cicilized ku # 85 ~ the pursuit of happiness
Monday, June 16, 2008 at 08:58AM 
Midtown from King Kong's perch • click to embiggenA landscape / nature photographer with whom I am familiar wrote:
My goal as a person and, consequently, as a photographer, is to witness, participate in, and hopefully share the delicate beauty of wilderness – those moments in time when nature and spirit transcend the make-believe world of politics, economics, religious squabbles, fleeting fashion, mass “entertainment,” and other means of wasting the precious gift of thought and inspiration we are each endowed with.
At first acquaintance (online) and after realizing that we both shared similar views environment issues, a standing invitation was extended to share a beer or two if we were to ever meet in the flesh. After a year of getting to know each others views on landscape photography, that invitation evolved into more of a challenge for a battle to the death with broken ragged-edged beer bottles.
After recently discovering this quote from said photographer, it is perfectly understandable why we disagree to such a great extent regarding landscape pictures - we disagree to a great extent on the matter of life and living. To fully understand that notion, consider this additional quote from the same source:
I chose nature photography as a way of capturing and sharing the beauty, power, and fragility of wild places and the life that inhabits them, so that those who have become mired in the man-made chaos may open their eyes to the real world.
What a bunch of unadulterated sentimental, romanticized, escapist crap - just like the pictures that pour from cameras in the hands of those who subscribe to such bunk. The only thing positive one can say about such photographers is that, since your best photography springs from expressing your inner self, they are certainly doing their personal best.
The idea that the human race is "wasting the precious gift of thought and inspiration" by concerning themselves with "politics, economics, religious squabbles" and that those so-called "squabbles" constitute "man-made chaos" really is a notion that is thoroughly out of touch with the "real world".
Sure, humankind is fully capable of mucking things up in the domains of politics, economics, religion, and the environment but I have breaking news for those who think that the natural world is the only world - real life is part politics (AKA, governance), economics (AKA, making a living), religion (AKA, spirituality), and the environment (AKA, sustainability).
Ignoring any or all of these ideas, does indeed result in man-made chaos. Reducing the idea of impassioned (and hopefully informed) discourse regarding them to the level of "squabbles" is a ridiculous notion. I mean, hey, just read The Debate on the Constitution: Federalist and Antifederalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification for a prime example of the benefits to humankind that can result from "squabbling".
If you read it, guess what you will discover? You'll realize that, despite the popular sentimental and romantic notions of the founding fathers as a group of "pure", noble, altruistic, and ready for saint-like canonization individuals, there was plenty of petty and rancorous bickering amongst them. But, because they agreed to "squabble" and deal with the real world, they came up with something good that deals with politics, economics and religion. Unfortunately, they didn't deal with the environment, but, in their real world, the environment was something to be "conquered, tamed and used" solely for the benefit of humankind.
Fortunately, because, as the former NY Times art critic, Robert Hughes, opined - America is a collective act of the imagination whose making never ends...", the governance that the FF put in place as a result of their squabbling is attempting to do something about that (with much attendant squabbling).
Simply put, "squabbling" is how things get done in the real world. For certain, "squabbling" can descent to the base level of rancorous and petty bickering, but rancorous and petty bickering is the problem, not "squabbling". And, "squabbling" works best when "reality' is addressed square in the face. Ignoring reality and wallowing in sentimentally accomplishing nothing - it may be entertaining, but nothing more than a diversion. In fact it's nothing more than a "means of wasting the precious gift of thought and inspiration" with which we are all endowed.
That is why I have always considered the singular and slavish devotion to the pretty-picture division of landscape photography to also be nothing more than a "means of wasting the precious gift of thought and inspiration" with which we are all endowed.
IMO, making pretty pictures as a means to effect sound thinking regarding sustainability is akin to penning catchy popular ditties about the joys of firefighting as a means of effecting the dousing of the flames that are burning down the house.
FYI, take none of this as an indication that I think entertainment and a bit of escapism is not a valuable commodity in the cause of easing some of the stress and strain of what it means to be human, because part of what it means to be human is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Reader Comments (2)
"The only thing positive one can say about such photographers is that, since your best photography springs from expressing your inner self, they are certainly doing their personal best"
Expressing your inner self, sure but what the inner self exactly is ? Mostly made of personal culture i bet. So if the inner culture is made of pieces of easy romanticism guess what is going to come out from the inner self expression ?
However there are also some other expects worth considering, some years ago (well actually 30) i studied Marshall McLuhan and the concept of global village. He envisaged the formation of a constellation of local villages each with their own language. The kind of expression you cite are exactly this, a language for a community. A community that has its own aesthetics, mantras and in this case, i suspect, could outnumber some finer other ones (have a look at flickr with the keywords in the cited phrase).
Maybe instead of finding "the man" we could end up finding the "community" for an entire life without any success but that depends on the "inner self", smile.
I've had to keep coming back to this post. So much to think about.
I think the most objectionable thing about said photogs statements are the reasons given for doing so - that our regular lives aren't good enough and he's going to show us the true way. I'd have been quite happy if the first staement stopped at "wilderness". As you say, nothing wrong with nice pictures but I for one object to having them turned into some sort of "agenda" against the way I live my life.
Maybe the "squabble" the two of you are having will lead to greater truths. I always think it is differences of opinion that push us forward the most, as you've illustrated.