# 6844-46 / in situ • travel ~ a day at the sea shore

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

AS YOU MIGHT KNOW BY NOW, MARTIN PARR shuffled off this mortal coil a few days ago. So, somewhat naturally, I pulled out my copy of The Last Resort book. Thought it was a good time for a refresh but, as it turned out, I didn’t need one inasmuch as I discovered that I practically knew all of the photos by heart. It would seem that they have etched a permanent home in my visual thinking brain.

That written, when I thought it might interesting to ask the wife to view the book and select which picture she might–if I held a gun to her head–like to have hanging on a wall in our house, I was rather surprised to discover that she had never previously looked at the book. Surprised cuz it–the book–has been hanging around the house for maybe 20 years or so.

In any event, on a fairly regular basis, I do ask her to view many of my photo books cuz I am always interested in a lay-person’s reaction / opinion to “fine-art” photography. She’s as lay as it gets–she’s neither an artist nor a photo maker of any kind and it surprises many people that an artist (me) and a lawyer (her) have manged to live together for 30 years without something going haywire–probably something about opposites attract thrown into the mix.

That written, she has spent many an hour at my side on gallery crawls and listening to me jabber on about things photography / art so she’s not exactly clueless about the subject. And, to be fair, I do value her input. Whatever the case, she did agree to take a look at the book ….

…. she was about 4 pictures into the book when she exclaimed, with an ear-to-ear grin on her face that “OMG, these pictures are awesome” and that was the first of a seemingly never ending flow of pure delight and amazement. Her connection to the pictures can certainly be attributed to the fact that they “spoke” to her about her summers on the seaside at Stone Harbor, NJ. However, I would be remiss not to mention that she also noted her keen appreciation for Parr’s stunning use of color. All in all, she truly loved the work, looked through the book 3x end-to-end and declared it to be the best photo book she has ever seen.

My take away from the experience is that Parr hit pay dirt inasmuch as he seems to have garnered appeal from an audience that is not part of the dedicated fine art photography crowd. For certain, in the case of the wife, while she “gets” work from Shore, Meyerowitz, Eggleston and host of other greats, her sheer delight and appreciation for The Last Resort is off the charts. And, it is my firm belief that, while she has not yet picked a photo that she would hang in our house, it wouldn’t surprise me if she said “All of them.”

And, FYI, I’m with her in that, iMo, Parr’s book is photography at its best.

# 6838-43 / in situ • common places • common things ~

all photos ~ (embigenable)

AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY I OCCASIONALLY SUBMIT photos to the PhotoPlace Gallery for a themed call for entry. Occasionally I get a photo accepted for exhibition, occasionally I do not (my batting average is about .500). The latest call is for “images that reflect the beauty, humor, tension, and humanity found in everyday moments. Whether shot in a bustling city, a small-town fair, or a quiet rural intersection, we’re looking for photographs that tell stories of people, places, and the pulse of the street.” Displayed above are my submissions for this call for entry.

While I submit photos only on occasion, I do visit the site frequently to peruse their library of photo selections for various themed exhibitions. I do so cuz, for a number of years, the gallery has requested that photo submit-ers include their website address in case viewers wish to see more of their work. I find that feature to be a valuable addition to the site.

ALERT pay attention cuz here’s where I fulfill my last entry promise to provide you with a source for finding some damn good straight photography END ALERT

For each exhibition the selected juror–they select a solo juror for each exhibition from a wide pool of persons in the photo world–chooses 35 photos for exhibition in the gallery–in Middlebury, VT.–and online plus 40 more photos for an additional online exhibition. That allows a viewer to view 75 curated photos. And I repeat, curated photos; photos that have survived some sort of judgement and been determined to be suitable to be presented for viewer consideration.

The reason I find this to be a valuable source for discovering some interesting photography practitioners and their work is that most of the calls for submissions are calls for very specific, succinctly themed subject matter that tends to encourage submissions that are created in the straight photography vernacular. It’s rare that I do not find a couple “keepers”–I copy and past the site links in a folder so I can check in on them now and again–in each and every exhibit.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. Ya know, actually leave a comment.

