I don't think there is any one correct way to create art. But true artists understand the kind of links and visions that others find appealing.
Personally, I prefer photography that maintains a distance from the subject. My most successful people pics, which are by no means "art," are those where the subject is unaware of me and the camera. That distance affords an opportunity to capture genuine emotion and a slice of life. A comparison to portrait painting doesn't work, because distance can't be achieved in that scenario. But in street photography, distance is possible. Paul On Jul 20, 2011, at 11:34 AM, Christine Aguila wrote: > I found that statement intriguing as well--too bad further explanation of > what Westerbeck meant isn't given. In what way is Maier "participating" with > her subject? How is "participation" typically (and, perhaps, not so > typically) revealed in a photographic frame? How is photographer > participation defined, and how is that definition different from a > photographer's personal vision? > > Getting in close can't be a new trend; I mean consider Robert Capa's famous > line--if you don't like your pictures, you're not close enough--or something > like that. > > Would be interested to know other views on this as well. Thanks for > mentioning it, Bruce. Cheers, Christine > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Walker" <[email protected]> > To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 10:14 AM > Subject: Distance [was Re: V. Maier exhibition in London] > > >> I want to isolate one statement and ask a question, especially of the list >> members grounded in fine arts: >> >> On 11-07-19 11:28 PM, Christine Aguila wrote: >>> >>> From the Chicago Magazine article published earlier this year: >>> >>> "Colin Westerbeck, the former curator of photography at the Art Institute of >>> Chicago and one of the country's leading experts on street photography, >>> thinks Maier is an interesting case. He inspected her work after Maloof >>> e-mailed him. "She worked the streets in a savvy way," he says. "But when >>> you consider the level of street photography happening in Chicago in the >>> fifties and sixties, she doesn't stand out." Westerbeck explains that >>> Maier's >>> work lacks the level of irony and wit of some of her Chicago contemporaries, >>> such as Harry Callahan or Yasuhiro Ishimoto, and unlike them, she herself is >>> often a participant in the shot. The greatest artists, Westerbeck says, know >>> how to create a distance from their subjects. >> >> "The greatest artists know how to create a distance from their subjects." >> >> Is this considered a fundamental truth, a given? Or is this merely one >> man's (likely quite learned) opinion? Was old Leonardo truly distant from >> his subject in the Mona Lisa (just to pick one old chestnut). Or is that not >> an example of a great artist? >> >> Seems to me that in street photography there's been a movement lately to get >> in close with a wide angle and "get involved". Are none of those >> practitioners any good? OK, good, but not great? >> >> What about the famous portraitists, like Canada's fave, Karsh. He would >> spend hours puttering around and getting to know his subject, even affecting >> him (eg Churchill and the cigar incident) to get what he wanted. >> >> What about that famous line about "the camera looks two ways"? >> >> I'm not trying to preach, btw. I'm quite interested in this as my art >> history education is sorely lacking. >> >> -bmw >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
