Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/03

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Subject: RE: [Leica] The artless art
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 10:29:57 -0000

Actually, I quite enjoyed Pecker - good swipes at the art world...and while
I don't think much of HCB's portrait work, I hardly think it's on the level
of that in the movie.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Bernard
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 1999 2:42 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] The artless art
>
>
> Alastair Firkin wrote:
>
> > HCB is a GREAT portraitist is my opinion
>
> (snip)
>
> > Here is a record of artists, writers, workers, children, friends,
> > statesmen, actors and intellects captured in a gentle, unobtrusive
> > way. No obvious props, no obvious lighting, no obvious make
> up, people
> > in their environment, the great treated in the same way as the meek,
> > with movement, humour, affection, distain and insight.
>
> What I see is the result of someone snapping at people around him
> without making very serious attempts at composition, lighting etc. The
> result is fairly comparable to happy snaps, only it looks more
> intriguing because of the black and white, and because there are no
> cheesy smiles. Yes, I know I'm exaggerating, but I'm not doing it to
> start trouble. I honestly don't think it takes special talent to take
> such pictures; you just need to get into it, and *do* it. He
> did it. And
> so did the hero of that boring movie of the boy with the Canonette:
> Pecker. The results are quite comparable.
>
> Bernard.
>
>
>
>