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This blog is intended to showcase my pictures or those of other photographers who have moved beyond the pretty picture and for whom photography is more than entertainment - photography that aims at being true, not at being beautiful because what is true is most often beautiful..

>>>> Comments, commentary and lively discussions, re: my writings or any topic germane to the medium and its apparatus, are vigorously encouraged.

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BODIES OF WORK ~ PICTURE GALLERIES

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    ADK PLACES TO SIT / LIFE WITHOUT THE APA / RAIN / THE FORKS / EARLY WORK / TANGLES

BODIES OF WORK ~ BOOK LINKS

In Situ ~ la, la, how the life goes onLife without the APADoorsKitchen SinkRain2014 • Year in ReviewPlace To SitART ~ conveys / transports / reflectsDecay & DisgustSingle WomenPicture WindowsTangles ~ fields of visual energy (10 picture preview) • The Light + BW mini-galleryKitchen Life (gallery) • The Forks ~ there's no place like home (gallery)


Entries from May 1, 2007 - May 31, 2007

Thursday
May312007

urban ku # 68 ~ this just a test

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This just a testclick to embiggen
Yesterday I mentioned the book Burtynsky - China. This book should be in the possession of anyone who considers themselves to be a "thinking" photographer if for no other reason than the introductory essay The Truth in Photographs by Mark Kingwell. This essay is one of three in the book that are must reads.

In all probability, I will be posting a future entry about the substance of the essay, but what I wish to bring to your attention today is a point the author makes about beautiful pictures of not-so-beautiful referents.

In this specific case, the thought is instigated by Burtynsky's beautiful pictures of China's march toward serious/monumental environmental impact of the not-so-good variety. Kingwell states, "... what impact remains if, let us say - in what is in fact a true instance - a large image of environmental disaster is used as artistic decoration ... at this point, though not via direct intention, the work has become inert or even disreputable in either or both of two sense: as mere wallpaper, the sort of well-meaning neutering liable to overtake any work via fashionable appropriation ...; or also, as worse, as slyly double avoidance-ritual to environmental awareness is offered and then as quickly withdrawn, or set aside, by the work's surrender to an existing logic of aesthetic appreciation."

Translation - Burtynsky has stated that his pictures address ... an urgency to make people aware of important things that are at stake ..." and, that ... the mass consumption these ideals (happiness through material gain) ignite and the resulting degradation of our environment intrinsic to the process of making things ....

In addressing these issues, Burtynsky is making beautiful pictures. Pictures that find homes in galleries, books and collections (public and private) where they are coveted for their 'surrender to an existng logic of aesthetic appreciation' - either or both of a postmodren view of things and a photographic aesthetic.

Kingwell's point is that, whatever Burtynsky's political intent, it can very easily get lost in the artistic wash - "Outside the gallery setting, the works can slide too easily the background of visual culture" (ed. - there's the 'flow' at work) ", lose their impact, become mere ghosts of themselves."

This notion has been on my mind regarding my works.

What to do? What to do?

Any ideas?

PS - the book is available (although the Sellout warning is very high) at a great price on Overstock.com. Just click on the Photography Books and follow the link to Overstock.com. The Landscapist gets a small piece of the action only if you follow this link.

Wednesday
May302007

urban ku # 67 ~ 'the flow'

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Layer upon layer of meaningclick to embiggen
It has been stated, regarding photography, that, in the 'digital age', analog is about traces, digital is about flow.

This notion popped into my head last evening as I was stroking, caressing and viewing (an analog experience) a new batch of photo books which arrived in the mail over the past few days. Two of the books - Burtynsky's China and Breuer's Poles - are particularly exceptional books.

Both create worlds which just suck you in and hold you in an embrace that's seductive and intriguing. Neither my hands nor my eyes wanted to let go. Most pictures had the quality of an essay - my mind could construct paragraphs and paragraphs as the pictures took me through layer upon layer of connections. The descriptors such as, deep, complex, rich, detailed come to mind, not just to convey the visual character of the pictures, but their meaning as well.

As I was waltzing to the music on this substrata of pictures, it occurred to me that I was dancing in a manner that I rarely, if ever, do when I'm connected to 'the flow' of photography on the digital highway.

Maybe it's a generational thing - I have no real emotional connection to a screen (monitor) and, for the most part, I want to disconnected from the flow of information (or disinformation) which can all too readily suck you in and drag you under in a soup of mind-numbing overload of (in this case) pictures.

On the other hand, I must admit that I am a contributor of sorts to 'the flow'. Blogging is certainly about a constant flow of stuff. It makes me wonder what my following would be if I only posted once a week - one picture and a more lengthy essay. Something which requires that you slow down, observe and contemplate.

It seems to me that we live in a culture which encourages the unthinking consumption rather than the thoughtful engagement of pictures. In fact, I think that the very existence of our consumer culture is dependent upon that notion.

What to do? What to do?

Any ideas?

