Richard Sullivan (richsul@earthlink.net)
Wed, 24 Feb 1999 11:15:32 -0700
Film by it's very nature tends to be a collaborative art form --
architecture is as well. Film has tried to escape this in the second half
of the century where the director is the artist of note. In the first half
it was the Goldwin, and Warners, etc, who were viewed as the creative
forces. In the second half there has been a tendency to view the director
as the creative driving force. Today there is even a mania for the
"directors cut." I expect soon to see the "directors cut" of Animal House.
Photography by its nature is an individual art. Alt-photo is even more so.
--Dick Sullivan
At 12:24 PM 2/24/99 -0500, you wrote:
>The concept of the "authenticity" of art is something that has vexed critics
>and artsits alike throughout the latter part of the twentieth century. As
>an architect, I have a slightly different perspective on what creates an
>"authentic" work. Architectural offices still act like the ateliers of the
>historical masters in that the vision of one person (be he the designer of a
>project or simply the proprieter of an architectural office) is given the
>credit for the work of the many architects, draftsmen, consultants,
>constructors, and craftsmen who participate in the creation of an
>architectural work. In some cases, new work from an office (like Skidmore,
>Owings, and Merrill) is still attributed to founding partners (now deceased)
>in a firm. Perhaps unethically, the vast majority of contributors to a
>project are never recognized.
>
>A similar condition exists in photography, although on a smaller scale. The
>photographer is recognized as a sole creator, while in fact it is possible
>that there are many that cotribute to a final image including the lighting
>assistants, paper designers, lab employees, printers, etc. It is the role
>of the photographer to synthesize these elements with his vision into a
>final product, an artifact which derives greatly from the visions of many.
>
>In this sense, it is irrelevent who prints an image, or even who clicks the
>shutter. What is important is who the purveyor of the final artifact is;
>who directs the synthesis of the elements of light, chemestry, paper, and
>vision.
>
> Andrei S. Harwell
> HHPA
>
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