Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/04

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Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
From: bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Tue Jan 4 12:05:44 2005

The last thing I claim to be is an expert - or even that well educated -
in the ins and outs of artistic movements....but I do see 'strange' in a
fair amount of HCB's work, and incongruity of shape and form if no
other....

Calling Sir Buzz!!!

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Hemenway
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 1:32 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.


Calling Sir "Buzz of Belmont"!  :-)


 > shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....

But BD, did you see _incongruous_  juxtaposition when you saw those 
large prints?

And... there isn't any "weird" in HCB's work... at least none that I can

remember. I've always thought that any surreal art needs to be a little 
bit weird.

I don't mean the now common usage of the word surreal to mean almost 
anything unexpected and/or different.

Jim




B. D. Colen wrote:
> BUZZ!!!! Get your butt in here!!! :-)
> 
> In fact, HCB himself has been quoted as saying that around the time of

> the founding of Magnum, the late Robert Capa "...was very wise. He 
> told me not to call myself a surrealist, but instead, a 
> photojournalist."
> 
> I admit that I had some trouble getting my brain around this idea, 
> focused as I was on HCB's subject manner. But then I saw some classic 
> HCB images blown up to slide screen size - and BINGO! There is was - 
> shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf 
> Of Jim Hemenway
> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 10:49 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
> 
> 
> I don't think of him a surrealist with a camera BD... a painter with a
> camera perhaps, or maybe a sociologist with a camera? :-)
> 
> Parke-Harrison are surrealists with a camera: 
> http://www.bonnibenrubi.com/Parkeharrison/parkeharrison.html
> http://www.parkeharrison.com/ 
> http://www.decordova.org/decordova/exhibit/parkeharrison/parkeharrison
> 04
> .html
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> B. D. Colen wrote:
> 
> 
>>True enough. The other thing to keep in mind when thinking about HCB
>>is that while we may be looking to capture something about the human 
>>condition, he was looking to capture something having to do with form,
> 
> 
>>shape and light. Not to start the surrealist thread again, but
>>Gdamnit, he was not a PJ - although he did some PJ - he was a 
>>surrealist with a camera.
>>
>>B. D.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>>[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf
>>Of Ted Grant
>>Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 12:32 AM
>>To: Leica Users Group
>>Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
>>
>>
>>B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
>>To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
>>Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 2:13 PM
>>Subject: RE: Re: [Leica] Intro
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>I'd argue that the "decisive moment" was that instant in which he 
>>>saw,
>>
>>
>>>or anyone sees, the possibilities in a particular setting or 
>>>situation. He didn't see a guy in mid-jump across a puddle and shoot 
>>>-
>>
>>
>>>he saw a puddle and the possibilities it presented; he didn't see 
>>>someone on a given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for 
>>>the right person in the right position. Others of just might have 
>>>shot
>>
>>
>>>a puddle, or a staircase. ;-)<<
>>
>>
>>And because he was a consummate artist he would see elements in a
>>street
>>
>>scene and know one element was missing just by looking. However, the
>>gift he had was to see and then wait for the one element that created 
>>the "Decisive
>>moment."
>>
>>The rest of us see things and capture good photo moments, but he had
>>this ability to see something good and yet know it required one tiny 
>>extra thing
>>or wait the moment longer to make it the perfect picture if you like.
>>
>>
>>
>>>>he didn't see someone on a
>>>
>>>given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for the right 
>>>person in the right position. ;-)<<
>>
>>
>>Absolutely! As that's one of the gifts he had, was to wait for the
>>icing on the cake to make it perfect. But most of all he had the 
>>patience to wait.
>>The rest of us are always in a hurry to go some place, either to work,
>>going 
>>to the Mall or wherever and our pictures quite often are a grabbed
>>moment 
>>instead of seeing the complete moment by waiting a few minutes or
> 
> longer
> 
>>for
>>the filling in the cake to make it great!
>>
>>ted
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
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>>
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>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 
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> 

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Replies: Reply from Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway) ([Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.)
In reply to: Message from Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway) ([Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.)