# 6834-37 / around the house • common things • landscape ~ THE IN-BETWEEN WORLD

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

A WELL KNOWN ART-WORLD PHOTOGRAPHER, WHEN DISCUSSING his formative years, stated:

…. at that time [ed. late 60s] photography was separated from the art world …. there were these 2 worlds …. 1.) the old photography world, a place described as a somewhat geeky realm of camera clubs and group critiques …. 2.) the art photography world, relegated mostly to photography galleries where people with different degrees of aesthetic interests, different intensionalities, and very different styles were all lumped together.

This past-history tidbit is indicative of the idea that the more things change. the more they stay the same, or, on other words, the same as it ever was inasmuch as I would suggest that; a.) the geeky camera club / group critique world still exists albeit floating around in the ethereal digital domain rather than in actual, physical meeting places, and, b.) the art photography world still exists in galleries albeit as an adjunct to its formative residency in academia.

iMo, the bedrock difference that distinguishes one world from the other is how each handles the idea of content; the camera club world considers content to be–in my mind, to a fault–the actual, literally depicted subject to be seen in a photograph whereas, in the art photography world paradigm, content is the concept, aka: meaning, behind a photograph. Or, think of it this way; one manner of picture making wants a viewer to see a literally documented something whereas the other picture making crowd wants you think about a visually intangible something.

DISCLOSURE if it ain’t clear to anyone who follows this blog, let me restate my position; I think the current Academic Lunatic Fringe fine art photography world is a batch of hooey, aka: flapdoodle and green paint. However, I am willing to concede to it the idea of different strokes for different folks (as long as no innocents are harmed in the making) END OF DISCLOSURE

In any event and all of that written, here’s the point of this entry; in my current pursuit of gallery exhibition possibilities I find myself betwixt and between the 2 photography worlds inasmuch as my photographs are about more than what is literally depicted–YIKES, sounds suspiciously like a concept–but, on the other hand, the intensionality behind their making is not about any mental idea / concept. Point in fact, my photographs are about extracting form from the quotidian world so that it can create a visual experience that can actually been seen*.

The difference between the camera club and art photography worlds creates a dilemma for me; the camera club world cannot begin to comprehend why I would take a picture of the “mess” in my kitchen sink. They look at me as if I had lobsters crawling out my ears. On the other hand, the ALF world looks at me and my photographs with a where’s the beef? expression on its face–hey you simple-minded twit, where’s the 5,000 word artist statement cuz we know it’s a picture of your kitchen sink but what does it mean?

OK, OK, that’s my problem but here’s a more universal consideration, re: how the ALF is fucking up your photography life; until about 15-50 years ago, one could go to NYC, Chelsea district, and within a 4 block area visit 30-40 photo galleries–mostly small to medium sized with a couple large ones–located in the 4-5 story buildings that lined the streets. Most of those galleries displayed straight / straight-ish photography. Long story short, that is all gone now.

Part of the reason they are gone is due to real estate reality–gentrification–in The Big City, . But, that granted, as support for gallery display of straight photography waned under the onslaught of the ALF wave, most “old photography” world galleries just flat-out disappeared–not just in NYC but throughout the country. In my experience, I can not remember when was the last time I viewed an exhibition of straight photography that was not a collection of either camera club cliches or a retrospective exhibition of the work of various greats from the last century.

More’s the pity.

PS don’t despair cuz next entry I’ll provide a source for locating–cutting through all the digital world clutter–some damn good straight photography.

*ya know, “seen”, cuz photography is a visual art.

# 6833 / common things ~ Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow

(embiggenable)

Surfin’ Bird

Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow,

Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow

Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow

Well-a don't you know, about the bird?
Well! Everybody knows that the bird is the word!
A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the bird A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird's the word

#6830-32/ around the house • common things ~ it ain't what ya eat, it's the way how ya chew it

all photos (embiggenable)

"It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." ~ Abraham Maslow c.1966

OVER THE YEARS I HAVE MENTIONED (ON THIS BLOG) that I have a rather significant collection of books about photography, both monologues and what might be labeled as books that offer critical analysis–lots of words, very few pictures–on the medium itself. In the context of this entry, it is worth a mention that most monologues include essays–in some cases, multiple essays by different authors–about the presented work.

