Re: Mortensen
Oh what a wonderful story, Richard!!! When someone reacts so strongly to another, what do you think the fear about Mortensen was? I wonder if he was just so obnoxious, or if they thought schlocky nudes would take over the world or whatnot... BTW, talking of female body parts, I was able to see Adam Fuss's Vulva series (I don't know if that is what he called them) that if I remember correctly were daguerreotypes?? Someone can help me out here??? Anyway they were at the Corcoran Art Gallery in D.C. in 2005. Talk about detail...very dark and very sharp. But I cannot seem to find them on the web and I wonder what kind of criticism he received. I know Robert Hirsch was there, viewing them at the same time....so he might remember tho he is not on the list. Chris __________________ Christina Z. Anderson http://christinaZanderson.com/ __________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Vallon Jr." <rvallon@cox.net> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 8:07 AM Subject: RE: Mortensen This is directed to the gentlemen , Brian and Eric- that were conversing on Mortensen's opinionated do's and dont's.... I just purchased his book on the problems of posing- and yes- he is very opinionated- however his influence is classical art- painting , drawing and sculpture and I think quite a lot of what he presents is spot on... I think the lesson from him is to show the Dont's- because if the teacher never presents anything bad he himself has generated- well then this falls to the reviewing of the students work. Now Mortensen was over-opinionated - and this is fine for his work- I do agree with the general spirit that rules were meant to be broken- and following one master is simply blind obedience. and why not do all of his don'ts to present a campy swarmy view of the nude? I remember seeing Bob Guccione's mid 1970s images of close ups of female "naughty bits" shot though some sort of vaseline and cheesecloth. I found these neither erotic nor clear enough to be anatomically instructive for a college boy. you can add those images to the Don't list... AnyWAY - the real reason I am posting is that Willard Van Dyke came to the New Orleans Museum of Art a few months before he died. This was back in the early 1980s to my remembrance. You may know he was the last surviving member of Group ƒ64. I knew he had had a long running feud with Mortensen, and asked if time had softened his opinion of Mortensens work. ( Mortensen died in 1965) Well - Mr. Van Dyke turned red and erupted into a minute long tirade against Mortensen and pictorialism. I think he used words such as abominations and schlock.... Anyway- many of the members afterwards congratulated me on having such knowledge of the history of photography - and one scolded me for interrupting his nap by agitating the speaker... Anyway- several months later Mr. VanDyke was gone...had I loosened a clot with my inflammatory question? Sincerely, Richard Vallon Jr. from New Orleans
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