The size alone is their power. HAd the Bill Brandt been 50x60 their power would be awesome.
The size alone is their power. HAd the Bill Brandt been 50x60 their power would be awesome.
"If you can't make it good -- make it BIG." (ART 101)
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
... LOL :>)
Check out the discussion underway on this site regarding, "What's the biggest print..."
Falls hand in hand with this discussion... to some degree.
Cheers
Life in the fast lane!
Unbeknownst to either of us, he photographed the exact same location as I did (Rock of Ages Quarry in Barre, Vt.), and made an almost identical print (after I did... but I am he was unaware). His print now is on display at the Eastman House, and he sells his work for $50,000 a pop. I give my work to friends and haven't been in a show for at least ten years.
An excellent demonstration of "if you can't make it good, make it big" and the importance of self-promotion.
Well, obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion. I attended the show at the National Art Gallery and the quarry pictures and refinery pictures moved *me*. Perhaps they do nothing for you. OTOH, ship-breaking did nothing for me, and -- for the most part -- I didn't care for the recycling theme.
I would agree that some of the power is in the size and color, but certainly not all of it. I found the composition on the quarry pictures to be intriguing, interesting and fascinating. It capture my attention for far more time then the huge majority if work I have seen, including other mediums. I wouldn't ask for more.
I guess every "well-known" photographer has his/her fans and detractors, but personally from an aesthetic point of view, I would rather a Burtynsky on my wall then an Adams, although to be fair I am so burnt-out on Yosemite and Arizona that I can barely bear to see another one.
I like my Quarry pictures very much. So do other people who see them. My only problem with Burtynsky is not at all personal, but more to do with the fact that some photographers like him, Wall, Gursky, etc. command such high prices and acclaim for work that is not any different from hundreds of MFA thesis shows. They are simply promoted better and the make really BIG prints. That's nothing new in the art world, but when I read some critic fawning over it all I do get a bit jaded. Then again, I feel lazy and jealous too!
Frank,
It's time to show !!
I really like Burtynsky's work. I don't compare it to other LF shooters because I find that a hard thing to do. The most important thing is that he's making images with an 8x10 camera and that's unique in today's digital world.
The no comprimise approach to quality in photographic art is something that should be encouraged. I'm disappointed that mediocrity is what the public is being acclimatized too, because it's better for the bottom line of some company, be it an 'ad' campaign or the quality of the images we see in magazines. If I we were lucky enough to see more exhibits of LF shooters then I'd have the luxury to make comparisons and say whose work I like 'close up' and in the flesh.
Burtynsky's work moved me because of the sheer scale of things presented on large scale prints. The massive ships being dismantled by men wearing sandles and carrying blowtorches, huge quarries being harvested with steam cutters.
Looking forward to 'Contact' in a few weeks time ...
Wow, this discussion is bizarre. Burtynsky's work is only impressive because it's big and well-printed? What are you guys looking at? It's specatacular work at any size. I have mostly seen it in books (saw a few big prints at AIPAD several years ago) and it is amazing at 8x10 inches. The use of bright color as accent on a more muted landscape is masterful; likewise his handling of different scales of detail and background. The subject matter is sometimes ugly, often horrifying, but the form is beautiful. This is how some of the finest documentary artists get us to look at the conditions they photograph. If the image is not compelling no one is going to want to engage that subject matter. This strategy is used by Gowin, Misrach, Salgado, many others. I suggest taking a more leisurely look at his books and then decide based on form, content, and photographic vision; not just print quality. Branch out from your Arizona Highways aesthetic....
Cheers, Sandy
Just to say that I went to the AGO exhibit and felt it was important enough an emotional experience to drag my 16 year old and my 85 year old mother to the next and last day it was on. It worked on many levels for me. The impact of the camera image of the real world was almost surreal but without gimmicks. The subjects were both of the beauty of the world and the result of our imprint on it. There was a lesson here for my son on the contradiction between our use and abuse of the world and the amazing sight of it all. The size did make a huge difference and thankfully he utilized the potential of the medium to produce these images. As for the member who bemoans his difficulty in getting his work out there I can only say that you should not give up. I was in that boat, as a young eager photographer who decided to give up his passion and take the safe way out and took up another career. But after about 35 years I decided to dig out the old negs and teach myself how to print. Not easy if you have a good idea of how a good print or great print looks...Lots of sturm and drang. But in the end, I resurrected a body of work that I did in 1970 of a group of mostly unknown Canadian poets such as a woman named Margaret Atwood and a young man named Michael Ondaatje etc. etc. After a year in the darkroom, I'm having my first show at the Photo Contact in May. My lesson is that you should never give up. Its OK to take a break but keep seeing things that way photographers do. And never throw away a neg. Let the idiot digital guys delete to their hearts' content. If nothing but time rolls on your pictures will gain in value as documents, if nothing else. Then I'm sure that you too will find a sympathetic gallery owner that sees that value. One more comment : It is after all these years that I am printing up the shots of all my old aquaintances and dropping them off to renew old friendships and shock their children! The joy of this is worth all the downsides. Keep shooting!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks