Great interview with Duane Michaels, especially the part about wonder. I don't agree with his point that the photographers now are just in it for the money. That's a gross overstatement that I often hear from earlier genereations in every aspect of endeavor, from sports to law and medicine. It really is different than the 50's, 60's and 70's, there is potentially more money to be made in every field of work and due to our connected world, more hype as well. Look at pro sports, in the 70's, you could make a living doing football but once your were done (in 5 or so years) you had to get another job. Today, even the lowest paid player can retire for life after they are done. Does that mean they are just in it for the money? For some yes, others no. Why would anyone like Brett Favre want to keep playing? Because they love what they do more than the money.
I also find it boring that people like Duane think anything big, conceptual or more about the idea than the image call it crap. Every generation is jealous of the nexts ability to garner recognition and their use of the previous generations ideas. What's new?
I find Gursky's images interesting, more so than Duane Michaels, Ansel Adams, etc. Why? Because they're not caught up in the romance of beauty or fascination with light and shadow. Gursky is interested in contemporary discourse, things like power, consumption and globalization.