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Author Topic: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."  (Read 2657 times)

Patricia Sheley

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"Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« on: May 12, 2011, 03:57:34 pm »

For anyone near Rockland , Maine an exhibition, three galleries, of some of the B&W photography of Paul Caponigro opened Friday night...ranging from the '50's to present along with a short film interview, it represents his take on "The Hidden Presence of Places". Visiting and revisiting among other places, Donegal and Glendalough "not to collect stones" but to "be in the presence of the land." , his comfort within the forces of nature is strongly present...

On view now at The Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine.     www.farnsworthmuseum.org

postscript: Watching his eyes and his disappearance back in time as he recaptured the moments leading to "Reflecting Stream" and viewing the still life "Two Pears" which before my eyes became the experience revisited of seeing the marble of "David" come alive before my eyes coarsing with blue blood...I have never forgotten it...nor will I forget that small exquisite still life...
« Last Edit: May 12, 2011, 04:05:24 pm by Patricia Sheley »
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Rob C

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Re: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2011, 04:45:14 pm »

Patricia. I see great photography ruined by the surround sound. Maybe that's the not so Hidden Presence...

Why do great shooters allow/need?/encourage or even write this hype? I can accept that some kinds of photography depend on words; this sort of thing shouldn't have words anywhere near it.

Rob C

Patricia Sheley

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Re: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2011, 05:44:33 pm »

Rob...Very sorry that out of context this is the way you see it...because in this particle case could not be more distant from the truth of it. Paul Caponigro is a quiet man...and the endless discussion of "art" or "not" he sums up quite softly and easily, quote "....blah, blah, blah......" . I cannot, will not,  and would not, speak for him. Born 1932 he is comfortable in his own skin and does not need me, or anyone else for that matter to do it for him... His work stands beautifully on its own...He worked with and liked Minor White among many others but his work stands a comfortable peer among them...

For photographers honestly seeking to find their way in the traffic it is good when a quiet place appears on the scene where they can consider their own journey in the context of work they may not ordinarily have the opportunity to see in a life progression...I'm sorry my attempt to share such a place came across for you the way it did...

A book is a book...can't trump the real thing...Had it been his choice he may well have been perfectly happy to have nothing written...for the public...but to have these places the nurturing of the audience helps pay the bills...you know , I wish I'd just kept quiet...I feel I've done a disservice to a deserving exhibit...Lesson learned...

...and ...I only titled as I did because I thought it so in keeping with the discussions of late of the pleasure of seeing "the presences" in landscape...I've said enough...

 
« Last Edit: May 12, 2011, 05:46:58 pm by Patricia Sheley »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2011, 05:47:16 pm »

Ironically, in a workshop with Paul C many years ago, when he showed prints to the group, he would put one up for a minute or so, then another, and then another, only saying "Look" about every third or fourth print.

His stuff is absolute magic to me, strong enough so even excess verbiage can't hurt the prints. His books are nice, but you really need to see his prints to appreciate his work fully.

I guess I'll have to fit a trip to Rockland into my busy schedule. Thanks for mentioning this, Patricia.

Eric

P.S. Patricia: Nothing to apologize for!
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)

Kirk Gittings

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Re: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2011, 07:34:02 pm »

Patricia, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Your passion is evident and communicated. As for Rob.....Rob spends half his time writing about photography on this very site. He comments on nearly every image posted here. I have no idea what his point is. ;)
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Kirk Gittings

Rob C

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Re: "Exploring and depicting nature and man's place in it.."
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2011, 04:01:44 am »

Patricia, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Your passion is evident and communicated. As for Rob.....Rob spends half his time writing about photography on this very site. He comments on nearly every image posted here. I have no idea what his point is. ;)


Kirk

I trust my day has twenty-four little hours just as anyone else's day? To spend twelve of them here would be a little too much even for my head! Further, you won't find many observations from my sweet self in the 'critique' spaces. I don't believe people should listen to other people's opinions of their work; that they should follow their own star and never the gurus. Indeed they can learn how to use tools from others, but nothing about vison; that's your own and either you have it or you do not - just like music.

Quite what else one can do on this site other than write about photography-related matters is beyond me...

On the other hand, if you wish to catalogue, accurately, the hours and the people here who spend them telling others how to frame, crop, balance or otherwise edit or even shoot their pics, your conclusions would be quite revealing.

My point is this: the work in question is great, the words are extraneous and tar the visuals with curator-speak. As to why Patricia chooses to apologise for the Farnsworth write-up is a mystery to me, as is much else in life.

;-)

Rob C

P.S. Actually, to confirm my stance on critique: within that section of the site I kicked off Without Prejudice, a thread specifically devoted to pictures where folks can upload shots that interest them without the spoken or unspoken invitation to criticism, which is what most critiques seem to be, and what appears to be the driving force behind them.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2011, 03:23:43 pm by Rob C »
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