Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I agree, Dan, that it would be wonderful to have so unique - or at least well known - a style that people could look at a Cardish and say, "THAT'S a Cardish!" My comment about Karsh wasn't so much aimed at the fact that he had a readily identifiable style, but that his work is so terminally formulaic - everyone looks the same. All across America, and I assume Canada, there are Karsh's in executive suites, and I know it's hard to believe - but they are all of the same person...at least they may as well be. Because those photos to not tell you anything about the person, other than the fact that the person had the money or "taste" to hire Karsh. As a counter point, look at some of Avedon's portraiture. (And I am NOT talking about his later, extremely cruel stuff .) It is instantly identifiable as Avedon's work, but the photos are of PEOPLE, not statues. Take a look at the photo of Robert Openheimer, or George Wallace, or the pilot of the Enola Gay, or or or....In each of those portraits, and many many more, he really captures the "soul" of the individual. Karsh, on the other hand, really did turn everyone into a chunk of marble. I'm not knocking Karsh's success - He had a stylistic gimmick that really worked for him...and anyone who wants to make a living in commercial photography absolutely has to have that....What I'm kocking is his "art," or lack there of....IMHO..;-) 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 Dan C Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 6:16 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: RE: [Leica] Karsh - Now Ted Grant I'd be thrilled if one day someone could look at one of my photograpsh and say, "that's a Cardish". Anyone can take a lousy photograph, a rare few can take a great one. But how many can take something uniquely their own? dan c. At 09:54 AM 19-09-02 -0400, B. D. Colen wrote: >He does indeed - And frankly, I'd rather look at Ted's work than Karsh's any >day. Karsh's portraits aren't portraits - they're "Karsh's;" look at one, >any one, and you instantly know who took it, but what do you really know >about the subject? - -- 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