Tuesday
May292007

civilized ku # 31 ~ Small is beautiful - let me count the ways

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Oh Canadaclick to embiggen
Hugo became an international traveler over the Memorial Day weekend. He picked up a little French, wandered the streets of Old Montreal, had the bejesus scared out of him at the Montreal Science Centre's IMAX presentation of Dinosaurs 3D ("...dinosaurs going to eat me...") and discovered that Canada is about more than 'hockey guys' - on the drive to Montreal he sang the opening lines, "On Canada..." repeatedly.

I, on the other hand, had my ongoing desire for a Smart car enflamed to passion level 10. Hugo also asked, "Me get one too?". Little does he suspect that by the time he reaches driving age, a Smart car (or slightly larger variants like the Toyota Yaris, et al) may be the only choice he has.

The Smart car is sold in 36 countries around the planet. The gas-guzzling U.S. is not numbered among them. However, Mercedes (Smart is a division of Mercedes - can you even imagine Cadillac or Lincoln having such a product?) states that the car will be available in the U.S. in early 2008. Time for me to queue up.

Re: today's picture - can you even comprehend the number of ways in which small is beautiful in these pictures?

Friday
May252007

FYI - a history lesson and a renewed invitation

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The wife's delight
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The wife making delights
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Hugo's (at 11 months) first overnighter
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Quite early morning on Franklin Falls Pond

stoddardsm.jpgAn early Adirondack guide with his 'sport' (client) in an Adirondack Guideboat

Nearly 30,000 miles of streams and brooks that emerge from the Adirondack mountains and forests form the network from which 1,000 miles of powerful Adirondack rivers gather their volume and strength. Add to that over 3,000 lakes and ponds and it's no mystery why waterways were the early 'highways' of the Adirondacks.

In keeping with the earlier topic of the environment driving human history, two wonderful inventions of humankind came about as a result of the influence on man of this natural waterway phenomena - the Adirondack guideboat and the Adirondack 'pack' canoe. Both are marvels of human ingenuity and they are things of beauty as well.

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click to embiggen
The Adirondack guideboat was first created as an early 'pickup truck'. It's primary use was to move large volumes of stuff around the landscape. Eventually, as the tourist trade took hold, they were used to haul tourists (aka, 'sports') and their stuff around the landscape. The boats were/are light, fast, stable and carry a lot of stuff. As seen in the photo, guides often allowed their 'sport' to use a steering paddle when they were rowing from the bow position.

The Adirondack 'pack' canoe is epitomised by the Rushton 'Sairy Gamp' which was built for George Washington Sears, nom de plume - 'Nessmuk'. Nessmuk (a small man) was a nationally syndicated sportswriter who traversed the Adirondacks - 266 miles - in his 9ft, 10lb canoe. The year was 1883.

Rushton did not promise that the laden Sairy Gamp would float or survive. That did not discourage Nessmuk, whose motto was "Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and enjoyment." You can read Nessmuk's writing about his Adirondack traverse here. Look under Letters to Forest and Stream, Cruise of the Siary Gamp, 1883. It is truly fascinating reading.

Pack boats are typically very nimble and very light which makes them ideally suited for winding rivers and streams, replete with lots of 'carries' (portage). Dispite their diminutive size and weight - ours are 12 ft./21 lbs. - they, like their guideboat brethern, carry a lot of stuff. Our cherry-trimmed kevlar/carbon fiber 'Spitfires'carry up to 375 lbs. - typically, in 2 boats, that's me, the wife, 2 dogs, and enough gear and provisions for as long as we want to be away.

In any event, I tell you all of this because only a few people have responded to my Make them an offer they can't refuse. Once again I extend the invitation. Come on people - it'll be fun and a chance to meet new and interesting people. Not to mention traversing a wilderness landscape in the best example of a 125 year+ old tradition.

It's not arduous or dangerous and it's good for the body and soul.

PS - I have not had time to respond to those who have responded but, just to let you know, I want to schedule this for late August. Let me know if this works for you.

Thursday
May242007

FYI - a link

thanks to Michelle for a heads up regarding 3191, a year of mornings, a collaborative project/blog created by Stephanie and Mav who both like to get up early and also just happen to live 3,191 miles apart.

Thursday
May242007

civilized ku # 30 ~ Small is beautiful

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Someone's little piece of heaven on earthclick to embiggen
Just outside of town, sandwiched between the elk ranch and the granite quarry on Rt. 9, is this little gem. Over the past few years, it has been slowly remodeled into what you see here. In someone's opinion, it is a little piece of heaven on earth, and, BTW, it's not a summer home, it's a full-time residence.

What this house and home brings to mind is a book - Small Is Beautiful, Economics As If People Mattered by E. F. Schumacher - which was published in 1973 soon after the energy crisis of the same year rattled American's (and the world's) cages. In the opinion of The New Republic, the book is ...Enormously broad in scope, pithily threads from Galbraith and Gandhi, capitalism and Buddhism, science and psychology. It has also been called ... the perfect antidote to the economics of globalization. As relevant today as when it was first published ...

Schumacher was a British economist who was amongst the first to point out that our economy was unsustainable. He also believed that the workplace should be dignified and meaningful first, efficient second, and that nature is priceless.

