Alec Soth piece

[Dirk Rösler]

Very intelligent interview from November, sorry if it has been posted before (could not find it here):

http://www.bigredandshiny.com/cgi-bi...4289803794155&

"My big theory is that in photography it doesn't function as a narrative, but the photographer takes the place of the protagonist in the story, and you take the place of the photographer. I use the example of the last picture in the Americans, where Frank shows the picture of his child and his wife in the car. That picture makes you really think about him, about the journey. That's what gets me excited about photography."

[Mike Anderson]

Very intelligent interview from November, sorry if it has been posted before (could not find it here):

http://www.bigredandshiny.com/cgi-bi...4289803794155&

"My big theory is that in photography it doesn't function as a narrative, but the photographer takes the place of the protagonist in the story, and you take the place of the photographer. I use the example of the last picture in the Americans, where Frank shows the picture of his child and his wife in the car. That picture makes you really think about him, about the journey. That's what gets me excited about photography."

That's a great quote. It urges me to make time to re"read" "The Americans" in one quiet sitting.

...Mike

[sun of sand]

how can you not have an "intelligent" interview with someone at the top of their game
There has to be something of importance in any interview with anyone at the top of their profession whether they say volumes or nothing imo

questions mean nothing and maybe the answers don't either
it what you take away from it that matters
probably the same thing with photographs
its not about what you take a picture of its what the picture says to you

its not about the wife the car the kids its about what they're doing
you have no idea really but it lends itself to interpretation
"they suggest stories, they don't tell stories"

like apples in a bowl
its just apples and a bowl
but Flickrs apples in a bowl might only make you think of apples in a bowl
"It's just these impressions and you leave it to the viewer to put together"



That stuff seems clear to me
just obvious

this is what I think more people should spend time listening to
"I tried to get everything in the frame, which, in fact, is not a good strategy for photography. Its pulling stuff out of the frame is usually what you want to do, to simplify it"

not any of that
How Did I/motivation art speak junk

[Kirk Gittings]

Soth does interesting work, intriguing maybe is the right word. Sometimes I feel like he is speaking a language I can't quite understand, like listening to Italian when you speak Spanish. You can almost get it. But it is all intriguing none-the-less even when I can't quite grasp it.

[dalton]

Kirk - the feeling you are describing is to me one of the crucial aspects of great art. The best work stands up to many repeated viewings and gives up a little bit more information every time you view it. I think this is only possible if the work operates on many different layers; not all of which can be grasped at first.

Of course, Soth's work is beautiful from a formal perspective. The 8x10, the lovely color and light and compositions. They work very well as photographs. But when you start to go deeper with the sequencing and the subtle emotional cues embedded in each photo... it's a very rich work that unfolds with repeated viewings.

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks, that's a very interesting interview. My favorite part FWIW is this exchange:

BRS: Does a photograph inherently have aspects of nostalgia within in? I was recently in the rural South and didn't know if I wanted to photograph an old sign because I love the old sign or the Walker Evans photographs of old signs.

AS: That's a real problem. We all do that, we photograph things because that looks like photographs.