From: Jeff Buckels (jeffbuck@swcp.com)
Date: 10/05/03-09:28:43 AM Z
It's romanticism. A reaction against the automatic-everything cameras
that began flooding the market in the 60s/70s (machine controlling the
individual) in favor of "hand-made" art. I have no doubt that it
(neo-pictorialism) was ("was"? I typed that w/o thinking) part of the
anti-establishment winds of the time, which was in essence a romantic
breakthrough. Another always-present characteristic of romanticism:
Identification with the [lost, golden] "grandfather" generation, to wit,
rejecting the father generation of f64 in favor of the grandfather
generation of pictorialism. Too, I think there's definitely something
to what Sandy says about academic formalism -- this movement, no matter
how sylvan, originated largely in academic departments (e.g., in 70s
Betty Hahn at the Univ. of New Mexico Photo Dept. (presided over by f64
saint Beau Newhall!!)).... This is how I feel about digital (technical
issues concerning which now dominate this list). The whole thing makes
me want to go back to pinhole. Or finger-painting. -JB
-----Original Message-----
From: Pam Niedermayer [mailto:pam@pinehill.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 8:41 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
Subject: Re: neo-Pictorialism
I think it just felt refreshing to ignore all the perfect, expensive
equipment fetish that so many, maybe most, photographers have, any
artist could pick up a Holga and photograph. Maybe something of the
'60's rebellion in it.
Pam
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