Marilyn Monroe

[blansky]

The whole discussion of "art" falls into the same catagory as this I believe.

Probably, a great photograph like any great art, has to evoke an emotional response.

The greater the response, perhaps the greater the art. ALso the response does not have to be shock, or discomfort.

A peaceful scene can also evoke a wonderful response.

To a photographer a picture of Westons still life may evoke an emotional response of admiration for technique, where to the public it may not.

I believe the MM shot was a great picture and representative of the breaking out of the "morally stagnant" fifties. Interesting how tame it seems today. Also it was an early picture of an ikon, and a marketing tool of an industry. A girl who sold her soul for what she thought would make her happy and tragically it never did.


Michael

[Ed Sukach]

Should a photo like MM be on the list. What would your 10 best list lool like?

Yes, the Marilyn Monroe image SHOULD be there.

My "top ten" list? I don't think I have the capability of choosing ten, or one hundred, or ...

There are a whole BUNCH that would fit the criteria, and leaving even one out would be tragically unfair.

[Quinten]

Just a few days ago I was at a lecture given by Susan Meiseglas from Magnum. She photographed the revolution in Nicaragua. Someone in the audiance asked her why she talked of herselves as an artist while her work was purely journalistic.

Many of the gray haired people making notes sat up straight, you sensed this was an important question to the people who want everything in their own folder and everything named. Ohh I can barely stand those people... Thankfully Susans answer was an avoiding one like it didn't really matter.

It's the viewer who decides. When you judge a photo it shouldn't matter who made it or in wich 'profession' it was made.

And BTW some of Meiseglas her pictures are art to me even though they have been in the newspaper. Even the shots Robert Capa made (also from the journalistic organistion: magnum) on the beaches during D-day I concider as art... But heehee that's just my oppinion.

cheers!
Quinten

PS it would be a nice question on this apug forum: your top 3 or 5 of best pics.

[blansky]

Just a few days ago I was at a lecture given by Susan Meiseglas from Magnum. She photographed the revolution in Nicaragua. Someone in the audiance asked her why she talked of herselves as an artist while her work was purely journalistic

I would love to hear her response to that as well. I've never seen her work but as a journalist to call yourself and artist seems a bit arrogant.

We all probably agree that Migrant Mother is art and many other works of journalism but I doubt that the makers of those works called themselves "artists".

Journalism probably is able to transcent it's journalistic roots years after the events maybe because it is now out of the context of its times. For instance Migrant Mother although a beautifully composed photograph was probably not something special in the dirty thirties when a very large part of the population looked like that. The girl running from napalm may even be called art today but during the Viet Nan war those kind of images were pretty common. In the vaults of the newspapers I would bet that there are thousands of contact sheets that if were printed today would be called "art" but at the time were merely images of the times.

Anyways, I sometimes have a problem with self promoters parading around calling everything they do as "art".


Michael

[haris]

I would love to hear her response to that as well. I've never seen her work but as a journalist to call yourself and artist seems a bit arrogant.

Anyways, I sometimes have a problem with self promoters parading around calling everything they do as "art".


Michael

I agree. But, I also have problems with arrogance of artists. Like fact that they are artist makes them above rast of us ordinary people. Example: In newspapers where I work, editor of cultural departement use language to separate herself from rest of us. For example once she needed to use blurry image for one article, and she told me like: "Can you make this image sfumatto" Sfumatto as I know is expression for blurry image. Why she couldn't use ordinary word "blurred" whay she has to use snobbish expression as "sfumatto". I understand her, what is purpose of being artist and involved in culture if you would use language as rest of the world or act like rest of the world. You must show that you are different atleast if not better then rest of people if you are artist...

[Quinten]

I would love to hear her response to that as well. I've never seen her work but as a journalist to call yourself and artist seems a bit arrogant.

Michael

In Meiseglas her defence I would like to say that she was a bit surprised she used the word artist herselves. But I think her way of working surely is artistic. She has created some billboards in Nicaragua wich display the pictures she took during the war. Those pictures are placed on the location where they where shot. Not very journalistic to do so, but very nice indeed.

But indeed in case journalism is about showing reality as close to the thruth as possible than it can hardly be called art.. ahh well wat is in the name.

cheers!
Quinten