Snapshot taken in the museum with Olympus EP2 and 20mm Panasonic lens.
This is a plaster cast from the Battle Collection at the Blanton Musuem. It used to live at the Humanities Research Center but it moved. I didn't get the change of address form but I found the collection on sunday afternoon. It had moved to nicer quarters. Corner office. I know they are plaster casts but they are amazing stand ins for their real counterparts.
I thought of some e-mails I'd received recently from photographers who wanted to know how to get much better much quicker so they could make "big" money. I laughed because I was thinking about a quote from Oscar Wilde, "Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught."
Then I thought of the long paid apprenticeship (paid by the family of the apprentice to the artist!!!!!) and years and years of practice, and the years of learning about life and art that culminated in this work, and I just shook my head. Learning by precious osmosis. And repetition. The thrill of mastery. The wonder of discovery.
It's not the destination that makes the man (or the artist). It is the journey.
Two great books about art that everyone should read. One tells you how to keep at it. The other one explains what it's all about.
3 comments:
Great entry Kirk, there isn´t a mechanic process because it is a journey of exploring oneself to communicate using photography as your medium of expression how you see the world (or how would you like or you won´t like to see it)... that can´t be taught, nor there´s a math formula to discover it as you say it is a journey.
The urge for a land rush style "make me rich quick" mentality never ends. I love a simple quote from Steve McCurry "be prepared to work hard". It strikes me that you and he have a lot of common ground in how you approach people portraits. There is no replacement for hard work, passion and diligence.
Interesting post, Kirk. I'm convinced that it IS the journey, not the destination that makes life interesting. In general terms, what is Life? It is our unique journey. More applicable to art, career, or just traveling around the country it is the journey that provides our life experience which shape our perspective. Our perspective influences our art, family life, relationships, and career. It is all an endless cycle.
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