tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post3341327380905952411..comments2024-01-05T07:22:47.705-08:00Comments on We can shoot too: Refute: ConscientiousJ. Wesley Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-30634287834370729482009-05-09T21:37:00.000-07:002009-05-09T21:37:00.000-07:00thanks for the heads up, I saw that post and your ...thanks for the heads up, I saw that post and your comment, and I agree.<br /><br />I too have a statement at the ready for anyone who asks or any need that arises (and also because doing an MFA is difficult without one, particularly if one wishes to win any grants).<br /><br />While I have specific ideas and reasons for making work, that shouldn't be the limit for what the work is. I don't like work that becomes mere illustration, so I'd prefer to avoid directly influencing the images with an introductory statement; I much prefer a discussion after someone views the work.<br /><br />I hate when photo books begin with an essay. An essay should illustrate the photos; the photos shouldn't illustrate the essay.Levi Wedelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14964478025009220803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-839341663642870422009-05-09T21:21:00.000-07:002009-05-09T21:21:00.000-07:00@Anonymous -
"often times the discussion that fo...@Anonymous - <br /><br />"often times the discussion that follows an article or blog post is more interesting and insightful than the original post."<br /><br />I couldn't agree more.J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-64440471194930006712009-05-09T20:59:00.000-07:002009-05-09T20:59:00.000-07:00I don't have statements on my website either, thou...I don't have statements on my website either, though I do have then ready for the submissions that require them. This may change at some point, but if it does, my statements will be at the very end of the series or found by clicking on a link. <br /><br />Ian Aleksander Adams posted a response to that on his blog and I commented below:<br /><br />http://www.ianaleksanderadams.com/blog/in-response-to-joerg-colbergs-defining-ones-work/J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-21331052992609345602009-05-09T19:24:00.000-07:002009-05-09T19:24:00.000-07:00In the end his main defense was that my work was u...In the end his main defense was that my work was undecipherable because I had failed to provide an artist statement on my website, and so his interpretation was ultimately still valid and my fault. His recent article on the importance of artist statements ( http://conscientiouslimbo.blogspot.com/2009/05/defining-ones-work.html ) is essentially an outcome of our conversation, according to his e-mail.Levi Wedelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14964478025009220803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-84386105137964510172009-05-09T18:55:00.000-07:002009-05-09T18:55:00.000-07:00@Levi - That's crazy he self censored. Your intera...@Levi - That's crazy he self censored. Your interaction sounds about par for the course based on a number of emails I've received and some of the other comments.J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-84531218862596859382009-05-09T11:17:00.000-07:002009-05-09T11:17:00.000-07:00I've corresponded with him a few times as well and...I've corresponded with him a few times as well and also was told that I was being 'hostile.' <br /><br />He doesn't seem very open to discussing his ideas which is a shame because often times the discussion that follows an article or blog post is more interesting and insightful than the original post. <br /><br />And to say that people who shoot at night are simply doing it because it looks 'cool' isn't any sort of argument. Basically he doesn't seem to understand logic of shooting at night so he needs to dismiss it with a completely superficial statement. It's lazy thinking. <br /><br />It's interesting that he's able to provoke these types of reactions at times. I understand his view is universally respected amongst the photography establishment, but that doesn't really mean anything to me. Conscientious is like Fox News: a channel with a large audience made up of people that share a similar ideology. <br /><br />For me, there's much more interesting work and discussions taking place on the margins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-17614190815116416442009-05-08T20:24:00.000-07:002009-05-08T20:24:00.000-07:00Thanks J.
I e-mailed Jörg to discuss it but that ...Thanks J.<br /><br />I e-mailed Jörg to discuss it but that didn't go so well. Ironically I am supposed to accept criticism of my work but it doesn't appear that he is willing to accept any criticism of his criticism.<br /><br />When I called his criticism into question and suggested he wasn't looking closely enough at work like the series "Invisible City" which has an obvious structure and repetition and so surely must be about more than just the night, he responded:<br /><br />"But to assume that anyone not liking your stuff is just not looking very carefully is what I call the American Idol Syndrome - you know when somebody auditions and is being told s/he can't sing and then says that's just because the judges are incompetent. If I was you I'd refrain from this in the future, even when/if you're upset."<br /><br />I didn't suggest that he had to see my work as "good", only that it deserved a deeper argument about its worth, whether positive or negative. And I wasn't hostile about it either.<br /><br />He has since taken the whole original post down (though not at my urging; I had no problem with it remaining).Levi Wedelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14964478025009220803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-53427672884453002592009-05-08T15:11:00.000-07:002009-05-08T15:11:00.000-07:00And then there's this from Joerg's interview with ...And then there's this from Joerg's interview with Hido:<br /><br />Jörg Colberg: What strikes me about your photography is the way you work with light. Your portfolio contains many images, especially the landscapes or interiors devoid of any people, which at least in part are a bit unsettling because of the lurking darkness and the often extremely bright windows or TV sets. How did you arrive at this kind of aesthetic?<br /><br /><br />- Now, I fail to see how the same exact thing could not apply to Levi's "Invisible City" series.J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-10530101980320570512009-05-08T15:01:00.000-07:002009-05-08T15:01:00.000-07:00And again, his new comment about Todd Hido's night...And again, his new comment about Todd Hido's night work (which I love, don't get me wrong) is a quick statement that it's done with clear intent without any type of explanation as to what that intent is. Why are Hido's night images of buildings not just "because things look 'cool' at night" and Levi's are? I'd appreciate some more depth on the issue and others rather than blanket authoritative statements and I think others would too, judging by the emails I've gotten.J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-12480962345718743692009-05-08T14:30:00.000-07:002009-05-08T14:30:00.000-07:00Interesting refute, thank you. I agree of course, ...Interesting refute, thank you. I agree of course, photography done at night is as conceptually capable as photography done in any other environment.<br /><br />Whether my photography specifically is good or poor should require more basis than the time of day it was shot.<br /><br />Joerg has since back-peddled slightly by claiming what he wrote wasn't exactly what he meant and adding an exception for Todd Hido's work: http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/2009/05/levi_wedel_1.html<br /><br />I get the feeling he doesn't like his opinions questioned, even those that appear rash.Levi Wedelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14964478025009220803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-68718735843175417712009-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:002009-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:00@estatik - I hope not!@estatik - I hope not!J. Wesley Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978967238356104467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-6317145669065297362009-05-06T15:13:00.000-07:002009-05-06T15:13:00.000-07:00Fun! You're like James Whistler, he's John Ruskin!...Fun! You're like James Whistler, he's John Ruskin!estatikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04024360962882374741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-49671559442293521092009-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:002009-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:00i almost imagine his comment to be a misunderstand...i almost imagine his comment to be a misunderstanding not worth validation through dialogue. it's an outrageously simple statement with no bearing for anything grounded in a legitimate point. he might as well have posted, "i don't like cheese," well thanks for that, very informative and no, we don't appreciate your opinion because, well, cheese is delicious, obviously...ryan schudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09426577677020380691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814200235459632416.post-8674423393909785892009-05-04T16:51:00.000-07:002009-05-04T16:51:00.000-07:00thank you! i had the exact same reaction to the po...thank you! i had the exact same reaction to the posting.salnoreply@blogger.com