I live for serendipity.
A postcard with the Ikon on it, goes to a friend in Prescott, Arizona who then puts the postcard on his fridge. Steve Roach visits this mutual friend, sees the Ikon, and freaks out saying "That's the image for my next album." Steve then shots me an e-mail. A few weeks later, I'm sitting in Steve's amazing studio, east of Tucson, talking about his new album, how much he likes the Ikon and Steve wondering if would I like to shoot some flame spirals in his back yard. Being a fan of Steve's for years, I'm trying to be cool, but it's hard. Talking way too much. Shut up, Stu, Shut up. I see a row of a half dozen brightly painted didgeridoos leaning against his studio wall. Holy Christ. As calm as I can, I say "Sure, Steve. Love to come and shoot."
At the next Full Moon, I'm in Steve's backyard, with my Rollei and my Zippo. He has this circle of Anasazi pot shards in his deep back yard that faces the Catalinas. His next door neighbor, an retired archeologist at the University of Arizona, gave him the shards and Steve has made a five foot diameter circle out of the old pieces. I draw a spiral in the dirt and process to light paint the night away in the soft cloudy waning moonlight. The music from the newly mixed tracks of Atmospheric Conditions is playing from these little waterproof speakers Steve has hanging from his porch roof. I shot about a roll of 12, often thinking It doesn't get much better than this.
"Ancestors' Circle" is on the back cover of the Steve's CD "Atmospheric Conditions". Steve has been quite nice throughout the years, using at least pieces of my images on a number of CD projects. Just goes to show, send a postcard into the world, and you never know what will fly back at you.