Feature in B&W magazine

[paulr]

If anyone's curious, B&W just did a feature on some of my older work. It's in Issue 83, for June, which is supposed to land on newsstands today.

There's an excerpt (http://www.paulraphaelson.com/reviews.htm) of the article on my site, along with a transcript (http://www.paulraphaelson.com/db_interview.htm) of the interview with editor Dean Brierly.

[Scott Walker]

Cool! Congrats

[Kirk Gittings]

good for you!

[David Karp]

Awesome. Congrats.

[Kerik Kouklis]

Congrats old friend.

[Merg Ross]

Paul,

I did note your work a few days ago in a hasty perusal of the magazine, although did not relate the name to the work. You jogged my memory, and I took a closer look today.

What I found, and our work could not be more different in approach, was a refreshing visit to an old theme. You have obviously given thought to your project, and given the viewer a space to contemplate; not a heavy-handed message.

Congratulations, well done!

I noted your visit with John Szarkowski at MOMA earlier in your career. I last visited him there in 1966; perhaps his encouragement of your work gave the added incentive to continue with your project. He had a perception of what could be done with the camera; unlimited opportunity.

[paulr]

Thank you, everyone.

Merg, I'm thinking about starting a second thread about experiences with Szarkowski. I just happened to read an interview with Stephen Shore the other day, where he describes one of his earliest conversations with him. Szarkowski seems to have a brilliant, subversive way of giving life-changing advice in the guise of casual or off-handed remarks. I'd be curious to know if you and others experienced anything like that.

[Darin Boville]

Oh, very cool. Congrats! I'll stop by the bookstore and look for a copy.

--Darin

[paulr]

I think it's actually a good issue to have ... they combined it with Color magazine (giving it the questionable name, "B&W + Color") ...

The good news is that the color section has some really remarkable pictures by a guy named Ray Tatyrek. My stuff feels really dusty and creaky in comparison.

[QT Luong]

Congratulations, Paul, and great interview. Would be interested to hear about experiences with Szarkowski, since there was hardly anyone more influential in the medium in contemporary times.

[Harley Goldman]

Excellent, congratulations!

[paulr]

Congratulations, Paul, and great interview. Would be interested to hear about experiences with Szarkowski, since there was hardly anyone more influential in the medium in contemporary times.

Thanks, QT.

My meeting with Szarkowski was by phone ... he just rambled while flipping through the prints I'd sent him. He finally singled out the two he was interested in, and when I asked why he'd chosen those, he said in a kind of off-handed, grandfatherly way, "well, as I've gotten older, for whatever reason I've found myself drawn to pictures that are about something."

Over the years, this has struck me more and more as a sly and pointed lesson. And an example of a teacher who leads you into the woods and then leaves you to your own devices to find your way out.

He suggested that those two pictures were "about something," but did not say what he thought they were about, or even what it means to be about something. And by extension, he suggested that the other eighteen pictures might not be about something. Or about much. You can give yourself a lot of education unravelling a comment like that.

Stephen Shore said that in an early meeting, Szarkowski casually asked how accurate the viewfinder was on his camera. Shore was about to answer, and then realized the message: his framing wasn't as precise as his vision called for. Over the next couple of years he put a lot of attention into his framing. All of us who love his work have benefited.

[Struan Gray]

Congrats Paul. The interview was an interesting read.

[yuana]

Congratulationshttp://freeimagestocks.com/content/69/grey.png...good job friend

[Drew Bedo]

Congratulations Paul!