man & nature # 17 ~ gone fishin'

Fishing the Au Sable • click to embiggenAs the saying goes, no guts, no glory.

No one has stepped up to the plate to guest host The Landscapist for this week so you'll just have the archives to peruse for the time being. I'll be back next Saturday with a boat load of pictures and, hopefully, a belly full of fish.

See ya then.

civilized ku # 88 ~ give me liberty or give me a lot of stuff

July, 4, 2008 in America • click to embiggenJust a little something to think about on Independence Day.

Just a question

Does anyone know what has become of Tim Atherton of MUSE-INGS fame?

Without any notice of any kind, he suddenly stopped posting on May 13th. I have sent off an email inquiry, but a couple weeks later now, there has been no reply. I am beginning to fear the worst.

ku # 527 ~ getting real

Tangled fallen trees • click to embiggenOne of the comments that I regularly encounter, re: the truth and the real, especially as those notions apply to my conceptual approach and practical to making pictures, is the absolute relativist's claim that there is no absolute truth and that any notion of the nature of reality is highly speculative.

Now, I like to sit around with friends (and some drink) and speculate (philosophically, of course) about such matters and it's all very .... well .... speculative and philosophical.

That's all well and good, of course, but at the end of the day, what matters most is where the rubber meets the road - how, based on all that speculative and philosophical stuff, one actually lives one's life. And, what is obvious to any aware, sensate, and sentient human being is that, in order to live a decent life in a sane society, he/she must agree upon commonly held / shared truths (derived from reality) which become the glue that holds it all together. Some of these truths are even thought to self-evident.

I bring this up for 2 reasons; 1) because my next couple entries will be about my re-writing of my artist statement as it applies to both my ku and decay & disgust bodies of work - both of which are wrapped up in notions of the real and truth; and, 2) because the irrepressible Mark Meyer has "stated", "... What I did say (and I stand by it) is that you don't have a privileged view of the Real world", and, that my tag line - photography that aims at being true ... - is either "silly", "insane", or, quite possibly both.

Regarding item #2, just let me state unequivocally that I, in fact, do have a "privileged" view of the real world - at the very least, the real world of the Adirondacks. I live here. I know it intimately. I am immersed in both it's past and present cultural and natural history. I know and live the rhythms of its natural cycles, its topography, its uniqueness as a model of sustainability on the planet (and all of the cultural / societal realities, past and present, that have had and continue to have a profound influence on the shaping of that reality).

It short, I live here and I am "privileged" to be able to do so. By exploring, in depth, as many of the possibilities of that privilege as I am able, I have, indeed, arrived at a place of "a privileged view of the Real world", Adirondack-style. For one to deny that would be ... well ... more than a bit "silly". And, if not "insane", at the very least, a denial of reality.

PS a note to Don who didn't know that Art could be so "testy" - art without passion is no Art at all.

decay # 22 ~ listen to what I am saying

Pan and corks • click to embiggenIn a recent comment, Mark Meyer took a great deal of time and thought to tell me that my insistence upon picturing the world as I see and by rejecting the "advice" from others as to how they would like me to see it, is "blinding you (i.e., Me) to other ways of seeing this image".

To be fair, Mark seems to be coming from the online photo forum mentality that telling someone how one thinks / believes "they should have done it" is the way to help someone grow as a photographer. This is primarily based on the notion that, by doing so, the picture maker, as he states, "could produce a more abstractly pleasing composition". By which, he probably means a "composition" that better conforms to the standard rules of composition - one that will please the most viewers.

If trying to please all of the people, all of the time is your picturing objective, by all means, follow convention. But, understand this - if you think that listening to what others have to say about how you should do it will help you grow as an Artist, you're f----d before you start.

Consider this from August Sander:

If I, August Sander, a man in good physical and emotional health, purport to see things as they are and not as they should or could be, then I hope I will be forgiven, for I cannot do otherwise. I have been a photographer for 30 years and have dedicated myself to my work with all the devotion that I have to give, the path I have chosen has varied, but it has taught me to recognize my mistakes. The exhibition in the Cologne Art Gallery represents the results of my research, and I hope I am on the right track. Nothing is more abhorrent to me than sugary-sweet photography full of pretense, poses, and gimmickry. For this reason, I have allowed myself to tell the truth about our times and people in a sincere manner.

Apparently, Mark Meyer would choose not to forgive poor August. It seems from his comments that he would feel compelled to set him straight about the errors of self-actualization - Hey August, get with the program. Let others tell you what your mistakes are. Let others tell you what path to take. Let others tell you what is real. Let others tell you what the truth is. Oh, and BTW, stop being so sincere - and start pandering to the crowd.

Please, give me (and those trying to find their own unique voice) a break. Stop telling us what to say and how to say it.

By all means, if someone wants advice on how to avoid blown highlights in his/her pictures because highlight detail is an integral part of what they are trying to say, point them in the right direction. BUT, when viewing a picture, don't assume that blown highlights are a "mistake". Instead, try to think about what the picture maker is saying because, maybe, just maybe, the absence of highlight detail just might be an integral part of what they are saying.