From: Christina Z. Anderson (tracez@mcn.net)
Date: 11/05/00-12:34:08 AM Z
Dear List,
Well, since my original question has caused some on this list to
question my integrity more than once, here goes, along with the results of
said survey (and BTW, I don't have my undies in a bundle over it; if I got
upset over every time someone blows up on this list about some inane thing,
I would be in an asylum; there are so many more important things in life to
get bugged about! Call it "natural Quaaludes", or, maybe, having had 5
teenagers--I can send them your way--I mean, the teenagers, not the
Quaaludes):
1) I told you all to answer me off list not on; I replied to many off list,
and not on. This is the only time I will reply on list to this subject, as
quite a few of you have been interested in the results. If anyone has any
further input about photo history, I would still love to hear it OFF LIST.
I am continuing my compilation. I will also reply back to you off list.
2) My problem is one of time: these are mostly NON photo majors, and I
have a total of 2 (if I'm lucky) lecture periods in a beginning black and
white photography class to educate them in a sort of crash photo history
course. I want to be able to give them a summary of some important
photography people/concerns in that short period(s) of time. I also wanted
your help to make sure that I would not leave someone important out, because
either I did not know of them or they weren't on "my list". Personal bias
getting in the way of "need to know", ya know. Well, really, to be honest
with you, I have a brain that misses the obvious but not the particular.
3) Five was an arbitrary number. Sorry. If I had asked for 20, how many
would have taken the time to answer? It was my hope to get quickie feedback
off the top of your heads, figuring that those that float first to your mind
are more than likely ones I should consider. I also have to take into
account my lecture time available to do justice to the choices. The fewer,
the more in depth on each photographer. I thank the 30 people who did answer
my query, and it was fascinating for me to read your ideas, especially the
ones that explained why you chose who you did. I also greatly appreciated
the outside-the-US-contingent answers. Oh, and Judy, thanks so much for
that reference to the History of Photography list. I did a net search and
came up with lots of good stuff, and a Masters of Photography WebPage
http://masters-of-photography.com/.
4) I have a personal list of 100 photographers I find "at the top".
Obviously this is an impossible number to teach. Throughout the class I
continually show copy slides of photographers; in fact, they probably have
an average of 20 slides per class period that I have taken the time to labor
through books and collect. However, relative to the subject of photo
history and WHICH photographers greatly affected the medium, that's the
angle I want to take. I want to be able to say to these kids, hey, this
photographer did this incredible thing for the medium and that is why we are
here today....you see?
I want to inspire them with role models (in that same vein, Mapplethorpe
made nobody's top list so that controversy can be laid to rest. Only time
will tell if he is a lousy photographer who disappears into oblivion, or if
he is enfant terrible/genius). As an example, Darryl Baird mentioned Sarony
as starting the "cult of celebrity photography" still practiced today. That
was cool. Students could relate to that. In essence, there are many great
photographers whose work I can show throughout the class, but to narrow the
development of photography down to a graspable concept is what I am after.
I hope that makes sense. And don't even _think_ of accusing me of dumbing
down my course. I find that reprehensible, and, in fact, will probably
moreso get accused by my college of teaching freshmen at too "graduate
school" of a level. Hell, the other two beginning photo teachers pop in a
video for this topic!(maybe I should've).
5) Final point, here are the results (yes, I know, this is not a perfectly
run survey)(if you have quarrels with these examples you could have given
your input, too): the top five affecting the medium were (ta da): Weston,
Stieglitz, Adams, Talbot, and Cartier-Bresson. The next group of votes went
to these: Arbus, Steichen, Frank, Evans, Penn, Atget, Man Ray, Smith, and
then on down from there (third tier was Hill and Adamson, Witkin, Strand,
Sudek, Moholy Nagy, Brandt, Karsh, White, Brady) (then fourth tier was about
30 names I won't list). There are definitely more than a few names I need
to go research now, that I would not have talked about, even one or two in
the top five. My eyes were opened for sure (do you guys know of Fuyuki
Hattori in Japan?? Finsler? I didn't. I also went and got books already on
Renger-Patzsch, Sudek and need to rent the movie "Blow Up").
So it goes! Thanks to you kind souls that used up a few brain cells
thinking this through,
Chris..
> DEAR LIST,
> Firstly, has anyone ever heard of "thinking outside the box" and
saying
> "impossible" to the request for a list of five photographers that were
most
> influential? Yes, my opinion, but I believe it is a discredit to the
medium
> to even ask, let alone suggest, that it is possible to represent the
medium
> that we all love so PASSIONATELY (as attested to by the vehemence of
> postings) by the work of only five. Yes, I also teach photography, and
yes,
> I give photo history lectures but I also say, "No" to the administration
> when they suggest that I do something which will not demonstrate proper
> respect for the medium that has been my life for the last 40 years and
will
> continue to be for many more. I believe you all picked up an impossible
> challenge with the best intentions but never asked yourselves...is this
what
> I would want to represent my medium? Or are the list members more
> interested in spouting off than facing the truth? Obviously a rhetorical
> question...yes? CHEERS FROM BARBADOS!
> BOB KISS
>
>
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