Don’t really follow fashion or fashion photography (but am a fan of Richard Avedon‘s great stuff from mid-20th century to early 2000s). However, some stuff is too interesting to ignore. Like many of these slideshow images from “Best Photos From Fashion Month“.
One of the milder examples here:
For well over a decade, I prominently displayed this cartoon (along with the nearly-as-famous Peter Steiner “Nobody Knows You’re A Dog On The Internet” cartoon) on my workplace office entrance wall. Its creator, Bob Mankoff, is soon to retire as cartoon editor of The New Yorker. Learn more about Mankoff and see more of his great work in this New York Times piece.
Most of us associate pointillism with the late 18th century movement in art history. But the practice of painting with dots of color may have originated much, much earlier, as scientists now believe, based on paintings found in cave dwellings used by people in what is now southwest France some 38,000 years ago.
Continuing with the Women’s History Month theme, an organization called the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers has just released the results of its 2017 Image of the Year Competition. While this post was destined for my photoblog’s news section, these should have even wider interest. Note that the site asks that none of the images be copied, printed or saved (although that request has been violated repeatedly on Facebook).
[originally prepared for photoblog publication]
The Phaidon anthology, “500 Self Portraits“, is one of my most treasured art books. Ivi and I have spent hours pouring over its contents, comprised of self-portraits presented more or less chronologically, from Rembrandt to Frida Kahlo to Cindy Sherman.
During my photographic days in Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s, the self-portrait was a natural tool for me and others in my circle of photographers. Not only did we constantly photograph each other — it was almost like the way a pianist would practice scales — but we photographed our own selves when no other human subjects were at hand. Self-portraits were a practical way to test lenses or lighting setups or potential locations. Some of my cohorts did self portraiture as a purposeful project on its own, as more than a practical matter. (One photographed herself in the same pose and position daily as a study over a period of years.) An old visual artist-girlfriend insisted that I send her back self-portraits each day I was on business travels. Most of us were always on the lookout for propitious shooting locations, and when solo, might document the scouting effort with a self-portrait or two. And from time to time, we also photographed ourselves with each other or other people or special venues, more in the documentary spirit of the modern “selfie”.
By the way, as to concerns that self-portraits express some sort of narcissism, I say so what and find that much less troubling than the attitudes that some have of refusing or fearing to be photographed. Seems to me that most people would be curious about how they are perceived by others. (Of course, fear of photography can sometimes be justified, in the case of fugitives from justice, for example.) For that matter, what drives photographers, anyway? The psychology of needing to make photographs — of any kind, let alone self — is a mystery that we can ponder and ruminate over probably indefinitely.
Today I come upon a piece asserting that selfies are modern art. Take a look; perhaps you will find this as interesting as I did.
Today is the birthday of Ansel Adams, 1902-1984. In the 1970s, I visited him a couple of times and he even graciously let me work in his Yosemite darkroom at one time. While we didn’t see “eye-to-eye” (sorry) on all things photographic, I did come to admire his work ethic, his standards of quality and in time to understand what he was talking about in terms of “previsualization”. An all-around good guy.
Started watching this new Netflix original documentary series last night. It’s a good one, imo.
That’s the title of the book by Thomas Kunkel.
Eager, almost desperate, to find a respite from current news and commentary, I am now reading this 2015 book — gifted to me for Christmas — aloud as our post-lunch relaxation and entertainment.
“Man in Profile” is a biography of Joseph Mitchell, whose “Up In The Old Hotel“, I also read aloud about a year ago. If you have ever read Mitchell, you would surely find this read a worthwhile supplement, adding much backstory and detail that only enriches the former. And it amazingly seems to be written in a similar or at least sympathetic style. Read ’em all.
(click on this post’s associated tags, below, for related material)
In a followup to yesterday’s post on this subject, I need to report on my first viewing of the actual production: a bit disappointing, finding that I laughed much more frequently during the Daniel Handler Fresh Air interview than the first episode itself. We shall see.
The books were favorites of the kids, when they were kids, and their parents as well. Now we learn that Lemony Snicket’s (aka Daniel Handler), “A Series of Unfortunate Events” begins as a Netflix series — TODAY!
We start with reviews and interviews we heard this noon on NPR’s Fresh Air:
And here is the trailer:
And even more details here.