Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]What I find interesting about your reaction Rob - aside from the fact that, recognize it or not, you are walking in WES's foot prints ;-) - is the fact that almost anything you can say about WES you can say about any number of geniuses in any number of fields. But sticking to art, how about Vincent Van Gogh? Gene Smith clearly suffered from mental illness - I would assume, from everything I've read and what I know about mental illness, that he was bipolar (a manic-depressive), and I would further assume that the drugs and alcohol addictions resulted from his attempts to self-medicate - which is very often what those addictions are. Yes, he made promises he never kept. Yes, he was unable to "finish" his projects. Yes, he behaved like an utter lunatic in many ways, and was horribly irresponsible - particularly in terms of providing either monetary or psychic support to his family. But I believe he was an artistic genius. Yes, you say, but what he produced was "just photographs." Well, if you really believe that in your heart of hearts - and given the quality of your work, and your dedication to your own projects, I don't believe for a minute that you do :-) - you should probably sell your equipment - or at least give up your own projects and go open a studio shooting dog food cans Alpo. I don't believe that anyone who appreciates photography, anyone with an artistic sensibility, can look at the recent book of the 200 seminal images from Smith's Pittsburgh project and not see many of those images as true art, and not see Smith as one of the outstanding artists of the 20th Century. B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Rob Appleby Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 6:39 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Eugene Smiths problems His use of the darkroom was also a kind of drugged fixation - I'm sure he would have been a power user of photoshop if it had been available then. His work is pretty amazing, but on the whole his self-indulgent (and often self-pitying) exaltation of his mission as a PJ was quite off-putting. I remember seeing a huge retro at the Hayward in the mid-eighties, and while I was moved at the time (I'm always easily moved!) looking back, I'd say it was a giant paean to a bloated adolescent. In the end, they're just pictures. I wouldn't take anything photographic - or any photographer - as seriously as WES took himself and his own work. The stories were worth doing, sure. R. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "bennett" <3bennett@wanadoo.fr> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 12:26 PM Subject: RE: [Leica] Eugene Smiths problems > > > I agree that WES was a phenomenal photographer, and his ability to see the > shot, get it, and then produce what for the most part were stunning prints > is incredible. The tragedy, as I see it, was his complete inability to > carry his own projects through to completion, the Pittsburgh project being > the most glaring example of his failure in this area. This kind of thing > happened not only with Life, but with many organizations and publications, > and the Hughes biography is replete with stories of WES breaking promises > to get the job done on time (or at all). > > That said, IMO he is one of the most compelling photographers in the > history of the craft. His notion that the photographer/artist/journalist > must strive for truth, his recognition that truth (not to mention > photography) cannot be objective, and his drive to use his subjective > vision and talent to shape the message conveyed by the images he produced > displaces the problematics that underlie his work from the field of > photojournalism strictly speaking into the realm of art and philosophy. > > A fascinating photographer, and an equally fascinating body of work. > > Guy > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html