Indigenous inspiration • click to embiggenThe Adirondack rustic architecture/furniture tradition goes back to the early days of human habitation within the Adirondacks. Arguably, the birth/pinnacle of the rustic architecture/furniture tradition was found at the Vanderbilt's Sagamore, an Adirondack Great Camp, located near Raquette Lake in the Central Adirondacks.

The Vanderbilts had a large year-round full-time staff at Sagamore (1.526 acres and 27 buildings) - many (with their families) lived on the grounds in a worker's complex, complete with schoolhouse. The Vanderbilts, especially Margaret Vanserbilt, were great patrons of the craftspeople at Sagamore and amongst the workers were a group of artisans. The craftsmen and women lived in a closed community on the site and worked daily with each other in an apprentice to master relationship. One worker, a gardener by the name of George Wilson, created twig mosaic furniture - the most intricate of the rustic style. Others artistically adopted the natural materials available to them and the rustic style was born.

I bring this up because of it's relevance to yesterday's topic of 'teaching'. One of the things that schooling in the arts is not so good at is teaching how to find/foster 'inspiration'. In the case of these Adirondack rustic artisans, their inspiration was all around them. They just and to open their eyes and 'see'.

Rock, tree and fence post • click to embiggenOver the past few weeks, there has been some discussion here and there about teaching art, or, more accurately, can how to be an artist be taught?

My thoughts on the subject, which really annoy those who don't believe that artists possess anything 'special' (that others don't), is that the 'mechanics'/theory and history of just about any medium can be taught, but mastering mechanics/theory and knowing history does not an artist make - that comes from within. Some have it, some don't. Within the ranks of 'those who have it', some have in spades, some only a lesser allotment.

Back in my halcyon studio/commercial days, my studio was a regular stop on the R.I.T. (Rochester Institute of Technology, Photography Dept.) day trip rota. One professor in particular always encouraged me to give my you're wasting mom and dad's money, just learn the mechanics, drop out of school and use all that tuition money to buy film, processing and prints - just shoot your ass off and discover what, if anything, you have to say speech. And then, after they were suitably impressed with all of my Fortune 500 company clients and work, let them know that I had never had a single day of photography education in my life.

And, of course, then there's my son, Aaron, the Cinemascapist, who seems to have less than a single day of photography education in his life - making pictures for less than a year and he has A NYC gallery show and mounting worldwide fame and recognition.

Go figure on both counts.

That said, in all the discussion about the topic, this little tidbit from Bill Jay - I'd buy LensWork magazine just to read his EndNotes column; "... the only learning which has been meaningful has been self-motivated, self-taught, self-appropriated, self-discovered."

But, when it comes to teaching how to be an artist he also wrote: "I have to admit it: I am only interested in changing lives, not providing information for its own sake. It sounds impertinent and I make the statement with some embarrassment. I do not know why such admissions are awkward but they are, like conducing to virtue, or advocating Beauty and Goodness, or even Truth, or urging on the artist as spiritual seeker. Such notions, nowadays, tend to prompt the gagging reflex. But I cannot imagine the purpose of education if such concepts are not at issue. And centrally so." (emph., Ed.)

A recommendation: back when I was urging photography students to tune in, turn on and drop out, if I had known about Robert Henri's book, The Art Spirit, I certainly would insisted that it be the very first thing that they spend mom and dad's money on, and that they, like student members of the Communist Party who were encouraged to carry copies of Mao's Little Red Book, read it and carry it with them wherever they go.

On Monday, Aaron sent me an email stating, "so it's wonderful that people in Russia think I'm famous, and a chinese magazine wants to show my work and that I get random emails from people simply just to proclaim their admiration, etc...but why hasn't a single teenie tiny print been sold? is that a concern? are the "right" people just not seeing this?

arghhh..."

Ahhh, welcome to one of the many wonderful forms artist's angst. My response? For crying out loud, you haven't even had your show yet. Patience, my son. Remember, patience is a virtue.

And that's all it would have been, except ...

