Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/03/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Mar 23, 2009, at 2:04 AM, Marty Deveney wrote: > Very good - but it doesn't count if you make your own irony or > weirdness ;-) I suspect if that the most Shulman'esque image you could find find in China, well then, my (fuzzy) thinking is a little less fuzzy... (who is that ____head anyway?) :-) (here again) >>>> a very interesting comment Marty, it really got me thinking. >>>> >>>> Is there a place in the world not fruitful for Jim's style of >>>> observation? >>>> Then I realized that it varies a lot...with some places much less >>>> fruitful...even in the civilized world. >>>> >>>> we don't have to get into that right now... >>>> >>>> but my very simplistic impression is that the very unfruitful >>>> areas may >>>> be limited to third world parts of the globe... >>>> >>>> I wonder if that is seen by veteran travelers as an >>>> oversimplification, >>>> somehow unfair, thanks Steve > > On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 2:33 PM, Jim Shulman <jshul at comcast.net> > wrote: > >> Not just America: >> I also seemed to have good luck in China, Marty >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/focusit/the+great+shmuck+of+china.JPG.html >> >> Of course, I paid a fellow several yuan to push the shutter button >> on my >> M3. >> >> Jim Shulman >> Wynnewood, PA >> >> Steve asks a very on-topic question about the kind of photography >> people do >> with their Leicas and Leica-like cameras. >> >> To me, Jim's photos are characterised by irony (in the true sense - >> where >> the literal and the actual implied meanings of the photographs are >> opposite >> or fundamentally incongruent) and poking fun at western society. >> Anywhere >> where society is fundamentally different (as it is almost >> everywhere else >> in >> the world) a person doesn't have a sufficient context to poke the >> same kind >> of fun. You can see this in my photos of Russia: >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Russia/ and Japan: >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Japan/ which (to me) >> say more >> "this is really forgeign and that amkes it different" rather than >> "look at >> this weirdness". >> >> The side of life that many of Jim's photos point out as humorous are >> dependant on wealth and a relative lack of self-consciousness. The >> following examples are from my experience and might vary depending >> on where >> you go in a given place. In Japan, for instance, people maintain a >> very >> careful public image most of the time, making these kinds of shots >> impossible. In a lot of parts of Scandinavia, almost everyone is >> very fit >> and attractive, removing one of Jim's obvious sources of humour. >> >> But more than anything, walker Evans' old nemesis, prosperity, >> removes a >> lot >> of the good-natured aspects of public life. People become more >> self-conscious, change how they act and look and take on a more >> serious >> general demeanour. This interferes with the kinds of scenes Jim >> captures. >> Adelaide is the least economically developed Australian mainland >> city of >> its >> size and in many ways its residents are very natural and lack >> self-consciousness. A lot of obviously incongruous things happen. >> I doubt >> Jim would do very well in the middle of Sydney or Melbourne. >> >> Analysis is always personal; anyone who posts a themed body of work >> to the >> LuG gets a lot of attention and analysis from me. I don't always >> post >> about >> it, but I am always looking and thinking. >> >> Marty >> >>>> On Mar 22, 2009, at 4:37 AM, Marty Deveney wrote: >>>> >>>> No, but we're trying to get him to visit. There's plenty of >>>> fruitful >>>> areas >>>> around here for Jim's style of observation. >>>> >>>> a very interesting comment Marty, it really got me thinking. >>>> >>>> Is there a place in the world not fruitful for Jim's style of >> observation? >>>> Then I realized that it varies a lot...with some places much less >>>> fruitful...even in the civilized world. >>>> >>>> we don't have to get into that right now... >>>> >>>> but my very simplistic impression is that the very unfruitful >>>> areas may >>>> be limited to third world parts of the globe... >>>> >>>> I wonder if that is seen by veteran travelers as an >>>> oversimplification, >>>> somehow unfair,