I have been acquiring photo related books for over 50 years and I continue to do so to this day; case in point, my recent purchase of the Sally Mann book–lots of words, a few pictures–and the MOMA Stephen Shore publication–lots of pictures and lots of words. That written, I continue to acquire such material as part of my ongoing Adult Education Program–a program of which I am the sole Director / Course Advisor.

In any event, you might be wondering what the hammer / analogy has to do with this topic. Well, it’s not complicated …. re: my photo book collection, the books I value most are the monologues and if I were required–most likely by the wife who dislikes “clutter”–to pare the collection down to essentials, all the critical analysis stuff would be headed for the trash bin. Why? Cuz virtually all of them are written using a “hammer”, i.e. academic falderol and artspeak, in order to beat / suck the life out of the “nail”, i.e. photographs. It is as if the authors see a photograph as an opportunity to let us know how fucking smart they are.

Credit were credit is due: To be fair, if one possesses the fortitude and persistence to wade through the often dry and tedious, arcane, academic morass of words, words, words–fyi, I do– there are nuggets of interest and, dare I write, insights to be had.

All of the above written, I am drawn to the question of whether a writer with an academic mindset can ever be a sensualist (a topic for future consideration), i.e. someone who embraces the data gathered by the senses over reason and intellect, especially so when viewing photographs. Most likely what I am considering here is the difference between visual thinking and verbal thinking. Which, it should be noted, can be intermingled to one degree or another in a person–rare is the person who think exclusively in one mode or the other. Case in point ….

…. I am, predominately but not exclusively, a visual thinker. I have a very good friend who is predominately, but not exclusively, a verbal thinker. He does appreciate my photography but, that written, typically, when viewing one of my photos on a device with a touch screen, he immediately uses the thumb / forefinger enlargement feature to view details in the photo. A practice which indicates, to me, that he tends to overlook the form / structure of the photo and concentrate his interest, primarily but not exclusively, on the literally depicted referent(s) to be seen in the photo.

ASIDE he and I were both Honor Class students in our all-boys Jesuit Prep school but, tellingly, relative to this entry, he chose Science Honors whereas I chose Greek Honors END ASIDE

One more case in point–based in part on an actual experience (mine) and in part on conjecture …. the photo in this entry of a vintage ironing board. When the wife brought this thrift store find into the house and set it up, I was immediately struck with a overwhelming, visceral, and intense reaction which could be summed up as “This is the most beautiful, man-made object I have ever seen”. The fact that it is an everyday, functional object makes it even more stunning. The words, elegant, delicate, subtle, and all-of-piece come to mind.

On the other hand–here’s the conjecture part–I am very certain that, while my good friend thought it to be interesting, his verbal thinking cap was all a-twitter wishing that he had brought his protractor and drawing compass along cuz there was so much geometry to be measured and cataloged. Then, of course, there is the structural integrity to be considered (fyi, it was quite sound).

In any event, all I now want to do is add a small, one room addition to our house–no windows, white walls and with gallery lighting–in which to place, centered of course, the ironing board so that from time-to-time I can contemplate it in order to keep connected to the true meaning of life.

Cuz, remember, as the sensualist in my visual thinking brain constantly reminds me, all knowledge is ultimately derived from sensory experience and sensations and perceptions are the most fundamental forms of true cognition.

And, oh yeah, acquire some photo books.

# 6827-29 / around the house ~ a world of shapes

“A round straw hat, the funnel leaning left, the stairway leaning right, the white drawbridge with its railings made by circular chains, white suspenders on the back of a man in the steerage below, round shapes of iron machinery, a mast cutting into the sky, making a triangular shape … I saw shapes related to one another. I was inspired by a picture of shapes and underlying that a feeling I had about life.” ~ Alfred Stieglitz

When confronted by a scene of abject human misery and defeat, Alfred Stieglitz saw the scene as a composition, a “picture of shapes” that bore no relationship to the facts–albethey factually described–of the scene itself. The picture–The Steerage–is hailed by some critics as one of the greatest photographs of all time because it captures in a single image both a formative document of its time and one of the first works of artistic modernism.

