storm with his short-lived but lucrative chain of "Porno-Mats" which added a touch of leather to shopping malls across the country. When his affair with the wife of a prominent world leader made him a tabloid spectacle, Nicholson underwent a "drug rehab slash religious conversion" and started taking pictures of flowers and rocks. He has vowed to remain sober and "available to the hicks" throughout his stay.

***

Hope this is of some help and that all of it passes through the internet unscathed. Please send us whatever blurb you decide to go with. The tape, incidentally, went out yesterday. And the consensus at this end is that computers are getting harder to use.

Yours in haste,

Epicurious & Editor