Re: [Leica] Politically Correctnessism and LUG friends

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

At 8:40 PM -0800 2/18/00, Jim Brick wrote:

>Thanks Roger.
>
>Back to Guy,
>
>I guess you have a new definition of "obscenities."
>
>And you have only heard me "rant" about UV filters.
>
>And, I guess it is NOT OK for me to call a "class" of people "artsy
>fartsy", or that someone's photographs are garbage, or that someone is a
>schmuck. Certainly not you.
>
>But it IS OK for you to "personally" call me an "arrogant ranting of a man"
>who has "little respect for other people" and other personal direct
>derogatory niceties. Thanks.
>
>I was simply stating what I thought about Egg'n's photographs, his
>abilities, him, and his entourage.
>
>Tell me why you so vehemently object to me stating my exact thoughts about
>something that I don't like? You certainly have no trouble telling me what
>you think of me.
>
>
>I certainly will not pander to the "touchy feely" Politically Correct, and
>here's that word again, crap. Nobody has any backbone anymore. Everyone is
>afraid to say what they really think.
>
>Not me. Neither is Ted. I guess we are just crotchety old farts!  Hi Ted...
>:-)
>
>I have always said that one should talk on Email lists as if the people
>were sitting right there across the table. That's what I do. I spend a lot
>of personal time with LUG/LEG/HUG members. Photo outings, lunch, dinner. We
>all say what we think. There's no mamby pamby crap. For instance:
>
>Some of my friends think Galen Rowell and his stuff is wonderful. I think
>just the opposite. We quite often have boisterous discussions pro and con.
>I still think the way I always thought. So do they. The same is true about
>Franz Lanting.
>
>Ted hates photographs of "peeling paint". I like peeling paint and
>photograph it often. Ted and I, one of these days, will teach a Leica
>workshop together. He'll teach people/journalistic/commercial photography.
>I'll teach artsy fartsy landscapes and peeling paint. We hate each other...
>NOT!
>
>So about understanding other people's opinions. I understand that other
>people can have any opinion that they please. And I can have my opinion.
>And we can all state, unequivocally, our individual opinions.
>
>Here are some of my other opinions:
>
>I don't apologize for not promoting mediocrity.
>
>I don't apologize for not thinking "I'm supposed to like that, so I will."
>
>I don't apologize for voicing my opinion where thousands wouldn't.
>
>I do believe that Political Correctness is a disease. The medicine is take
>a dose of reality and get on with yourself.
>
>I do believe that the current Leicas are the best Leicas ever made.
>
>I do believe that in the hands of a visionary master, one who feels light,
>dark, motion, space, line, form... and understands the craft of
>photography, the results can be stunning.
>
>I do believe that in the hands of a self-indulgent autocrat, the results
>are usually worthless.
>
>I do believe that those who "directly" criticize others for voicing their
>opinion, are themselves so insecure about their own thoughts they cannot
>stand the possibility that someone else could think differently.
>
>And I still believe that:
>
>If it looks like garbage and smells like garbage, there's a good chance it
>is garbage.
>
>Jim
>
>PS. I have a lot of LUG/LEG/HUG friends. We all get along great. They all
>know by now that I speak my mind. They all know I'm not zeroing in on any
>of the LUG/LEG/HUG folks. Perhaps Dan C. and his U... oh never mind... :-)
>
>PPS. Godfrey DiGiorgi and I had a great lunch today. He brought his
>Platinum Rollei 35 Classic. Oh my... Oh my... Oh my... Talk about a
>gorgeous piece of equipment. Drool.......... You were correct Roger!!!
>
>Jim again

Right on, Jim!

This in spite of the fact that we disagree about the Eggleston photo. I
happen to like it. Not $4500 worth, but it strikes a chord or two. On the
other hand I am also tired of Galen Rowell, but also of peeling paint.
There are a lot of flower pictures I like, some more than some of Salgado's
work. This is called preference, and I am willing to discuss some of mine
(and yours) when I find a way to verbalize them.

This thread has been fascinating, especially since it had been focussed on
art in photography, not on 'what is art', as similar threads have devolved
to on other lists. If you feel something strongly, use strong language. If
you hate a photo, say you hate it. If another person feels personally
attacked or feels that it is _necessary_ that you not hate it, that is that
person's problem, and needs no further response.

I have taken art courses, and am in two professions that have 'artist'
somewhere in their description, even if possibly as a minor point. Doesn't
matter. As we all know, today's 'artist' may be tomorrow's footnote, or
vice versa. We can't foretell, and it is presumptuous to tell other people
what to like or dislike based on any current 'art critic/writer/teacher
consensus'. We can't be sure that anyone 100 or 1000 years from now will
agree with us. We can't even be sure that 1000 years from now Shakespeare
or Beethoven will still be honoured like they are today. All we can do is
judge 'art' whether intentioned as art or not in terms of our perspecctive,
and sometimes we like something, and sometimes not.

Sometimes we think people are idiots for spending money on things that
disgust us, yet here are many of us who have shelled out ungodly sums for
cameras and lenses! Lets have and develop our preferences, and not feel
that someone else's preferences make them the lowest form of life. I may
feel that a certain photo is crap, or that a certain lens is as close to a
miracle as man has achieved. Almost certainly someone will disagree on both
counts, and we may argue vehemently, but neither of us are the dregs of
society because of our viewpoints. We may even change them over time. So
let's have our discussions, and not feel insulted if someone doesn't agree
with our viewpoints.

   *            Henning J. Wulff
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