Re: Modernism: Stieglitz, together with O’Keeffe, was considered to be amongst those who helped start the American Modernism movement; O’Keeffe with her paintings and Stieglitz with his photography and his gallery. Photography wise, Stieglitz, who began his photography career as a Pictorialist, eventually rejected Pictorialism–extensively manipulated photographs intended to be “artistic”–and adopted and advocated the practice of straight photography–a “pure” picture making technique that utilized the medium’s intrinsic, authentic characteristics.

Stieglitz was convinced that, if photography were to rise to the status of fine art, the medium had to free itself from its mimicry of painting and embrace its ability to describe, with clarity and fidelity, the facts of real life. Concurrent with the embrace of straight photography was an idiom bending shift away from symbolist referents to those evincing a sense of realism, in particular, the facts of everyday life, aka: the commonplace.

All of the above written, it would suggest that straight photography became a thing 'round about the creation of The Steerage photo which was made in 1907. OK, granted that was a momentous moment in the history of the medium but, the question remains, what makes the photo one of the greatest photographs of all time?

In addition to being one of the first, if not the actual first, straight photograph to be considered as fine art, it might also be the first photograph made in a Formalist tradition; i.e. a photograph that was made prioritizing the form or structure of the work over its content–the creator, aka: Stieglitz, was focused on elements like line, tone, space, shapes (elements of art) over historical context or societal impact. It would appear that Stieglitz was intent on creating an ideal image, a nearly Platonic belief in an ideal visual form.

The photograph points up to the extent to which so much (but not all) fine art photography relates to the commonplace, but doing so as part of an attempt, by the intervention of the photographer’s eye, to transform the most obvious of things into their unique potential as objects (aka, prints). It is as if everything waits to be photographed cuz it can only evince its apotheosis, as it were, in the image that reveals that ideal potential in visual terms.

All of the above written, it can be considered 2 ways; a.) as a very accurate description of my picturing making M.O. inasmuch as I strive to create photographs that exhibit “ideal visual form” as I see it in the quotidian world. My intent is not to imply / suggest that beauty can be found everywhere. Rather, my intent is to create a thing / an object, i.e. a photographic print, that is, in and of itself, beautiful (or, at least, visually interesting), or, b.) to suggest that I believe, iMo, that the overwhelming number of all-time “great” photographers, especially those who practice straight photography, think, see, and photograph in a manner not unlike that of Steiglitz.

# 6818-26 / travel ~ there and back again

reason for the trip ~ All photos (embiggenable)

BACK HOME AFTER OUR 1200 MILE INTERSTATE HWY trek–the wife and I departed 3PM Thursday last, returned 7PM Sunday–to Pittsburgh and back home again. Stayed in a apt/condo in a converted church and checked off all but one of the must-dos on my list …. watched the Fighting Irish trounce the Pitt Panthers, ate the mandatory Primanti Bros. sandwich (meat+cheese+fries+cole slaw+2 slices of tomato all sandwiched between fresh, thick slices of Italian bread), dinner at Max’s Allegheny Tavern (a favorite)–German / Bavarian food (had 5 potato pancakes with my meal), and beers at a neighborhood “dive” bar. Didn’t make to my favorite cigar shop. Thrown in for good measure–in fact, very good measure–there was diner and an evening with a couple good friends and enjoying the company of our grandson from the moment we arrived in Pittsburgh until the moment we left–he stayed with us after he drove over from West Virginia where is attending college.

Making photographs was very much a catch-as-catch-can undertaking. There was too much going on to take a picture making walk about. What is posted here is pretty much the sum of it.

# 6815-17 /sink • around the house • landscape ~ every thing is perfect

it’s back ~ all photos (embiggenable)

COMMENTS FROM GEARHEADS NEVER CEASE to amaze me; a recent case in point:

“Wonderful pictures! A perfect subject for your OM-3 and that fantastic lens.”

Ignoring the fact that the pictures in question could have been made with the use of just about any “decent” camera / picture making device, analog or digital, who the hell looks at “wonderful” pictures and comes up with that comment? Not to mention the fact that, as a long-time Olympus guy, I have never identified a “perfect subject” for my Oly cameras.

I am off on a 10 hour drive to Pittsburgh, Pa. to watch the Fighting Irish vs the Pitt Panthers football game and hang out with some friends. Will make some pictures.