HCB Appreciation

[koraks]

Precisely - ask Johann Sebastian.

 

[nikos79]

Maybe. I see your point, but at the same time, I'm also aware of the fact that what we consider 'strong' in an artistic sense is to a large extent culturally determined. I.e. it depends on context. Or, put simply - things go in and out of fashion. This poses certain questions about the implied objectivity behind what makes a 'strong' work of art.

Btw I started applying the same principle (you once recommended) of just looking one more time to Atget. A lot of reconsiderations. Don't get me wrong both Atget and HCB are masters but we cannot approach each of their photographs as per facto masterpiece just because it is a HCB. It is not a painting where a lot of time and creativity was involved. It is just a poor photograph a quick trace of time tried to be immortalized. And sometimes this photo cannot be that significant. That is my problem of posting many photos here and there and praising them just because they lived in the context and myth of HCB or Eugene Atget

 

[nikos79]

Precisely - ask Johann Sebastian.

And the Brandenburg concerts...

 

[snusmumriken]

Btw I started applying the same principle (you once recommended) of just looking one more time to Atget. A lot of reconsiderations. Don't get me wrong both Atget and HCB are masters but we cannot approach each of their photographs as per facto masterpiece just because it is a HCB. It is not a painting where a lot of time and creativity was involved. It is just a poor photograph a quick trace of time tried to be immortalized. And sometimes this photo cannot be that significant. That is my problem of posting many photos here and there and praising them just because they lived in the context and myth of HCB or Eugene Atget

I had this problem with one or two of the photos that HCB selected for his touring retrospective. We had a (very) long thread about it here on Photrio.

I think you are evaluating photos as though they are competition entries. Neither Aget nor HCB were in that game. I suggest you should instead be asking, “Why is he showing me this? What did he see in this?”. Then the poor quality, OOF shots find a place precisely because they fit in the context of the artist’s life.

 

[Don_ih]

I suggest you should instead be asking, “Why is he showing me this? What did he see in this?”

That's good advice.

All this ranking is superimposed. This is a masterpiece, that is a pile of crap - after the fact characterizations that probably completely miss the point.

It might be better to let go of the "high art" expectations and just try to appreciate what appeals to you.