AA's involvement with the Sierra Club was as purposive as the work of the Bechers'.
Photography is a big tent, and there is room for all sorts of different players of roles. Some will appear more to the general populace than others.
I find that true teachers, such as AA and the Bechers, tend to be remembered well. Perhaps because teachers have a natural bias towards teaching about teachers?
I did not mean to get too grandiose with the word 'true'...but to me it means a teacher involved and excited about the subject taught and can transfer that intensity/excitement to the students and have them, not copy, but surpass the teacher (which might be decades after the teacher's retirement or death).That's an interesting thought. It relates especially to Minor White, his methods and his students (many of whom went on to teach photography). That in turn relates directly to Zen and Gurdjieff, the practices/concerns of many of Minor's photo students. Gurdjieff and Zen practices are often obsessive about "true teachers".
I did not mean to get too grandiose with the word 'true'...but to me it means a teacher involved and excited about the subject taught and can transfer that intensity/excitement to the students and have them, not copy, but surpass the teacher (which might be decades after the teacher's retirement or death).
In May 2008, there was a remarkable interview with Hilla Becher in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Unfortunately, the interview is only available in German - googletranslate should help here.
Ms. Becher speaks here - shortly after the death of her husband - about new projects, which she still wanted to realize.
Furthermore she talks about the way of working, which she established together with her husband Bernd.
It is also interesting to note that Bernd was actually not interested in photography.
Hilla Becher - Sure, we were freaks ... https://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/kunst/klar-waren-wir-freaks-75418
I am sort of surprised there was this much heavy industry left for them to photo.
Most of those sight were SO Heavily Bombed during the war, it is great luck they still had this many places, in Germany, that was available to them.
I don't think "photography" is any sort of "tent" at all, and I do think it rarely has anything to do with ART.
The "art" is the "idea."
I don't think "photography" is any sort of "tent" at all, and I do think it rarely has anything to do with ART.
Not to get into the "is photography art" debate again, but how does a painting, lithograph or sculpture (citing just some plastic arts) differ from your statement about a photographic print?A photographic print is a stimulant...not a mere "idea".
If you look at anything you may see something. From that you may form an "idea"...or you may not.
Not to get into the "is photography art" debate again, but how does a painting, lithograph or sculpture (citing just some plastic arts) differ from your statement about a photographic print?
I think @jtk was saying that most photographs are not taken as art or to express anything whatsoever. If a photo is taken as a record, it can still be seen as art or used as art. But most never are.
Just like you can write a grocery list or a novel.
Just like you can paint a wall or paint a mural.
Just like you can sculpt a bust or bust a sculpture....
A photographic print is a stimulant...not a mere "idea".
If you look at anything you may see something. From that you may form an "idea"...or you may not.
JealousWent on Wednesday. One of the most extraordinary photo exhibition I've ever seen, with the Cartier-Bresson retrospective at the MoMA a few years back.
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