“Painting is the tougher of the two mediums to use at first, but photography becomes the hardest after you have been at it.”
“I never will make an accidental photograph.”
Putting Things into Perspective; or, I Second That Emulsion
Associated Press has become the latest entity to ring the death knell for film, citing that manufacture is down from a one-time height of almost a billion rolls a year to only five million (about half of which, apparently, is shot by those of us at BFHS). Two comprehensive and lucid responses put this into perspective:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2011/06/discontinuous-demand.html
http://blakeandrews.blogspot.com/2011/06/8000-rolls-under-sea.html
Consider that roving paper-cutting profile potraitists were replaced by daguerreotypists (http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/jaic/articles/jaic41-03-001.html); squadrons of hand-colorers were made redundant when color film became practical, followed closely (“closely” in this context meaning within ten or fifteen years) by the failure of some ubiquitous paper emulsions (resulting in a class-action suit brought in several Midwestern states); and that everyone is periodically cautioned to back up files, with the knowledge that many digital archives at risk of corruption in 5-10 years.
As deep background, refer to this:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/02/04/133188723/tools-never-die-waddaya-mean-never
Lastly, look at the banner on the Badger web page: https://www.badgergraphic.com/index.html
A Public Service: Links to Online Magazines
My preference runs to the experiences of gallery shows, monographs, and artists’ lectures; still, what a smooth way to investigate so many current portfolios (at least in this online format: see https://photodevoto.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/best-weblog-disclaimer-ever/). Brew a pot and take the phone off the hook.
http://www.ahornmagazine.com/home.html
http://www.americansuburbx.com/
http://www.fstopmagazine.com/home.html
http://www.fractionmagazine.com/
http://www.landscapestories.net/
http://www.lapsusmagazine.com/index.php
http://www.photo-genetic.com/ (almost too clever for its own good)
http://www.positive-magazine.com/photography/
http://www.seesawmagazine.com/
http://wecantpaint.com/wassenaar/index.html
(Take the phone off the hook?)
W. o’ W.: Jean Renoir
“To the question ‘Is cinema an art?’ my answer is, ‘What does it matter?’ You can make films or you can cultivate a garden. Both have as much claim to be called art as a poem by Verlaine or a painting by Delacroix. If your film or your garden is a good one it means that as a practitioner of cinema or gardening you are entitled to consider yourself an artist. The pastry-cook who makes a good cake is an artist. The ploughman with an old-fashioned plough creates a work of art when he ploughs a furrow. Art is not a calling in itself but the way in which one exercises a calling, and also the way in which one performs any human activity. I will give you my definition of art: art is ‘making’. The art of poetry is the art of making poetry. The art of love is the art of making love.”
Catalog Preview
The second annual Actual Works catalog (or do you spell “catalogue?”) is… in the works. Here’s the preview:
Annabel Perry, Caitie Dawson, Erin Dalton, Christina Buerosse, Hailey Anderson, Kristen Kuhn, Maggie Kramer, Molly Hendrickson, Mike Cygan.
Best Weblog Disclaimer Ever
“Please note: The work on this blog is not the original work. It is being shown out of context and denuded of content.
To see the work as it should be seen, buy the book, magazine, visit a gallery, go to the appropriate website or watch the film.
Do not mistake your computer experience for anything other than the little that it is.”
Thank you, Colin Pantall.
Required Viewing at the ‘Tute
This should have come up a month or two ago. Get thee to the Art Institute to immerse yourself in aspects of the work of Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, and Margaret Bourke-White. AND read BFHS alumnus Matt Kluk’s mini-essay/commentary.
http://blog.artic.edu/blog/2011/04/06/just-notes/
http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/exhibition/americanmodern
George Santayana Weighs In
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Only coincidentally, both these links happen to be to National Public Radio.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/02/04/133188723/tools-never-die-waddaya-mean-never
Savor these photobooks
Alec Soth’s Dog Days Bogota: http://www.alecsoth.com/Bogota/pages/frameset.html for its pacing and its weaving of subject matter.
James Luckett’s Suginami: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/575507 although you can easily find larger versions of these images, (in order) on flickr and on Google (but out of sequence).
…and here’s an informative interview with Mr. Luckett and Elijah Gowin:
Creative Camerawork 