Classical is nice, but as we all know what classical music (or art) is
>cause th it reffers to that kind of music or art that has made the
>classical period its hard to talk of classical photography i guess
>reffering to a photographyc process that no one knows (except for the
>appasionados)....
At the risk of calling down the temple upon me, I would say we have our own
Classical period of photography of say from about 1875 to 1920. Of course no
absolutes, but before that period it was almost enough to just get the
image, a very much do it yourself media. After 1920, the materials became
much more an out of the box type of photography. I am in no way suggesting
that we emulate the the imagery of this period, what I am suggesting,
however, is that we emulate the creative spirit of this period. It was a
spirit that melded the science and technology with the art and photography
of their time. It was not an "out of the box" kind of time. I always have a
little chuckle when I reflect on turn of the century article on Kallitype.
The first instruction was: "Bring up the fire on the hearth."
David Morrish Says:
>Many alt.photo practitioners use a
>very contemporary aesthetic and to call their work Classical would be
>misleading, in spite of its reference to the chosen medium.
Yes, but... Isn't Steve Reich a Classical composer? Pendereski? Robert
Wilson? There are plenty of live and kicking avant garde composers doing
Classical music. Where did the Classical end. Ives? Britten? Bartok?
Stravinski? Classical music generally means serious music played in a venue
where the people sit down to listen and don't swim across the top of the
crowd and it isn't called something else like jazz. Kronos is a Classical
string quartet that plays chamber music. Even Rhapsody in Blue could quality
both as jazz and Classical, though it's more Classical than jazz. Paul
Whiteman, a jazz band leader conducted its premier.
Jeff Mathias says:
>What do the purchasers of fine photographic prints understand? Clasical
>may just be too confusing. I vote for Non-silver.
That leaves out the Dag. people and the Kallitype people, the Van Dyke
people etc. I don't think confusing is the issue if we build in the meaning.
Almost overnight "retarded" became "exceptional", "handicapped" became
"challenged", no problem.
Peter Marshall says:
>Classical would hardly
>cover the new chemistry that Mike Ware and others have introduced over the
>past ten or so years.
Most big name Classical orchestras premier new works by living composers
and call it Classical music, no one gets confused about the terminolgy, only
about the music itself perhaps. See my reply above.
And then Judy says:
>Then again, how about "neo-classic"?
Post modern?
>Didn't
>"African-Americans" name themselves? Question remains, however, how
>lo-o-o-o-ng it took them to do it.)
In very short order for those on the inside whose reputation depends on
correct terminolgy.
Dick Sullivan
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