Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/16
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: "Julian Thomas" <mimesis@btinternet.com> wrote
. PJ and Street photography for me fulfil the essential criteria for art
>in that the viewer is transformed in someway - the photograph makes you see
>the world in a new way. BTW I'm currently doing a PhD in aesthetics so I'm
>reading this thread with great interest!!
>
>Julian
>
>------------------------------
Does that invalidate 'art' that reinforces your current world view?
But - I agree with what you say. Sometimes.
A Doctor of Aesthetics - wow!
Is it the job of an aesthetist to wake people up?
Looking at the entrants for the 15,000 uk pounds andthatsalotofdosh Citibank
photo prize I am intrigued but alienated for precisely the reason that
someone stated (John?) - the source of it doesn't seem to be life and spirit
but some art-cult stuff that reinforces itself in a way that doesn't move me
and makes me feel excluded. I can't feel bad about that (and it's useless to
me to do so) as this is artbiz - the system of curators and sponsors require
a certain packaging and consistency which I seem unable to achieve. This
used to bother me, but now, with a bit more confidence I am happy that I can
explain my work as an exploration, unknown destination. If I knew where it
was going, would it be less of an exploration? I think it would. Maybe one
day it will be fashionable, or not - it doesn't matter as it is the basis of
what I do, and it keeps life interesting!
What I am saying is that all that matters is a sense of the genuine - I
don't get that with Cindy Sherman, loathe her work, or with so many recent
art darlings. Juergen Teller makes me snore, Helen Chadwick gives me
dandruff. (I'd rather see Raymond Moore or John Blakemore , both so
unfashionable, anyday!). Art should indeed be transformative, but most of
the work that feeds the art industry is a construct, created to feed an art
career and is therefore zombie or vampire. We'll see who will stand the test
of time (and I think William Eggleston will, but for a limited number of
images rather than a body of work). The work of Lartigue, Weston etc, will
seem as fascinating and probably as full of life as they do today and did 30
years ago.
Just a little brainfart
Alex
____________________________________________
alex@zetetic.co.uk
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~abrattell/
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