>Risa says:
>> I'm angry at all the people who encourage mediocre photographers, because
>> they prefer to gasp rather than to communicate.
>
>Risa, Angry? And what do you mean "encourage"? Give them A's? Shows? Buy
>their work?
I'm sorry, I tend to make grand statements that revolve around my own
personal experience, without giving the background information. If right now
I may be called a mediocre photographer, it could well be that that is what
I am. Since I won't give up on myself that easily, I can say that if I am
called a mediocre photographer right now, it may be in due part to the fact
that I was given A's in university, plenty of pats on the back, always got
juried into group and solo shows, and have had a couple (count em, 2)
strangers buy my artwork.
What I was trying to say was that I'm tired of getting pats on the back, and
I'm glad I'm getting my ass kicked in crits these days, because it's helping
me to get passed a stump I feel I'm in. What I said it for was a knee-jerk
response to Terry's comment. Too bad it backfired :)
>
..Sum total of mediocrity in the world
>would remain the same. For which you should be glad -- there's room at the
>top of whatever genre.
heheheh - someone once said that every fool has another fool who believes in
him.
>
>Risa, the superbookstore is exactly masscult. What could you expect else?
Point well taken. I wish Toronto had some equivalent of that bookstore in
New York (can't remember name) that's devoted solely to photography.
>
>
>Risa, depends on the sophistication level of the person making the remark.
>If you've just discovered that *the standard* pretty pictures have been
>made & should now be forbidden, fair enough and high time. But that
>doesn't mean that literary & psychological "meanings" should get to put
>their arms in the sleeves of photography and run it. Photography is still
>a visual medium; it should well be *about* things, but one of the most
>exciting, thrilling things for it to be about is indeed itself -- but
>seen, conceived, operated, in exploratory, not imitative, mode.
Quoting from my journal entry from last sunday "it feels like there is no
longer the image, but that it's been subverted by the concept. Image as host
to the virus of idea..."
Like I said somewhere along the line: I have faith that there is a balance
to be found. Whatever the case, the balance is subjective, and will be
different for me than for any other person. That's what makes for this dialogue.
cheers
Risa