On Mon, 10 Jan 2005, SteveS wrote:
> I don't understand why Judy and others choose to rip Edward Weston.
I don't rip Edward Weston, I rip the (insert blasphemic adjectival phrase)
cult of Edward Weston. The ghoulish reliquary for his every fingernail
paring. He himself was an interesting person with a strong passion, and
wide personal projectory.
His growth, or evolution, from early pictorial, soft focus, drippy
sentimental photographs to his later explorations of seagull turds and
sharp focus spread legged females is nice enough (though it shows a lack
of imagination that nearly every one of his females, clad or unclad, has
her legs spread). Alas, Weston's presentation of women is STILL considered
art, though whether entirely his influence, or simply his timeliness, I am
not seer enough to say.
I read his Daybooks too long ago to remember well, but whatever I'd think
of them today they were obviously good PR.
On the 3rd hand, shooting everything sharp focus was a really ditzy idea,
IMO. I mean here I am with the digital camera which automatically shoots
everything in sharp focus & I'm desperate to soften things up in the
background, which Photoshop so far has not obliged, at least not
progressively, like a REAL camera.
Reminds me of my Swiss pediatrician -- tho I may have mentioned this: When
we revealed to him that during a stay in the US, our American pediatrician
had prescribed those braces for the kids' feet at night supposed to turn
their feet in, because they were supposedly going to be spread eagled, he
said oh you Americans, this year you turn them in, next year you'll want
to turn them out. But in this he was wrong -- we never turned them out,
and today their feet are excellent.
Which is more than I can say for Photoshop... see my next desperate plea.
PS. I have the impression that Weston's practice of pre- or post-
photographic sexual congress with his models has not been as widely copied
as other photographers might like -- the movie Blow Up to the contrary
notwithstanding. But then again I amnot inthat loop, maybe it's the new
zone system.
Judy
>
Received on Mon Jan 10 23:52:46 2005
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