ku # 697 ~ vernal water & ice
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 11:33AM 
Vernal water and ice ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenSomething I have noticed as the result of viewing lots and lots of the pictures made by others - "others", in this particular case, being those picture makers who seem to be attempting to get away from the ubiquitous pretty picture / iconic referent picture making mentality - is that many of them struggle to do so rather vigorously but without a great degree of success. I draw this conclusion from both their own stated frustration / dissatisfaction and the generally not-very-interesting look and feel of their pictures.
Their own directly stated frustration / dissatisfaction is an obvious indicator that they are not achieving their picture making goals. I assume that their frustration / dissatisfaction is derived from the fact that, when viewing their own pictures, they also find them to be not-very-interesting, look and feel wise - a feeling that must be very frustrating indeed.
What I have often wondered about is if, with the proper guidance and tutelage, some of these frustrated picture makers might come closer to achieving their picture making goals. To be even more specific, wondering wise, I have often wondered if I could teach some of them what I know about picture making.
By that I mean, I know I can successfully teach stuff - especially the camera / PS processing stuff, but I don't know if I can teach what, for me (and I know many others as well), is the key to my picture making - the fine-tuned art of seeing, or, as I stated a few entries ago -
I do know my eye is attracted to a rather specific range of visual stimuli which, if pictured and presented with some sensitivity, skill, and application of craft, will result in pictures that I enjoy looking at. I also know that others will enjoy looking at those pictures as well.
I simply do not know if that concept is even teachable because, after all is said and done, the simple fact is that no one taught it to me.
And, truth be told, that concept is woven and layered over with a lifetime of experience - both in identifying and understanding my personal and "rather specific range of visual stimuli", as well as honing and perfecting the "application of craft" that makes my vision viable and visible.
All of that said, I am about to attempt to bring my can-it-be-taught wondering daze/days to a close by offering a limited number of Picturing Making Chautauqua* - small get-togethers (limited to 4 participants each) centered around the concept / art of seeing and, ultimately, through the application of craft, developing (pun) the ability to make it visible.
There will be much more on this to come in the next week or so but one thing that you can count on is that these Chautauqua will not resemble in the least the 20 mule team gearhead rabbles roaming around the countryside being lead by the nose to much-"treasured" iconic landscape scenes for the purpose of making yet another "personal interpretation" of the already known.
Another thing you can count on is that, in the spirit of the original Chautauqua, the cost of entry will be low. Most likely $250US for a 3 day event - I'm not doing this to get rich or make a living, I'm just trying to scratch an itch, wet my beak, and, hopefully, have some fun.
FYI, any participant who states that their goal is to make pictures just like mine will have to sit in the corner on a stool, back to the room, wearing a dunce cap while sucking their thumb.
*a Chautauqua - Chautauqua is an institution that began in the late 19th century - Chautauqua is also a lake, a county, and a town in southwestern New York—home of the Chautauqua Institution - to provide higher education opportunities through the combination of lectures, concerts, and public events. The institution grew from the early-American thirst for self-improvement and education.
A Chautauqua has come to mean a meeting, usually held in the summer, where the public could attend a lecture or performance.
Reader Comments (3)
I like it. Seeing as though I have learned a ton just from reading your blog, I would imagine this would be really valuable. I hope I can make it to one if you follow through with this idea.
That's an interesting idea. I think it can be taught, but I think it requires a teacher with a dedication to teaching that most practitioners rarely have the time, patience and temperament to achieve. The great composition pedagogue Nadia Boulanger and violin teacher Dorothy Delay both come to mind. Among Boulanger's many pupils were composers Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Elliot Carter, and Astor Piazzolla, artists who developed widely different and very personal styles. The interesting thing about Boulanger is that her teaching methods were not reported to be revolutionary, but rather focused rigorously on fundamentals like counterpoint and score reading. Nevertheless she managed to guide people down their own path without imposing her style or stifling their potential. That people like Boulanger are rare (more so that great artists) speaks to the difficulty in being a successful teacher on this level.
Or perhaps a photobook of finished pictures that comes with a "The Making Of..." CD?