tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post2678569268445630731..comments2024-03-26T23:27:56.399-07:00Comments on B: Carving the rubbleBlake Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07187987264904729243noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-27071196244011626502014-07-30T20:19:01.446-07:002014-07-30T20:19:01.446-07:00Tim Connor has a good review of a concurrent Winog...Tim Connor has a good review of a concurrent Winogrand show here: <br /><br />http://timconnor.blogspot.com/2014/07/garry-winogrand-mysteries-clearly-stated.htmlBlake Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07187987264904729243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-63405670987394961002014-07-29T17:08:02.420-07:002014-07-29T17:08:02.420-07:00I recommend reading Tod Papageorge's essay in ...I recommend reading Tod Papageorge's essay in Public Relations. It may be the greatest text ever written about a single photographer and the nature of photography itself. Winogrand, like Friedlander and Arbus, broke away from the idea of the "concerned photographer," abandoning corny humanism to explore the medium as a new art form. They also were following the lead of Evans and Frank, who did not abide by the conventions of beauty of lets say Ansel Adams or Weston (the kind of photographers shown in museums before). Winogrand explored the vernacular and the unique qualities of his medium perhaps more so than any other artist photographer. I don't know what contradictions you mean by his quotes, but most great artists do contradict themselves. Of all the quotes though, "Sometimes I feel like the world is a place I bought a ticket too" is perhaps the key to understanding his work. He was reticent to discuss the social and political content of his work, but don't kid yourself into believing he wasn't fully aware of them (reminds me of Bob Dylan in how he eludes those who demand answers from him). And his 1964 Guggenheim proposal is a devastating artist statement about the crises of America and the anxiety he felt across the country at that time. His work is about energy, a frenzy of activity. It is not the ordered formal compositions of Cartier-Bresson, it is embracing chaos, breaking the rules of what is supposedly a "good picture." Somehow, the best pictures work. And, Winogrand's best pictures are rich with metaphor. It is not the poet's job to explain the metaphor to the reader. The work is enough. To "photograph to find out what something will look like photographed" is not merely a kind of apathy about what's happening in the world, but a realization that the nature of the medium is to transform the world into a new thing. The rest is up to us. In that case I find the work generous. Cold? Yes. He explored that idea more than any other photographer I can think of. Peter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13778646062011795725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-57012897437005465942014-07-24T22:15:18.691-07:002014-07-24T22:15:18.691-07:00I always heard that tidbit as Michelangelo telling...I always heard that tidbit as Michelangelo telling the Pope, "I just remove everything that doesn’t look like David."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-21333802526366417982014-07-24T21:40:51.321-07:002014-07-24T21:40:51.321-07:00You're right. He was not a "concerned pho...You're right. He was not a "concerned photographer" in the classic sense at all, he merely photographed what was going on in NYC at the time- and there was a ton of shit going on then... and so much of it happening right on the street(s). His interest in "social movements" extended solely to what photo opportunities they would provide, otherwise he would more likely be seen around 57th and 5th, not Loisaida. <br /><br />I would see him there on occasion, in the midst of the constant torrent of oncoming humanity that are the streets of Gotham. He reminded one of those nature videos of bears when the salmon finally come streaming in hot and heavy. They just stand in the middle of it all, and with so much to choose from, just jut their nose in the direction of what looks best, make their move- and repeat. Back then in the non paranoia days it really was more like fish in a barrel. And if they stopped biting, he could always cross streams and head towards 6th.<br /><br />I bet those bears change their stories all the time too...Stan B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17381743002180926900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-48159693322849282232014-07-24T17:01:05.757-07:002014-07-24T17:01:05.757-07:00Good post. He really did just take pictures for th...Good post. He really did just take pictures for the sake of taking pictures. He just had a unique way of taking them and shooting them. Art Buenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06331993195110976774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4935046131385109105.post-80698646904889485362014-07-24T13:28:26.514-07:002014-07-24T13:28:26.514-07:00This is an incredibly thoughtful, thorough, and we...This is an incredibly thoughtful, thorough, and well-written piece. Thanks as always, Blake. <br /><br />I think Winogrand would be happy with your open-ended analysis. On second thought...he probably wouldn't care what anyone wrote about his work anyway. But if he DID, I think he would have enjoyed this post hahaJoseph Bayothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10754429373575936614noreply@blogger.com