Art students spent a lot of evening/night time working hard on their projects. While the business majors were out drinking beer the artists were mixing paint, putting gesso on canvases and drinking coffee. You can argue but you would be wrong. It's still the same today. All the cool people seem to work harder. Artists are motivated by a passion for their projects. Non-artists seem motivated by greed and fear.
Some of the artists were very beautiful. I've always been amazed by this one in particular...
Sunday morning observation while wading through boxes and boxes of prints from the late 1970's.
ReplyDeleteB very much reminds me of my ( now-deceased) first wife, an oils painter who studied at Carnegie and the Italian State Art Academy. An excellent artist.
Well I disagree... working at an intersection between art, business and science (perfumery), I can tell you that you will find passionate people on every corner as well as jerks.
ReplyDeleteBTW, this is a lovely portrait or an artist by another artist (and a businessman as well!)
Olivier, I disagree. I never mentioned science people, Just people pursuing business degrees. Which I think should be relegated to trade schools and not real universities. While my understanding is anecdotal it comes from much observations as a fellow student, a faculty member and then having worked with corporations for the last 40 years. As a group, business majors are.....shallow and slow. Just my take. Maybe different in your area.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have dinner with David Hockney or Picasso than with Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos...
Olivier, Thanks very much for the nice comment about the portrait. Appreciated.
ReplyDeleteEyes like searchlights.
ReplyDeleteyour most beautiful artist that you've ever photographed i agree! (not that i dislike any of of your portraits! on the contrary they are great too. B is obviously :-) on a different level for you!)
ReplyDeleteAh but those "shallow and slow" people kept you employed for many years and added a nice bit of cheese to your retirement fund ;)
ReplyDeleteB is as beautiful today as your photos show her in yesteryear.
Eric
Stunning - as always.
ReplyDeleteThanks All. I just had dinner with B and our younger B. Her eyes are still every bit as enchanting. I kept losing the thread of conversation being mesmerized by them...
ReplyDeleteI feel so lucky.
One of the many reasons I enjoy VSL so much is your obvious love for your wife! Every time you post a picture of her, I think, “Those eyes!”
ReplyDeleteLiving proof that young Mr. Kirk Tuck & Ms. B were in the right place at the right time. Thanks for sharing the happy times that have happened in your lives along the way.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirk,
ReplyDeleteThis is an answer to your answer, feel free not to publish it as I may not contribute much to the global welfare...
As a scientist, I see research and creative processes as very similar. Both require knowledge, experimentation and some creativity. And yet collaboration between the two groups is so hard even when we try to speak a common language. I guess the strongest thing we have in common is a form of insecurity, especially in front of business people whose character and job require that they take the leadership even when they are the least knowledgeable or capable in the team (not always the case BTW!)
Regarding the portrait you made of your wife: it made me think of one of my projects that I found fascinating at least as a concept, although it seems I was the only one... it was called "the loving eye". I asked couples around me to participate and the rule was simple: the camera was on a tripod, everything was fixed and not changeable, and I would ask them to take pictures of each other (with nobody else in the room). I asked each photographer to select one picture from the set. Then I would also make portraits of them individually. Everything was then post-processed exactly the same way, and rather minimally. The idea was to see if something of their relationship would make it to the picture. It seemed it did (quite obvious to me at least, and to others as well as in most cases it was possibke for people outside the project to identify which piture was made by the partner, it that one was usually preferred). This was actually triggered by your many comments on the necessity to establish a relationship in order to make successful portraits.
Anyway, thanks for all the writing, I am enjoying it a lot.
Olivier (olivier.anthony.internet@gmail.com)
Olivier,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that. I agree that scientists and engineers can be, and usually are, as creative as any artist. Sometimes in a different way. My disregard is aimed almost exclusively at people who think it is wise to pursue an undergraduate business degree. I want to be clear about that.
As to your project. I too, have always believed that the best portraits only come from a place of love and admiration. Even if the feeling is as fleeting as just a portrait shoot. Better if it's spread over a lifetime.
I really miss those days and most of all the people. We worked so hard to make a difference. We were so young and fresh, open to new and wonderful ideas. We didn't drink booze, but we did like to talk and drink tea or coffee,maybe smoke some weed :) Seems like we were in the darkroom or studio more than at home.
ReplyDeleteWe all worked together, artist, photographers, scientist, lecturers, poets, writers, interns, and many others for a better future.
They were shining times. I'm at a loss for words when I look around at the world today.
What happened?? We thought we'd be on Mars by now.
Beam me up Scotty :))
If the Space Aliens show up in Austin first, be sure to call me, I want to go......I want to drive!!!