[alt-photo] Re: new MFA program in alt!

[Judy Seigel]

On Sat, 17 Apr 2010, Christina Anderson wrote:

> I am really excited about this.  As we all know, alt is fairly 
> underrepresented in contemporary photography.

Meanwhile (uh oh !) I'm trying to figure out how you teach "contemporary 
photography" without teaching so-called "alt"....!!! That is, what is 
there to "teach"?  I suppose I have an attention deficit disorder or an 
avoidance syndrome in the matter... but, as far as I know, "contemporary 
photography" consists of connecting your digital camera to an inkjet 
printer and pressing the button... (A while back I mentioned that more 
than 3/4 of the contemporary prints for sale in some recent issue of 
whatever it was -- fundraiser of some kind -- were classified as 
"inkjet.")

So, as I say, what ARE they teaching in photography courses these days? I 
know there are so-called "alternative workshops" -- even teach some, but 
not for years in a certified *academic institution.*  So OK, OK, they can 
teach handling a camera, exposure, history (probably great, with lots of 
countries, processes and geniuses), theory (LOTS of "theory"), etc, etc., 
while showing slick prints of recent wars and bare asses. But what do they 
teach for process????

PS. But don't tell me "go to photo fest" to find out -- New Yorkers live 
in an alternative universe... "reality" is expected to come to us (however 
long we have to wait).

PPS. And before someone rats me out, I admit, I've had a NEW digital 
camera sitting here in its original package these many months.  I bought 
it because my other one takes too long to focus for grab shots.  So why do 
I resist? Um, er, well, because... because .... I like the old one.

Finally, about folks sneering at the "fetishism" of "process" -- .... how 
do you say "sour grapes" in photo talk?

J.

.... One friend said at Photo 
> Fest, for instance, you could practically count on two hands the number 
> of alt people in the crowd of hundreds if not thousands.  Same with such 
> publications as Humble Arts, or Critical Mass, or whatnot. Alt is fairly 
> niche. I mean, a certain amount of that is a good thing--that it isn't 
> mainstream, but nevertheless, when photo programs start talking about 
> the fetishism of the object that is the photograph when too much 
> attention is paid to process blah blah blah you begin to feel like you 
> should be listed in the DSM IV.