Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/04

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Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
From: Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway)
Date: Tue Jan 4 16:47:17 2005
References: <003401c4f290$f1a9dc70$6401a8c0@ccapr.com>

Nope! It's gotta have incongruous juxtaposition!

;-)

Jim



B. D. Colen wrote:

> The last thing I claim to be is an expert - or even that well educated -
> in the ins and outs of artistic movements....but I do see 'strange' in a
> fair amount of HCB's work, and incongruity of shape and form if no
> other....
> 
> Calling Sir Buzz!!!
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
> Jim Hemenway
> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 1:32 PM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
> 
> 
> Calling Sir "Buzz of Belmont"!  :-)
> 
> 
>  > shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....
> 
> But BD, did you see _incongruous_  juxtaposition when you saw those 
> large prints?
> 
> And... there isn't any "weird" in HCB's work... at least none that I can
> 
> remember. I've always thought that any surreal art needs to be a little 
> bit weird.
> 
> I don't mean the now common usage of the word surreal to mean almost 
> anything unexpected and/or different.
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> 
> B. D. Colen wrote:
> 
>>BUZZ!!!! Get your butt in here!!! :-)
>>
>>In fact, HCB himself has been quoted as saying that around the time of
> 
> 
>>the founding of Magnum, the late Robert Capa "...was very wise. He 
>>told me not to call myself a surrealist, but instead, a 
>>photojournalist."
>>
>>I admit that I had some trouble getting my brain around this idea, 
>>focused as I was on HCB's subject manner. But then I saw some classic 
>>HCB images blown up to slide screen size - and BINGO! There is was - 
>>shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>>[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf 
>>Of Jim Hemenway
>>Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 10:49 AM
>>To: Leica Users Group
>>Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
>>
>>
>>I don't think of him a surrealist with a camera BD... a painter with a
>>camera perhaps, or maybe a sociologist with a camera? :-)
>>
>>Parke-Harrison are surrealists with a camera: 
>>http://www.bonnibenrubi.com/Parkeharrison/parkeharrison.html
>>http://www.parkeharrison.com/ 
>>http://www.decordova.org/decordova/exhibit/parkeharrison/parkeharrison
>>04
>>.html
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>
>>B. D. Colen wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>True enough. The other thing to keep in mind when thinking about HCB
>>>is that while we may be looking to capture something about the human 
>>>condition, he was looking to capture something having to do with form,
>>
>>
>>>shape and light. Not to start the surrealist thread again, but
>>>Gdamnit, he was not a PJ - although he did some PJ - he was a 
>>>surrealist with a camera.
>>>
>>>B. D.
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>>>[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf
>>>Of Ted Grant
>>>Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 12:32 AM
>>>To: Leica Users Group
>>>Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
>>>
>>>
>>>B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
>>>To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
>>>Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 2:13 PM
>>>Subject: RE: Re: [Leica] Intro
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'd argue that the "decisive moment" was that instant in which he 
>>>>saw,
>>>
>>>
>>>>or anyone sees, the possibilities in a particular setting or 
>>>>situation. He didn't see a guy in mid-jump across a puddle and shoot 
>>>>-
>>>
>>>
>>>>he saw a puddle and the possibilities it presented; he didn't see 
>>>>someone on a given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for 
>>>>the right person in the right position. Others of just might have 
>>>>shot
>>>
>>>
>>>>a puddle, or a staircase. ;-)<<
>>>
>>>
>>>And because he was a consummate artist he would see elements in a
>>>street
>>>
>>>scene and know one element was missing just by looking. However, the
>>>gift he had was to see and then wait for the one element that created 
>>>the "Decisive
>>>moment."
>>>
>>>The rest of us see things and capture good photo moments, but he had
>>>this ability to see something good and yet know it required one tiny 
>>>extra thing
>>>or wait the moment longer to make it the perfect picture if you like.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>he didn't see someone on a
>>>>
>>>>given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for the right 
>>>>person in the right position. ;-)<<
>>>
>>>
>>>Absolutely! As that's one of the gifts he had, was to wait for the
>>>icing on the cake to make it perfect. But most of all he had the 
>>>patience to wait.
>>>The rest of us are always in a hurry to go some place, either to work,
>>>going 
>>>to the Mall or wherever and our pictures quite often are a grabbed
>>>moment 
>>>instead of seeing the complete moment by waiting a few minutes or
>>
>>longer
>>
>>
>>>for
>>>the filling in the cake to make it great!
>>>
>>>ted
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 




In reply to: Message from bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.)