Misrach, "On the Beach"

[Darin Boville]

In the Announcements section there is a post about Richard Misrach's new work, "On the Beaches."

I looked at some of the imagery and two things struck me. First, while the images are sort of cool I see nothing in them that even hints at the images of people falling/jumping from buildings on 9/11 or anything of the sort. Learning that that was part of his motivation has fatally weakened the work in my eyes.

Second, I played the audio interview at this link:http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/nationalgallery/audio/0826arttalk03.mp3

I was surprised by the inane and ill-informed questions by Sarah Greenough, senior curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art. She starts off asking about how Richard's work diverges from the "rules" set down by Ansel Adams, rules that, for example, prohibited dodging and manipulating images.

Very odd!

--Darin

[Drew Wiley]

Thanks for the link, but that was one dumb interview. Perhaps it was scripted for an
audience completely unfamiliar with current photography. But frankly, I wonder if some of these art critics even look at the pictures. Anyway, I yawn in the presence of most of Misrach's recent work, including the book of shots he took from his porch. Seemed neither creative or significant. Or maybe it's because I live in the same
neighborhood and regard that scene as a cliche. Francis Sakamoto took essentially
the same scenes thirty years ago in a much more compelling manner. Today he uses
small cameras attached to the back of a Toyo 8x10 so he can use long apo-Nikkors
like telephotos. Unfortunately, since he started making a living in the computer
industry he doesn't seem to exhibit any more.

[cobalt]

In the Announcements section there is a post about Richard Misrach's new work, "On the Beaches."

I looked at some of the imagery and two things struck me. First, while the images are sort of cool I see nothing in them that even hints at the images of people falling/jumping from buildings on 9/11 or anything of the sort. Learning that that was part of his motivation has fatally weakened the work in my eyes.

Second, I played the audio interview at this link:http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/nationalgallery/audio/0826arttalk03.mp3

I was surprised by the inane and ill-informed questions by Sarah Greenough, senior curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art. She starts off asking about how Richard's work diverges from the "rules" set down by Ansel Adams, rules that, for example, prohibited dodging and manipulating images.

Very odd!

--Darin

It ain't whatcha know.... it's who you know.