40oz
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Sunday, a friend and I visited a local art institute (a massive building comparable to the Field Museum in Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or one of the Smithsonian buildings in Washington, DC). They have a large collection of photography, and on display right now is part of a collection gathered over the last 60 years, with images dating from the tail end of the 18th century up to the late '90's. Included was the collector's own shots taken during the 90's in Europe.
I was struck by the variety. Between the texture of the paper, the tone of the prints, the kind of images, and the range of subject matter, it was amazing. An image of Dali with cats flying past the camera amidst buckets of water and among a couple of his paintings, with the man himself apparently gleefully participating, it was a revelation of what is possible with a modest amount of creativity and a huge degree of balls. A shot of a woman jumping down a stairs, frozen in mid-air, shot in 1905. A shot of a farm kid in 1960-70-something looked like it was shot yesterday, while an image of a young shepherd shot maybe ten years ago looked timeless and ancient. Ships in port in London in the mid-late 1800's, smoky and yet clear and sharp and detailed in a manner I found hard to fathom given it's age.
There is no "in short." It was eye-opening and revealing. I looked at images and saw how they were made in the darkroom. I saw images that left me guessing what was done in-camera and what was added later. I tried to find where the shooter must have been standing in a particularly impressive shot of the old St. Louis County courthouse reflected in a then-new office building.
There were few shots that gave away their vintage. I found myself looking at placards for dates simply because it was impossible to date them any other way. Some subjects gave it away, but the technical aspects can shame much of what passes for "modern photography." It was almost impossible to believe some were of the age they were. I came away with a new concept of what is possible, what is worth doing, a new definition of "good." And a feeling that what I am doing is following a worthy tradition and yet isn't a rehash. It was nice to see other people had the same impulse, but to know that my vision was different enough from everyone else's that there was no direct emulation, even if I could easily spot the people who saw like I do.
I highly recommend anyone who is in the area to take the time to see the exhibit. Admission is donation only, and by that I mean free unless you feel like dropping money into a box by the door but far from attendants. I felt like a piker for not putting my whole paycheck into the box when I left.
I was struck by the variety. Between the texture of the paper, the tone of the prints, the kind of images, and the range of subject matter, it was amazing. An image of Dali with cats flying past the camera amidst buckets of water and among a couple of his paintings, with the man himself apparently gleefully participating, it was a revelation of what is possible with a modest amount of creativity and a huge degree of balls. A shot of a woman jumping down a stairs, frozen in mid-air, shot in 1905. A shot of a farm kid in 1960-70-something looked like it was shot yesterday, while an image of a young shepherd shot maybe ten years ago looked timeless and ancient. Ships in port in London in the mid-late 1800's, smoky and yet clear and sharp and detailed in a manner I found hard to fathom given it's age.
There is no "in short." It was eye-opening and revealing. I looked at images and saw how they were made in the darkroom. I saw images that left me guessing what was done in-camera and what was added later. I tried to find where the shooter must have been standing in a particularly impressive shot of the old St. Louis County courthouse reflected in a then-new office building.
There were few shots that gave away their vintage. I found myself looking at placards for dates simply because it was impossible to date them any other way. Some subjects gave it away, but the technical aspects can shame much of what passes for "modern photography." It was almost impossible to believe some were of the age they were. I came away with a new concept of what is possible, what is worth doing, a new definition of "good." And a feeling that what I am doing is following a worthy tradition and yet isn't a rehash. It was nice to see other people had the same impulse, but to know that my vision was different enough from everyone else's that there was no direct emulation, even if I could easily spot the people who saw like I do.
I highly recommend anyone who is in the area to take the time to see the exhibit. Admission is donation only, and by that I mean free unless you feel like dropping money into a box by the door but far from attendants. I felt like a piker for not putting my whole paycheck into the box when I left.
Last edited:
marke
Well-known
How long will this exhibit be up?