On 10/22/06, Bob W <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > it is a truism* that historically most artists, sculptors etc. are > also men, and men are supposedly more visually-oriented than women. So > a non-gearhead explanation could be that men are more likely to want > to go out and take pictures. > > A better way to make your son a man amongst men (assuming that's > something to be desired, which I think is highly debatable) is to > teach him to like football & beer. There are few sadder sights than a > cluster of middle-aged men in beige peering longingly into the window > of a camera shop. > > *this is not necessarily a direct result of any genetic differences, > but could derive from the greater social power of men historically. >
While it may (or may not) be that a larger percentage of (so-called) serious photographers are men, I think it's true that in it's early days, a photography (at least in its "higher levels") included a larger percentage of women than other visual arts. Think Margaret Bourke-White, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Tina Mondetti, Julia Cameron, Leni Reifenstal (a great photographer despite what may have been her politics). I've always thought that was because photography was, at the time, a relatively new medium, and was struggling to be accepted as a true "art". There was less resistance to women participating as there wasn't so much of an establishment as there was in other artforms. Not only that, but as a newer artform, it may have naturally attracted women who had an artistic bent, but were effectively shut out from more established visual arts. Interesting that someone mentioned automobiles as a guy thing that rears it's head on this list on a more-than-regular basis. As most of you know, I'm an ardent cyclist. It's interesting that in it's infancy in the late 1800's, cycling (a new technology at the time) was embraced by women, and has been seen as a great liberating force, not just due to the freedom afforded by personal transportation, but due to the fact that bikes can't be ridden with high-button boots, long dresses and corsets. Physically liberating clothing was required, which was greatly resisted by many (if not most) males of the time. Many of the movements to allow women on bicycles (with appropriate dress) were direct forerunners of the suffragette movement and therefore women's liberation. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
