civilized ku # 907 ~ the photo ghetto
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 09:17AM 
FYI • click to embiggenAs I am prepping for my next exhibit, I am driven by a number of factors, not the least of which is summed up by this notion ...
...that is the mark of any great photography - it escapes the photography ghetto and becomes relevant to the wider world
Leaving aside the idea of whether or not my pictures are "great photography" - although, that said, I believe my pictures are at least good photography - I know without a doubt from the experience of my last exhibit that it is a real joy to have my pictures enjoyed and appreciated by those who are not part and parcel of the "photo ghetto". That is to say, enjoyed and appreciated by the general public who, by and large, are not professed picture makers. To be even more precise, appreciative people who just like the pictures, not how / not why / not concerned with anything other than the pictures themselves.
I have previously mentioned that I am not overly concerned with how other picture makers judge my pictures. That's simply because they are not intended to be my primary audience. That is not say that picture makers don't / can't appreciate or enjoy pictures (mine or anyone's) without getting all wrapped up in the how and why. Many can do just that. It's just that I make pictures of what I see, in part for the pure joy of making them, and I appreciate it most when others enjoy and appreciate those things that I have drawn their attention to.
All of that said, the idea of pictures and just pictures is why I am considering pursuing my Pictures. No words blog idea. And, FYI, The Landscapist will continue as a blog with pictures and words although there is apt to be less frequent entries with words. At least, that's how I am currently inclined to see it.
In any event, Friday - April 22nd is the exhibit opening and I invite anyone within the sound of this blog to attend.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: JB (no link provided) wrote: "Yeah, nice flyer for your big event. Only problem is - IT DOESN'T SAY WHERE IT WILL BE!"
my response: hey, if you were on one of the proper email lists, you would have received an email with not only the nice flyer but also a complete rundown of the event - place, artist statement, etc. Of all people on the planet, you (Mr. Media Director/Buyer/Whatever) should know the importance of subscribing to / being on the right email / text / tweet lists. Although, truth be told, I'll chew off both of my thumbs before I ever even think about tweeting.
Reader Comments (5)
Great poster!! Nice bit of advanced marketing with the Portrait Project. I hope you have great opening.
I know you don't like gearhead stuff, but I've searched the site and haven't found any writing on why you moved to micro 4/3rd. Although in a nutshell something along the lines of lighter, more compact, same performance comes to mind. It's just so much easier to talk about the gear than all the other stuff, lol.
Wish you all the best on your second photo exhibition. Nice to see that a small town can accomodate an art gallery.
Preparing a photo exhibit the size of your first one, can be a costly undertaking. I sincerely hope that you had sales to at least to cover your cost.
Kind regards.
Best wishes for your second exhibition!
Apropos your topic of "being relevant to the wider world", I received an invite to see the play "Red" based on an episode in the life of painter Mark Rothko. I've heard the name but know nothing of the man or his work. I did some digging on the 'net and found entries in Wikipedia, Google Images and a YouTube taken from Simon Schama's history of Art. The latter suggests Rothko wrestled with the idea of whether or not Art was relevant / made a contribution.
Yeah, nice flyer for your big event. Only problem is - IT DOESN'T SAY WHERE IT WILL BE!