Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Steve, what you say about the people self-selecting, or the photographer self-selecting them, can be said about a great number of documentary projects, books and others. Don't you suspect that Dorothea Lange was told "no thanks, Mam," by as many people as agreed to be photographed? And what about Walker Evans when he was doing the Let Us Now Praise Famous Men project with James Agee? Having seen the entire collection of photos Kyle is planning to submit to his publisher, I'd say that he probably does have a pretty reasonable cross section of gun owners. Okay, it's probably heavy on stereotypes, but there are plenty of "normal" folks in the pile. On 10/19/06 1:50 PM, "Steve Barbour" <kididdoc@cox.net> wrote: > > On Oct 19, 2006, at 9:58 AM, Jim Shulman wrote: > >> If anything, these pictures do NOT seem cute and harmless. >> They can be very disturbing in their utter normality. > > (true Jim, as in "seem cute and harmless") > >> >> Has anyone else ever documented gun owners as Kyle is doing now? > > "documented gun owners ".... really now Jim, > > that is not what Kyle is doing...he is photographing people who want > to be photographed.... in the living room, with the wife , kids, dog, > and semiautomatic weapons...at the invitation of a photographer who > wants to sell a book... (we all do so.... sorry Kyle).... > > I see this in large part a creation, a fiction.. (good and bad)... > > selecting a few individuals who want five minutes of fame, quite > possibly having nothing at all to do with the fictional entity... > > "documented gun owners"... > > analogous to a study of people and their nudity, based on people who > want to get photographed in their living room naked... > > I am afraid that is a good part of the dynamics and psychopathology > that is being celebrated and exploited here... > > and now I have said more than enough, > > but the photos are good, and they are obviously disturbing... > > > Steve > > >> Not to my knowledge. >> He noted that a vast proportion of the US population owns guns and >> considers >> them a part of their home life. Yet, there must have been some >> unspoken >> taboo against showing this, as people would show off their doggies, >> cute >> kids, or macram? collections. Pictures like this just aren't taken or >> shown. >> I can't think of a better definition for art: it makes me consider the >> commonplace in a wholly different manner. >> >> If he can sell it, all the more power to him. That means so many >> other >> people will be forced to consider the middle-class normality of gun >> ownership, whether they approve of it or not. Personally, I'd >> prefer far >> stricter controls on access to guns, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't >> consider the pervasive ownership and public affection for firearms. >> >> Jim Shulman >> Bryn Mawr, PA >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org >> [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of >> Steve >> Barbour >> Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 12:32 PM >> To: Leica Users Group >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Dog wrangling - guns, kids, and saying "cheese" >> >> gosh Kyle... >> >> you are such a fine photographer.... why do you insist on taking a >> tiny slice of the psychopathology that's out there, glorifying it... >> and making it seem cute and harmless... >> >> is it only because you can sell it? >> >> >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information