Re: [Leica] Family of Man II

[Johnny Deadman <john@pinkheadedbug.com>]

As ever BD makes some good points. I hope Alistair has been bucked up by the
massive outpouring and support and goodwill for this project: it is bound to
cause controversy both within and without this group.

The differences between FOM I and II are well stated, and I think they make
the project more interesting. A hundred or so photographers (let's say) of
all sorts of abilities, backgrounds and political persuasions, all shooting
for a five-year-long project... *that's* gotta be worth seeing. The
differences BD outlines make this not just a feeble attempt to repeat a past
glory (FOM I, incidentally, is regarded by many current critics as a
magnificent failure, rather like Russell's doomed attempt to formalise
Mathematics). As for who shoots ... well, it does seem to me that it should
be fairly open. What is *desperately* needs is a good, established editor to
make the tough calls about what's in and what's out. That's what will make
the difference between a project which is taken seriously and one which is
well intentioned but half baked.

On another tangent... it seems to me that FOM II offers a really excellent
motivation for people to get out there and start shooting a long term
project. I think at some point a statement defining the project would be
very helpful in gaining access to institutions or individuals. I'd be
interested to see a kind of 'running list' of what people are out there
shooting.

Alistair can't do all the work on his own so maybe he should think about
other roles that other people could fill... eg someone to write a pr thing
that could be used to approach leica.

Finally, there is a possibility that debate about FOM II could completely
swamp this list. If so it's Brian's call but it might be worth setting up a
sidelist where participants can discuss the project without getting on the
nerves of anyone who's not interested or thinks it's futile or whatever.

on 12/10/00 3:29 pm, B. D. Colen at bdcolen@earthlink.net wrote:

> To continue down a track I started down yesterday...
> 
> Dorothea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Wayne Miller, Robert
> Doisneau, Lennart Nilsson, Bill Brandt, David Douglas Duncan, Barbara
> Morgan, Elliot Erwitt, Russell Lee, Gioni Mili, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Dmitri
> Kessel, August Sander, Carl Mydans,  Homer Page, W. Eugene Smith, Ansel
> Adams,  Robert Capa, Jack Delano, Diane Arbus,  Ruth Orkin, Burt Glinn,
> Edward Steichen, David "Chim" Syemour,  Eve Arnold, Irving Penn,  Harry
> Callahan, Ruth Orkin, Ernst Haas, Ralph Crane,   Ben  Shahn,  Robert Frank
> 
> ....Is there a point here? Yes....As much as I think this is a wonderful
> project, and would like to contribute to it, I think it needs some really
> serious rethinking in terms of what it is going to be and what it is going
> to mean to whom.
> 1. We collectively are not "them" -see above;
> 2. "They" did not gather together and set out
> over a period of time to take the photos. Rather,
> Steichen gathered at least 30 years worth of
> often iconic images from the best photographers
> in the world;
> 3. One of the reason for the exhibit's - and book's  - impact is that so
> many of the images were already considered iconic and were already so
> familiar to viewers;
> 4.  See Susan Sontag's discussion of The Family of Man;
> 5. If this project is really going to be any thing special and have any
> impact beyond the LUG, we can't be thinking in terms of "can my wife take
> some photos with her Leica P&S." I don't say that to be a insulting, and
> hope it isn't taken that way, but this has to be the best of the best of the
> work produced by LUGers, if that's what it is. If a P&S shot by a LUGer's
> spouse falls into that catagory, great, if not...
> 6. I would not limit this to photos taken with Leica equipment, but rather
> to photo's taken by LUGers who use Leica equipment. Presumably the vast
> majority of what turns up will be taken with Leicas, but there are a number
> of folks on this list who use Leicas and other equipment - and I don't just
> mean myself, but rather am refering to folks like Harrison,Steve L., etc.,
> who are among the best on the LUG.
> 
> Anyway, just think of the above as a few "pearls" cast by a swine, and think
> a bit more about this project...and how we might tone down what I would
> suggest is the hubris involved at this point.
> 
> P.S....And of course there are some LUGers who belong on any list like that
> up top...:-)
> 
> B. D.

>> 

- -- 
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com