From: John Campbell (tojohn@texas.net)
Date: 09/11/02-01:49:00 AM Z
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Seigel" <jseigel@panix.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 1:22 AM
Subject: Re: "CALENDAR ARTIST"
> On Tue, 10 Sep 2002, John Campbell wrote:
>
> > AA is a Calendar Artist--in the sense that more of the masses experience
his
> > work in that way. I would dare say, although I would happily be wrong,
that
> > Amazon.com (etc.,etc.,etc.,) sells more of his 12-months-flat editions
than
> > anything else bearing his mark. And (here's a more tender point) most
all of
> > what's lately been published under his moniker is post-mortem for
someone
> > else's profit. Note: The Print; The Negative; etc., and the posthumous
100
> > Years.
>
> Actually John, you omit one of the most egregious afterworks... The
> so-called "Ansel Adams Guide to Photography, Book 2," from Little Brown,
> by John Schaefer, was about "alternative photography," which of course
> was not Ansel's thing OR his aesthetic. But the true desecration was the
> awfulness of the instruction -- John Schaefer knew zilch, zip, zero about
> alt, and less than zero about gum -- the book was full of howlers (as John
> Rudiak & I pointed out in reviews). The saddest part may have been, as
> someone wrote on the old history list, an interview with Adams (by....
> Mary Alinder?) suggested that he'd lost control of his estate even during
> his lifetime.
>
> Judy
Oy, vey. So true, so true.
I happen to own that most egregious afterwork (Book 2), although I would
never admit it here or elsewhere. ;~>
(Nor would I ever reveal that I still know less than beans about gum.)
I *am* willing to admit that Book 2 (egregious--dioblical, even!-- as it is,
and I agree that it is) was one of several stumbles that turned me in the
direction of alternative processes (in spite my ignorance of Book 2's
howling errors.).
This is not an apology for Little Brown or John Schaefer, mind you, or
anyone else who robbed AA of his due. As I reflect on these things it seems
to me that something positive squirted out (and maybe for others) by virtue
of his name, in spite of the piracy.
And how right you are that alt process wasn't in AA's bag of tricks--it
wasn't even in his context! You remind me of the saying, "it's an aware fish
that knows it's wet." And only a dry one can point out the difference.
Right?
I think AA had a delightful time doing all that he did. What more could
anyone hope for?
Thanks, Judy, for stimulating my mushy neurons again. I'd best stop
thinking now, while I still can.
Regards,
John
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