On Feb 5, 2014, at 10:00 AM, Miserere <miser...@gmail.com> wrote: > On February 5, 2014 9:39:15 AM EST, Paul Stenquist <pnstenqu...@comcast.net> > wrote: >> >> On Feb 5, 2014, at 9:03 AM, Mark Roberts <postmas...@robertstech.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Paul Stenquist wrote: >>> >>>> I think some of Vivian Meyers images are nice, but many are very >> ordinary. >>>> I think she got a lot of attention in part because it was a “garage >> find.” >>>> A trove of unknown work from a mysterious source. >>> >>> Even assuming your statement is true, that would be precisely the >>> point: That even ordinary images can be of great interest or >>> historical importance (or even simple "popularity" - there's nothing >>> wrong with that) long after the fact. We can't judge now what future >>> generations will deem significant. >>> >>> No one could have guessed at the time it was taken that that snapshot >>> of Anne Frank (which is even more banal than anything Vivian Meyers >>> took) would have become one of the icons of the 20th century. >>> Countless other examples exist of photographs turning up of important >>> people taken before they became famous, from Abraham Lincoln to John >>> Lennon. Things, places or events that became significant after they >>> were captured in banal snapshots (the Titanic). Even critical >> evidence >>> about important events has turned up retrospectively in what were >>> thought to be throwaway images. Someone may yet discover an old >>> shoebox of photos with one that shows the second gunman on the Grassy >>> Knoll (or a photo of JFK's assassination that clearly shows there >>> *wasn't* anyone on the Grassy Knoll). >>> >>> I don't see anyone or anything being harmed by people archiving their >>> mediocre images. One of them may contain the 3rd grade portrait of >> the >>> guy who discovered the cure for Aids in the year 2050. And if it >>> doesn't? No skin off my nose. >>> >>> — >> I agree. Much of photography is of interest because it provides a >> historical record. A very small amount of that is artful. Both types >> are of value and worthy of preservation. My hope is that Grace will >> someday be a woman of accomplishment and that long after I’m gone, >> someone will be pleased that I recorded her childhood. Even if it’s >> only her children. >> >> My point about the Meyers work, which someone held up as an example of >> art rescued, is merely that there was heightened interest due to the >> way it was discovered and the personal history of the person who took >> the photos. Nothing wrong with that, and I enjoyed perusing galleries >> of her photos, but I doubt that future generations will judge the >> overall body of her work as artful. Then again, I could be wrong. It >> wouldn’t be the first time. But only time will tell. >> >> Paul >>> >> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> PDML@pdml.net >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >> and follow the directions. > > > Any chance we can spell Vivian's surname correctly?
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