From: Kris Erickson (kerickso@ryerson.ca)
Date: 08/29/02-11:10:23 AM Z
Reading Frederick Sommer is always a pleasure, too. I think he might
differentiate the seeing and finding Jack mentioned insight and plain old
sight.
Someone else in this thread mentioned Susan Sontag re: photography, which
reminded me of my professor who is convinced that people can never really,
truly, write about photography unless they have/are/do seriously photograph
themselves. He places the works of Barthes and Sontag, for example, far
below the works of Cartier-Bresson, Sommer, and even Hollis Frampton. I
think he was saying that the former group see photography from the outside
in (photography itself as peering from the periphery), whereas photographers
are actually always looking from the inside out; one is a more
psychological, "reason"-able definition---the other, more physiological,
phenomenological, but nonetheless logical.
Good luck folks,
k
Allow yourself to 'do it' and flow with your interests. Do that until you
begin to see structural consistency which, in my mind, is as important, if
not more so, that content consistency. When you psyched by the fact that you
are now "seeing" rather than finding, then it's time to think, if you wish,
of doing the MFA thing.
Jack Fulton
> I just want to take a moment here and thank everyone who has contributed
to
> these great discussions about art, postmodernism, feminism, nudes in
> photography, etc. They have been most inspiring! In fact, I have been in
> such a rut (since about 1997 I would guess), the conversations these past
> couple of weeks have inspired ideas for a new body of work. These types of
> discussions are one reason I really miss being in academia. I miss being
> around people whose job allows them to freely think (not that I'm saying
> people who are not in academia don't think...you know what I mean... I
> hope). I have such a hard time coming up with thoughts and ideas alone
> without discussion and debate. Especially when employed in what I would
call
> an anti-art (working with computer hardware all day) totally demanding 9
to
> 6 (and then some) job that sucks the very soul out of me. It is almost
like
> I feed off other people's energy and need it to stay motivated in thought,
> which then translates in to my imagery. This very reason also at the same
> makes me feel like a phony because it seems I can't come up with ideas on
my
> own. But right now I'll take any sort of inspiration I can get, it's been
> years since I really made a body of work that I felt was mine. Instead I
> have been tinkering with processes, trying to fit ideas and work to my
needs
> (getting in to a MFA program) and generally making up excuses as to why I
> haven't been successful. Hopefully I can get my act together and actually
> get in to a MFA program in the near future so that I can once again be in
an
> environment that supports thought and not just that you show up to work on
> time and make your deadlines. I have been trying the last couple of years
to
> get in to a school, but haven't really felt confident with my portfolio
and
> I think it shows to the review committees. I keep hearing the same
response
> over and over; I have the technique, history and thoughts, just not a
> cohesiveness with the imagery in my work. In fact at one of the schools
> (will not mention the name, but it's in the bay area and Janis Joplin used
> to work there), the academic advisor thought I'd have a better chance at
> getting in to the MFA program if I entered the school's BFA program, which
> the advisor said I would have no problem getting in to. Boy that made me
> feel better and not degraded! I told him I had a BFA from Ohio State and
> that I even received the Excellence in the Arts award for my graduating
> class and this advisor just shrugged his shoulders and told me it was an
> option I could consider. Hmmm let me think...re-enter a BFA program (can I
> bring Daguerreotypes and platinum prints in to Intro to Photography 101?)
> spend $20,000 a year for 2-3 years to turn around and apply to their MFA
> program and pay another $20,000 a year for another 2-3 years. Starts to
> sound like a telemarketing scam. Funny thing is I will probably reapply
> there again this year because I don't want to leave the bay area and
really
> respect the reputation of this institution. Anyway, I guess it doesn't
help
> that I only apply to the top schools and reinvent my portfolio every year
to
> try to fit what I think "they" want. I'm starting to realize this approach
> is a tragic never-ending cycle of disappointment. Starts around this time
> every year, continues with me rushing to get those twenty images done
before
> January 15th and ends with disappointment around May. Maybe it's time to
do
> work for myself.
>
> Well enough self-pity, this was really just supposed to be a thank you
note
> for all the great conversations, which have lead to inspiration. This is
the
> last time I stay up late and post to this group, who knows what I might
say
> next time. -Chris
>
>
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