Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sometime around 1/13/00 4:35 AM, Erwin Puts at imxputs@knoware.nl mumbled something about: > dominant type of discourse in photographic circles has not yet > evolved to this relativistic view of the world, but then photography > as a medium hardly ever was very revolutionary. > With some exceptions of course. With all due respect to Erwin, photography turned the visual world upside down. Not in this just-past, or nearly past as you would have it, century for sure, as powerfully as it did in the 19th century. But photography, starting with Andre Kertesz, which not long after technology caught up with and made his style such a powerful factor in mass media. I guess that's why I would nominate Kertesz. He was the first to explore the candid photograph, before there were "candid" camears. I wish I could find teh quite, but HCB even said "Kertesz taught us to see," after an exhibit he saw of Kertesz's work that caused him, in part, to take up the Leica. I can't think of any other photogrpaher that influence my world anyway. Ansel Adams is close - in fact as important to me as Kertesz. And many consider him one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, not just photographers. His efforts to establish photography as an art form certainly extended the form into artistic realms like few other people - as well as into popular circles. But there are many, many photographers who could vie for this role. An amazing number, considering how few photographers in this day really stand as unique in our day. We're past the pioneer stage, for quality work anyway. Lots of junk gets pioneered that's hardly worth looking at. But there's lots of great stuff nonetheless. It's just not going to get the critics excited. As a photo editor who buys work from around the U.S. and the world, I can tell you there's a whole lot of dirt to dig through to find the diamonds. DeBeers wouldn't survive at this ratio. :-) - -- Eric Welch Carlsbad, CA http://www.neteze.com/ewelch Canadian DOS prompt: EH?\>