OK, I'm rambling. If you post questions or comments I'll try to elaborate.
October 15, 2010
Something to think about
I've been reading a book called Reality Hunger by David Shields. It is at once a collage work and a manifesto declaring collage as the postmodern movement, etc. Anyway, one thing he says (and I can't locate the exact quote) is something like this: Editing is the most important and powerful tool available to the postmodern artist. Each of you is capable of making a good image. I've seen good images recently posted by Jacki, Mary, Sam, Monica (am I missing anyone?). I believe each of you must work on creating yet stronger individual images. But at the same time, you MUST learn to be stronger editors. Remember the Dump Metaphor? Contemplate it. And when you're done contemplating it, contemplate more. Each of you is jumping around so much, searching for the answer. You can not forget that your answers are small, but they're are right there, hiding, within each of your present photos. Stop fleeing what you're doing now and, instead, dive into it. Each of you has answers already. Take the risk to look. The answers are always right in front of you. Sam, you have your family. Mary, you have your father. Jacki, you have your wont to provide traces of yourself. Monica, you have your drive to remove yourself from your images. Or, whatever you have. Stop avoiding. Stop taking the Google approach to your art and, instead, dive. Scholars of the past would research one thing 20 hours a day, wake up the next day and do the same. You are the Google generation: know little about much. STOP! DIVE. DIVE DEEPER. You need to trust yourselves, your fears, your passions. Trust. Risk.
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6 comments:
Ooh, found it: "The act of editing may be the key postmodern artistic instrument."
So many can take a good photo. So few know where to go from there.
I understand your comments completely about editing, but I am not sure about following something yet...I know that we are all over the place...but I think we all jumped around quite a bit before we followed an idea. I have my dad, but I don't think that that is a "spark" yet. I think it will be in the future. I think it still shooting a ton of things and different routes, and they converge and focus on one thing to follow.
Is it really that obvious that we're fleeing from what we already know? That's what I've been doing, and it's not even subconscious anymore. It was at the beginning of the paper project, but, go figure - even in that roll I shot my mom. Family. I know that's where it is for me. I've been avoiding. I'm scared, I'm angry, I'm disappointed that life can't go as I want it to or had planned it to be. My relationship of three years is unraveling, falling apart and I don't know what I've done or how I can fix it, or if I even want to, so I picked up my camera to find something again. To shoot anything. To escape my problem. I needed the rigidity of the assignments to keep myself from feeling lost. But it's an excuse. And Mary, you even admitted that you want to shoot your dad eventually. Why not start now? I don't mean this as a criticism or to be morbid, but we should be seizing the day. We could get in a car accident tomorrow, lose our arm or worse. If we say it'll be tomorrow that we will start, we'll never do anything, or it might be too late. Thanks for the kick in the ass, Shane. I needed it, and I'm glad you can see through and call me out on my bullshit. And this post isn't supposed to be negative- rather motivational. I know it's hard to tell in writing sometimes. I hope that's why your pics weren't taken down Mary. I really did enjoy seeing them - they really made me think and question - what I commented was supposed to be encouraging....I don't know if it came off that way.
Oh gosh Sam! That was not all why I took them down. Jacki felt uncomfortable having them up. I agree with you about the seize the day too. I should do it. I have to get shit together.
When it gets difficult; when you feel irreparably stuck: that's your cue. That's when you know you're heading the right direction. It IS NOT a cue to turn away but to instead ram your head against the wall until you begin to see pieces fall away. And then you ram harder. That's your sign. Photographer's block means you're only a wall away from something wonderful.
Sorry Sam...I just looked at my comment again...Let me correct something I meant: "Oh gosh Sam, you are fine. I was not offended at all." Haha. I realized it looked like I was upset, I was not at all by your post.
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