Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]- -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of m Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 4:09 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: RE: [Leica] Robert Frank in Ottawa >mr. Colen, I imagine that a book like "The Americans" must still be a huge weight on Frank's shoulders. I mean, how can you top work like that? So he worked on other things, films and stuff. (he's not a one-book photographer though: the rest of his photographic work, before The Americans and the scarce material after The Americans, are amazing) His movies are not as good as The Americans? Maybe. But the Rolling Stones tour film is an underground classic. Maybe he got discouraged by the horrible personal tragedies who marred his later years. And anyway, do you judge Michael Jordan by his baseball career? I don't. So why judge Frank by his film and experimental art work when he is a photographer? Maybe HCB drawings are as good as his photography, maybe not. Who cares? - ------------------------ Matteo - I'm NOT judging Frank by his later work - or, as you put it, judging Michael Jordan by his baseball. I'm judging Robert Frank by The Americans, which is like judging Michael Jordan by his jump shot! And I wish he had continued to do the kind of work he did in The Americans. Could he top it? I doubt it. But so what. Can you imagine the body of work he would have ultimately had had he continued photographing on that level? And, too, I am not criticizing him for the path he choose - I'm aware of the personal tragedies, and, besides, who am I to say what an artist should or should not have done with his life. I am simply saying that, as one who appreciates photography - particularly documentary photography and serious photojournalism - I consider it a tragedy that he didn't continue working in that vein. B. D. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html