Maybe not the magnum of 50 years ago, but there are several photographers that are part of magnum that are not traditional these days. I’m not generally interested in this guy’s perspective, and I’m not interested in most of his photography at all... but where I don’t agree is that he doesn’t have talent. And he does take interesting chances with gear... here’s his take on Covid:
https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsro...-the-pain-antoine-agata-covid-19-coronavirus/
You don’t end up in magnum, in any era, because you don’t know how to photograph well.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
Agreed, The article was very well done, informative, very honest, a Life most thankfully would choose not to go down.
I'm sorry to hear You feel that way... it's not that I am defending him
For Me, it's interesting to see and understand what drives people even if we disagree with some of their choices
Guy Pinhas
Well-known
Thank you Helen and jsrockit for the D'agata links.
@Helen: You're right, it is a very interesting interview. Not into what he does photography wise but it's not coming out of nowhere and in an odd way I feel like he's a bit of a Bukowski character.
@jsrockit: I really like what he does in this series. A lot actually. However, I wonder what a sofa at Magnum's like
@Helen: You're right, it is a very interesting interview. Not into what he does photography wise but it's not coming out of nowhere and in an odd way I feel like he's a bit of a Bukowski character.
@jsrockit: I really like what he does in this series. A lot actually. However, I wonder what a sofa at Magnum's like
jawarden
Well-known
Yes, and I assume you're not referring to me there - I didn't suggest that he lacks talent. I like that Covid series btw.
No, only the first part about the non traditional additions to magnum.
agentlossing
Well-known
I'm happy to remain in the camp that lacks talent but doesn't produce shocking and degrading work
I'm happy to remain in the camp that lacks talent but doesn't produce shocking and degrading work
There are plenty of great photographers who photograph the banal.
retinax
Well-known
Using poverty as an insult, and questioning someone's right to live, both in one sentence? I'm far more disgusted by that than by d'Agata's pictures.
Dogman
Veteran
Then I question your judgement in both matters.
By the way, the PPP remark is not an insult to poverty, it's an insult to the depravity of the human condition abundantly on display in d'Agata's very poor photography.
But if you find such crap fulfilling and uplifting, so be it. You're as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
I made a reference to the arguably very exploitative nature of Antoine d'Agata's (and Araki's) work in a comment on page 1 of this thread, and I was actually surprised that no one shared their thought about it.
I've been following d'Agata for many years and had a chance to talk to him a few years ago. While I do think there's exploitation in many of his photos (and Araki's), I also think there's more to them than nudity, vulgarity and whatever a superficial analysis notices first. Take his work "Antibodies": the texts that accompany the images (e.g. chapter "07. Orgy") are even more crude than the images, but for those who have the stomach to read them, they'll offer a new perspective on the photographs.
I'm confronted with a real dilemma, when studying d'Agata's work. I admire him profoundly for exploring and revealing sides of life that few dare to show or even talk about, for letting me know disturbing realities I never had imagined existed. But I can't help seeing exploitation of vulnerable people, and lots of it in his work. I suggest you grab a copy of Antibodies and read it, as well as going through the photos.
I've been following d'Agata for many years and had a chance to talk to him a few years ago. While I do think there's exploitation in many of his photos (and Araki's), I also think there's more to them than nudity, vulgarity and whatever a superficial analysis notices first. Take his work "Antibodies": the texts that accompany the images (e.g. chapter "07. Orgy") are even more crude than the images, but for those who have the stomach to read them, they'll offer a new perspective on the photographs.
I'm confronted with a real dilemma, when studying d'Agata's work. I admire him profoundly for exploring and revealing sides of life that few dare to show or even talk about, for letting me know disturbing realities I never had imagined existed. But I can't help seeing exploitation of vulnerable people, and lots of it in his work. I suggest you grab a copy of Antibodies and read it, as well as going through the photos.
emraphoto
Veteran
The issue of concern regarding DAH is the cult of personality and it’s malignant growth within the industry. The CJR article describes very troubling behaviour indeed however in the case of DAH it was not a closely guarded secret. It was well known amongst colleagues for years.
It is touched on in the article yet real, committed scrutiny must happen before the whole industry loses credibility entirely. Why did concerns and/or complaints fall on deaf ears for so long?
It is easy to point the finger at DAH or even Magnum. It’s a distraction from real, serious issues within photojournalism. Too often there are limited numbers of ‘gatekeepers’ with unquestionable authority and power. DAH is the tip of an iceberg
It is touched on in the article yet real, committed scrutiny must happen before the whole industry loses credibility entirely. Why did concerns and/or complaints fall on deaf ears for so long?
It is easy to point the finger at DAH or even Magnum. It’s a distraction from real, serious issues within photojournalism. Too often there are limited numbers of ‘gatekeepers’ with unquestionable authority and power. DAH is the tip of an iceberg
Guy Pinhas
Well-known
I was going to mention some of the Japanese photographers as well. I don’t think that D’agata, like Araki or Moriyama is a one dimensional photog, his Covid series is a good example.
Your surroundings matters. so, if you are a junkie, you are battling demons and you are most likely hanging out with other down on their luck folk so it would make sense to me that you’d shoot that. Or paint it. Or write about it. Or sing about it.
A lot of the violence in the images of the photographers mentioned above seem gratuitous but I don’t think it is. Many artists seem to exorcise their demons through their art. Many were/are called crazy and have been/are criticized and even vilified while alive and canonized years after their deaths. This is nothing new.
The Terry Richardsons etc of the world? I can do without, thank you very much.