Two things happened when I recently met a great photographer. Let's call him El Fotografo.
The first one was between him and me and we'll keep it this way. The second one was the answer to the question of the public: "Did you stage your iconic picture?" He said: "How can someone think that I was able of ever imagining such a composition, setting or subjects?" And yet, it is possible! You can have a dream and transpose it, to share it. You can have a nightmare and picture it, to transcend it. You can simply know what reality will look like after "visiting" it through a bi-dimensional rectangle. It's called vision, talent. And only a few possess it. Most of us are only here to appreciate, analyse and understand these visual representations of screams, whispers, monologues and autistic gestures of triggering the diaphragm blades; of cutting the world, cutting the self. A blade cut will always bleed and the scar will persist long after the shutter release. Do you still call photography a mechanical process? And do you still look for a subjective description of the present picture? No words will ever explain the author's skill to suspend reality and to abolish the invasive wealth of technology by simply ignoring it. If any of the shapes, subjects or objects would have offered their sharp details, we would have been probably missed the timid endeavour of the girl to step ahead, to free themselves and the observer at the same time. Diane Arbus's twins, just left the scene still holding hands and Corneliu can project them to the present time with admirable dexterity.
0 Comments
Ever wondered why great photographers had/have never the eloquence to talk about their photography or about photography in general?
Coz they didn't/don't need it. Coz the didn't have any street photography projects. Coz street photography is a life long project with no start and ending. Coz, even if they did have projects (rather assignments) to make a living, they knew there is something more than delivering documentaries, news, fashion, travel pictures, wildlife, nightlife, family portraits, flowers, revolutions, pornography, misery, glamour, suffering, pain, wealth, decay … Coz they knew that the only thing that counts is spotting a meaningful photograph out of hundreds made. Coz they knew that there is nothing out there to be discovered, until it has been photographed! Coz they knew that "B-side-pictures" are those which stand out of the bunch. That's why the only project in the history of photography that gave so many meaningful pictures was the Farm Security Administration's project on agricultural workers led by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange both fired, laid off, by the Farm Agency for not respecting the project's requirements. For the record, the "inspired" editor was punching a hole in the negatives he considered inadequate. That's why Winogrand had no other project except serving his obsessions. Thank you Garry for saving the face for the rest of us. Stop street photography projects, and above all, stop talking about street photography; but if you need to talk, stop talking about chaos and challenges in street photography, lose the "keywords", spare the world from your "wisdom"! " .. drown in the magic of chaos, learn from your failures, challenge your luck, seize the randomness of the fleeting moment, leave your comfort zone, expand the dialog of the aesthetics, be honest with your experience .." .. is nothing than mere verbal pollution. Instead, enjoy Corneliu's photograph (with no captions, comments or titles) made on a freezing 1st of January, when in the meantime others were having a warm "foie gras" (produced from agonised geese) and a Magnum (QFI) ice-cold champagne. |
This is the public curated Gallery of the STREET CORE PHOTOGRAPHY Group
Author
Michail Previous
August 2018
|