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Author Topic: Exploitation is photography's true métier  (Read 2668 times)

Isaac

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Exploitation is photography's true métier
« on: July 02, 2013, 04:41:35 pm »

"Exploit and Click: The fuss over Jill Greenberg's photography." (Sept 16, 2008)
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AFairley

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2013, 05:42:05 pm »

I love the quote "An asshole who makes great art is an asshole who makes great art; but an asshole who makes lousy art is just an asshole."
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Rob C

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2013, 04:44:52 am »

An interesting article; food for thought.

Rob C

Alan Klein

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2013, 08:58:52 am »

Rather than an article about Jill Greenberg, its a commentary on our moral
 and ethical relationship with our subjects when we take their pictures.

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2013, 10:52:21 am »

I love the quote "An asshole who makes great art is an asshole who makes great art; but an asshole who makes lousy art is just an asshole."

Your new signature seems lengthy. Let me fix it for you: "Asshole is asshole." Better? ;)

Isaac

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2013, 11:29:15 am »

Rather than an article about Jill Greenberg, its a commentary on our moral
 and ethical relationship with our subjects when we take their pictures.

Hence the title given to the discussion.
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Isaac

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2013, 11:33:22 am »

An interesting article; food for thought.

I think it gives a different slant on other recent discussions like "Art or Just Plain Creepy?" and "Street photography & cameras."
« Last Edit: July 03, 2013, 11:43:58 am by Isaac »
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RSL

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2013, 11:47:57 am »

Concision certainly isn't this writer's metier. And (with apologies to Kipling), a picture is only a picture, but political cant is a bore. The article would have been a bore even if Lewis had stopped at ". . . Greenberg was wrong, and Hawk overreacted, and there isn't much more to be said." Exactly. There wasn't any more to be said, but he went on and wrote a whole lot more without saying anything more.

Greenberg is reprehensible, and not merely because she abused kids to get her pictures. She's a left-wing nut who's been abusing photography for a long time. But that doesn't mean that "exploitation is photography's true métier;" it means exploitation is Greenberg's true métier.

What's interesting is how bad the photographs were. Lewis doesn't seem to grasp the fact that art has to stand on its own feet and that the process that leads to production of an art object is distinct from the art itself. Since in this case both the artist and the art are deplorable Greenberg comes off as "just an asshole." Unfortunately, as a writer, Lewis doesn't come off much better.
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Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

Isaac

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2013, 12:15:41 pm »

Greenberg is reprehensible, and not merely because ...

Merely because you dislike her politics?
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RSL

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2013, 12:27:11 pm »

Try reading the whole thing, Isaac.
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Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2013, 12:49:03 pm »

... Greenberg comes off as "just an asshole." Unfortunately, as a writer, Lewis doesn't come off much better.

Indeed, Russ.

I've noticed as of lately an assault on photography, mostly by impotent "photographers," i.e., wanna-be photographers, talentless photographers, photographers compensating their lack of skills at capture phase with post-processing, who are trying to drag down photography to their level, to portray it as a lie, exploitation, manipulation, etc., anyway, so that they can feel better themselves. Liars think everybody lies, cheaters think everybody cheats, thieves think everybody steals. And we seem to have quite a few fans and enablers on this forum too.

Rob C

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Re: Exploitation is photography's true métier
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2013, 01:05:01 pm »

Looking at her site, I get the impression of slickness, but not cleverly so, just obviously so.

She's clearly got good enough commercial contacts and clients who are happy to use her; can't knock that. I just think her male portaits are pretty bad copies of old-fashioned styles of lighting. Not a site I have put onto the 'favourites' list, but there are lots of ladies already on it.

;-(

Rob C
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