Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/11

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Subject: Vs: [Leica] sontag, etc.
From: "Raimo Korhonen" <raimo.korhonen@pp2.inet.fi>
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 18:32:15 +0200

Zen that can be described with words is not real Zen.
All the best!
Raimo
photos at http://personal.inet.fi/private/raimo.korhonen

- -----Alkuperäinen viesti-----
Lähettäjä: Guy Bennett <guybnt@idt.net>
Vastaanottaja: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Päivä: 09. syyskuuta 2000 3:26
Aihe: [Leica] sontag, etc.


>>[snip]
>>
>>There does seem to be an anti-intellectual trend to the LUG at times, I
>>wonder why? Not that I count myself as an intellectual or artist, whatever.
>>Actually, I find Diane Arbus' comment more self-consciously oracular than
>>Sontag's.
>>Rob.
>>Robert Appleby
>
>
>i think you hit the nail on the head, robert: there is indeed an
>anti-intellectual trend here on the lug. it's evident in the strong
>resistance to serious discussion about theories of photography, art
>photography, art in general, etc. every time one of these subjects come up,
>a chorus of voices chime in about how worthless it is, how the public has
>been duped by it, and how foolish are those who might actually find some
>value in it. i personally find this unfortunate because there is much to be
>learned (both about the issue at hand as well as about each other) in the
>exchange of ideas generated by such discussions.
>
>imo, the idea of dismissing someone like susan sontag (or roland barthes,
>or nobuyoshi araki) with no more than a comment like 'he/she don't know
>shit about photography' or 'his/her book/work made me want to puke' is
>sophomoric and self-deprecating, and says more about the one making the
>comment than the one who is commented on (about whom it actually says
>nothing). it reminds me of the high school students who think shakespeare
>(or bach, or mondrian) sucks because they personally don't get anything out
>of it. they're right, the rest of the world is wrong, and that's that.
>
>guy