RE: "Antiquarian Avant Garde" and Nostalgia and spleening my vent

[Christopher Lovenguth <chrisml@pacbell.net>]

* One thing that really pissed me off about this book (and alot of alt
> work
> these days) is how they glorify the rough edges and "mistakes" of alot
> of
> early processes. No wet plate worker worth his salts would have shown a
> plate with the rough edges and blemishes that so many present day
> practitioners seek.  I don't understand why the "mistakes" have become
> the
> prevailing aesthetic. The processes are so beautiful on their own.

>
> William


In my opinion one of the desired characteristics in art right now is to see
the process in the piece. This is not just limited to photography.  If you
are a purest I can see how this would bother you.  As for me I like to see
some of the process but I'm starting to be overwhelmed at obvious
brushstrokes or Polaroid pull marks on the edges. They seem to be over
emphasized or exaggerated as almost like proof the artist did do a Polaroid
transfer or a van dyke, cyanotype. When artist start doing this
deliberately, I think they better have a reason compositionally or
aesthetically. Most work I see doesn't seem to have rhyme or reason except
possibly they are using it as borders. Somehow you can see the difference
when you see brushstrokes in cyanotype and know it is the process and not
deliberate by the artist.  When it is deliberate, it tends to be distracting
from the image. That is why I crack up laughing when I go to a group of
casual photographers and show slides of my Van Dykes or Polaroid transfers
and they want to know where I found or how I made the border in Photoshop.
When I tell them this is the real deal, they tend to have blank expressions
not understanding that some people actually apply emulsion to paper.  Better
yet go in to your local Target and see how many Polaroid transfers you find
in the "over your couch wall art" section. How many of those do you think
are actually reprints of real transfers? Funny how they tend to have the
same exact pull mark boarder. You see the desire to see the process is so
demanding right now that some are even faking it digitally. -Chris