Steve Shapiro (sgshiya@redshift.com)
Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:14:12 -0800
Subject: Re: On Edges & jewelia just loves paper!
>where you been? hey i told you mine - your turn -- tell me about your
>Carmel, won't you? why on earth do you live in such a place surrounded by
>all that photo history and those artists--how do you put up with it all?
if
>you'd like to send it --almost said do -- be nice out there if this ends up
>on digiwall-- with the bytes turned down:
>
>jewelia@erols.com
>
>
Health issues in the family have kept me at bay.
My story is more lucid in terms of becoming an artist, in as much as my
mother's an artist -- well documented in museums and stuff -- and she's been
anartist since I met her.
Her most sage advice was 'Don't turn to artists for acceptence or
appreciation.'
Then, I roomed with an artist -- associate prof. -- while completion of my
unddergraduate degree and his sage advice was: 'Best comment you can expect
from an artist is: That's nice.'
>From Univ. a summer at 'home' when I got into the Friends of Photography by
invitation and sat in crit sessions with Ansel, Brett, Imogene, and Wynn
then went on to UCLA and lived in Venice Beach while studying theater arts,
film.
My photography was to aid me in understanding cinematography; and Edward
Weston's definition of photograhy: Art with a unity of pureity from corner
to corner and edge to edge, with metaphor, which became my master's thesis.
Awards, certificates, commondations and then the commerce of cinema.
Twenty years later, a load of personal experiences with the icons of my
life; and now back into photography with a 35mm book in print to pay for the
long lust of my photographic life; the 8X10 Masterview. Additionally,
having shown with Man Ray, I now have his system: the Baby Anniversary
Graphlex and the Boyer (Paris) 75mm macro lens.
The book, on Carmel, is wont to talk of the artists; mostly the history of
overcoming frustration and introduction to current trends of same.
Originally started as an art colony by the man whose cousin started the
Saratoga Springs community; and now is a bastion of developer greed. The
last lot bought by the family who owns it from Carmel's founder Frank
Devendorf, is offered for sale this end of the millenium, now. It's split
into two lots, no water permits; and in the current heat of a law suit by
the historian on the planning commission against the city for alowing the
destruction of a tip-top condition historic landmark home to subdivide into
three lots.
It's shit, here. Worst thing is, none of these rich, developer locals buy
art.
Anyway, my book is considered the definitive history by our
historian/librarian who was most helpful with the research: "I won't have
this book in the library the way it's written!" So, we made the seven
changes.
All 35mm, straight photography with a B&w portfolio in the back. Shot with
a Canon Rebel and Rolei 35S, most of the work, printed by me.
Photography has always been like painting to me, and I was one of the eleven
invitees to Brett Weston's home when he burned his negatives; because he too
saw photography as painting. Now, Ansel, I think we all [here] have
secretes about HIS manipulations, photography as painting.
I loveto chase the light, capture unusual instances and phenomonia of nature
and people. I say "Look Here," with my pictures as not like Atget who said,
"Look," or Cartier-Bressens who said, "Look there."
The difference?
Oh, wait a minute, here comes the light I've been waiting for.
Later,
Steve Shapiro, Carmel, CA
sgshiya@redshift.com
'the dude abides'
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