Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]NPR just had a story about Robert Bergman, who has a show at the National Gallery of Art. I thought it was interesting that they referred to his work as "street photography" even though he asks the subjects for permission and they are aware that their portrait is being made. Here are two articles: <http://www.brooklynrail.org/2004/05/art/bergman>http://www.brooklynrail.org/2004/05/art/bergman http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...101202981.html This is an interesting quote: "The fundamental strangeness of documentary photography is the split between who it is of and who it is for?the split between its subjects and its audience. The documentary photograph is intended to move "you" (the middle class magazine or newspaper reader or the upper middle class art lover) to do something. Here?s a test: what does any given photograph make you want to do? Lewis Hine says change the child labor laws; Margaret Bourke-White says add fluoride to the water, give at your church, and stay the hell away from the bad side of town; Dorothea Lange says improve the treatment of migrant workers; Robert Frank says quit your job and see America (but you won?t always like what you see); Richard Avedon says look as long as you like?they can?t see you or stop you; Martha Rosler says leave the bums alone. When you look at a Robert Bergman photograph, you don?t think "Oh gee, I should give more to the United Way," but that maybe "you" are missing something by not treating everyone you encounter as a full human being." Read, too, about how he makes his inkjet prints. No, he uses Nikon 35mm ;-) Tina <http://www.tinamanley.com>www.tinamanley.com