Speaking of Frame of Mind....

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004, Robert W. Schramm wrote:

> Developing The Right Frame of Mind

Speaking of The Right Fame of Mind, let me suggest that all alternative
photographers, photographers, artists, art lovers and related adventurers,
toilers, free spirits and kooks widen their horizons & find inspiration,
not to mention happiness, by one or both of the following:

If you can make your software obey, visit Galina Manikova's website at

www.galina.no

And/or order Galina's book of the same title -- that's www.galina.no2004
-- which takes the site into another dimension, strangely, seriously ,
intensifying it. (Did you include "intensify," Bob?). It's all of 14-1/2
by 15 centimeters (about 5x6 inches) unpaginated, but about a centimeter
thick, beautifully printed yet comfortable in the hand, and an intimate
sense of the actual work.

As for how to get it, Galina writes:

  .... it can be ordered from me directly by sending an e-mail. It is also
sold through biggest bookstores here in Norway (like Norli - www.norli.no,
Tanum - www.tanum.no, and Tronsmo - www.tronsmo.no), one should give them
the ISBN number [82-303-0282-0], when placing an order.... It costs about
40$ including postage.
=============================

The book also includes a disk which says "Use Flash player version 6.0 and
Internet Explorer" (whatever that is).

I'm familiar with Galina's work, having followed it for several years, yet
still found the range, honesty, discovery and sheer miracles of process
here remarkable. There's a lot of text throughout, mostly her own eloquent
reflections on everything, for instance the processes of art and of aging
(mostly in English -- tho Galina is tri-, quatri, or hexi-lingual).

But also a couple of critical essays, including one by Lyle Rexer in
English and Norwegian. Rexer is (IMO) one of the very few
non-practitioners whose writing on alt is virtually goofless, yet studded
with genuine insights (you get goofless or insights, rarely both). Among
his other points is that artists who "genuinely sought to add to
photography's resonance" with alt media.... recognized that a photograph
acquires meaning not just from its subject but from its framing, process,
and deployment....This is the task Manikova has taken up, and she is in
brilliant company, with Argentina's Graciela Sacco and France's Christian
Boltanski..."

True of course, but there's also the awesome full-page photograph of
Galina's father, bearded general in the uniform of Stalin's army wearing
his (by my count) 32 medals -- the starting point for her cast aluminum
frame & photograph titled "Papa 1996." Few artists, however brilliant,
have one of those in the family.

Happy Alt Year to all,

Judy
Received on Fri Dec 31 21:03:08 2004