I get a call from Aaron around 8:30pm last evening, and guess what? He sold 4 of his 40×20 limited edition (15) prints to member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston.

So, here's a suggestion - NO MORE WHINING FROM YOU

Autumn is creeping in • click to embiggenThis AM, James responded to my response (on ku # 483) to one of his prior comments. He wrote, "... What is different for me about your more "natural" picturing is the feeling I get that you are exploring aspects of the forest ... that are not easily captured...and explore this region in ways that others tend to overlook. Or maybe what I am trying to say is, these are in no way "typical" of what I have come to expect from "nature photography" in this region ... not "grand scenic" or "marcos" ... but rather intimate and real the way you would experience them stumbling through the Adirondack forest ..."

James is an Adirondacker and is therefore familiar with more than just the 'roadside attractions'/picture postcard impressions that many visitors have of the area. I appreciate his insight into my pictures very much becasue I am trying to "explore this region in ways that others tend to overlook'. As I have stated many times, the 'details' of the Adirondacks, in all their natural "grit", are what I believe are the defining 'natural' characteristic of the park.

That said, I believe the old adage which states that the genius is in the details and I find it both amazing and depressing how many of my fellow humans are so wrapped up in the 'shock and awe' of life - I call it the SuperBowlHalftimeShow mentality - that they never see the genius. In fact, I believe it is the reigning American consumer culture of wretched excess, with its\ driving principle of fanning the flames of 'shock and awe' simply for economic gain, that is killing the 'thinking' genius and propagating an unthinking pavlovian response to the bell of unrestrained 'desire'.

In is my hope that my pictures are clogging at least a small part of the breach of brain drain that is so prevalent in our American culture.

Birch and erratic in the forest • click to embiggenWhat with a trip to Montreal, my work load and grand jury duty (a 3 month term, but only 12-14 days of actual jury-ing), I haven't had much time to think about things photography. However, as I stated in ku # 480, my intent was to return to the boulder field in the woods, and I have managed to do so, ever so briefly.

And it was on ku # 480 that James stated, "... I know it's not always as fashionable to appreciate strictly "natural" shots here...".

I did take note of this and have intented to respond so here goes - in the beginning, The Landscapist was almost all about strictly "natural" shots, although, truth be told, certainly not your average camera-club nature shots. Over time, my gaze has drifted more towards the 'social' landscape, but I still picture the strictly natural world with as great passion as I ever have, even if sometimes the strictly natural world is 'just' a stage or backdrop to some human 'intervention'.

That said, it is my hope that "strictly" natural shots will always be presented - by me and others - and appreciated here on The Landscapist.

Sunday brunch in the Old City, Montreal • click to embiggenMontreal is a great city for a delightful getaway. For us, it's only an hour away - it speeds thing up if you know the back way across the border into Canada (and back again).

In any event, if the Montreal tourism folks need a couple pictures of well satisified visitors, here they are. Looks like everyone was getting exactly what they wanted, so to speak.

MAtthew's smiling but feeels like a turd • click to embiggenIn an tourism antithesis event (see urban ku # 102 ~ a tourism "nightmare", this past weekend the wife and I stayed ( a return visit) in a hotel. In fact, in Canada's #1 rated hotel - the Auberge du Vieux-Port in Montreal.

One of the reasons that we return to the Auberge du Vieux-Port is Matthew, the valet. The entire staff is excellent, but if this guy can't make you feel warm and welcome, no one can. He always seems to be there in the lobby, right outside of the elevator, full of greetings, banter and helpful information. His sense of humor and timing is exquisite and everything about him seems utterly genuine.

Upon arrival, he greets you at your car, unloads your stuff and gets you to your room. After that he parks your car. Upon departure, it works in reverse and therein is the tragedy. Due to a quirky series of circumstance surrounding a marthon nearby, Matthew delivered our (brand new) car for departure complete with a nasty gouge in the front bumper. Matthew was beside himself (if only my kids could at least appear as crest-fallen, remorseful and contrite as Matthew).

The hotel, of course, made everything right but Matthew seemed so out of sorts that we gave him a really big tip to help him snap out of it.