Schumacher's economic ideas where fueled to great extent by Keynes, Galbraith, and 'Buddhist' economics. In a quote near and dear to my heart, he states that "... [the modern economist] is used to measuring the 'standard of living' by the amount of annual consumption, assuming all the time that a man who consumes more is 'better off' than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption. . . . The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity."

I really like the part about The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. I like it a lot.

In a later book - A Guide for the Perplexed - Schumacher, in somewhat of an aside to his main point, wrote about art. He suggests that there is a lot of confusion about the nature and meaning of art (sounds familiar). In order to clear this up, he states that one must consider art with relation to its effect on human beings.

He thinks that most art fits into one of two categories - entertainment, that which is created to primarily effect feelings, and propaganda, that which is created to effect our will. For the most part, this concept jives with the idea (derived from the book, Einstein's Space and Van Gogh's Sky, Physical Reality and Beyond) expressed by me here on The Landscapist that art is divided into two categories - decorative, that which is created to turn the mind off, and, fine art, that which is created to engage the mind.

I have posited that the best art is that which combines both of the latter properties, art that is both decorative and informative, that which I strive for in my pictures. Schumacher also believes in a combination of entertainment and propaganda which appeals to amn's higher intellectual and emotional faculties with the intent of communicating truth.

IMO, there's something a little weird going on when an economist, a theoretical physicist and a psychologist (the last two are the authors of Einstein's Space/Van Gogh's Sky) seem to have a much more succinct idea of what art is than most artists are able to express.

So, how about contemplating this (from Schumacher) the next time you're thinking about creating meaningful art (not to mention a 'righteous' way of living) -

"The way in which we experience and interpret the world obviously depends very much indeed on the kind of ideas that fill our minds. If they are mainly small, weak, superficial, and incoherent, life will appear insipid, uninteresting, petty, and chaotic. It is difficult to bear the resultant feeling of emptiness, and the vacuum of our minds may only too easily be filled by some big, fantastic notion – political or otherwise – which suddenly seems to illumine everything and to give meaning and purpose to our existence. It needs no emphasis that herein lies one of the great dangers of our time."

Wednesday
May232007

FYI

On a somewhat lighter note than the past few topics, this just in - Digital cameras are good for the environment. Take it for what it's worth, it's not exactly the result of in-depth research but it sounds good.

PS I should mention that the headline is a bit misleading. What it should say is 'Digital cameras are less harmful to the environment.'

Wednesday
May232007

urban ku # 66 ~ beauty/melancholy

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Spring color on a perfect spring eveningclick to embiggen
I had to make a grocery run last evening before a late dinner. Instead of taking the BasketMaster (because a zillion pound bag of dog food won't fit on the BM), I decided to take a car and venture well outside of the village to see what there was to be seen. After all, it was a 'picture-perfect' spring evening.

As I was clicking about, here and there, some NPR (Nat'l Public Radio) program or another was airing on the car radio. I was intent on watching, not listening so I wasn't really paying attention .. until I heard this - 'We haven't seen a blue sky in 20 years.'

Now I was listening.

Turns out that it was a Chinese woman speaking (through an interpreter) about the effects of Chinese industrialization on her village. Her story was simple - a little over 20 years ago, quite a number of coal-burning factories sprung up in and around her village. Now, the air is acrid and black. Everything is covered with a fine black ash. Respiratory deseases are commonplace and death rates per 100,000 have skyrocketed.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who hasn't been living deep down an unregulated free market hole in the ground - China is about to pass the U.S. as the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases but I think we still hold the honors in the carbon dioxide emitter race. Be sure to raise your arms in 'victory' and hold your heads high, fellow Americans.

China surpassed Canada in the first two months of this year as the largest exporter to the United States. In an interesting counterpoint of sorts, an official from the aforementioned woman's village noted that the U.S. has, for all intents and purposes, exported its industrial pollution to China. Still want lots of stuff but none of the mess that comes from making it (or the expense of cleaning it up)? Send the jobs offshore and let somebody else live with it.

But of course, the earth 'lives with it' no matter where the stuff is made.

In any event, as I was picturing last evening, all of the above was on my mind (more so than it usually is). It made it quite difficult to enjoy the moment knowing that people are suffering and dying because 'market forces' are demanding more and more stuff.

Follow that up with a piece in this AM's newspaper about the demand for ever-bigger homes (dispite shrinking household family size) in the U.S. - and I quote, 'Our kids have more stuff. They need more living space.' said Valerie Astle. And this - ...the growth in big houses is fueled by suburban home buyers seeking luxury, rather than big families needing space. And, American homes, on average, are nearly twice as large as in many European countries ...

In case you're wondering why I can't just take 'pretty landscape pictures' and be done with it, there it is. Every time I point my camera at the natural world around me, I know that what I am picturing is literally fighting for its life from the ever-increasing onslaught of human 'desire'.

Call it 'market forces', 'climate change', 'the economy', or whatever. Pick a rationalization of your own choosing, but I can't look at it any way but this - Death by desire - people killing the planet and each other over the 'right' to have more stuff.

PS - enjoy the pictures and, oh yeh ... have a nice day.