No offense inteneded Curt, and I agree it was not the intent to start another guru seeking movement...just the opposite. Many found AA to be a great teacher, yet when you break it down, he taught via a workshop route, not through the academic one. Those that were mentioned actually taught in academic settings - they are the ones that helped bring many of the photography instructors that are teaching today.
Yes there are those that continue to teach via the workshop route that are very good and influence many but they are not molding the furture instructors - one name that has not been mentioned would be Tillman Crane or our own Ann - these are ones that I had hoped to see here. They are really not known outside of the academic world (with exception sometimes).
Influence in my own work - valid question and I would say that while my work is indeed my own, the influence is that of the documentary photorgraphers I have known - my academic background is in the Sciences not Photography - only one course many years ago in college and one workshop from Les more recently. But feel that I have been a student of photography most of my life starting with Life magazine back in the mid-to-late 60's and the fortune to have a world class museum, with a varied collection in the Amon Carter - where I have gone every so many months for well over 30 years. |