Fuck Dragon's Den.

 

Good ideas don't need a telly programme. If I had one musical bone in my body I would upload it HERE and get me a single and you can too Pop Pickers. Pop pickers, that wasn't one of uncle Jimmy's sayings was it? Can you still say Pop Pickers?

I reckon this idea could be as big for muso's as blurb is for photographers. And of course it's come from here in Manchester. If self publishing has been the big news over the last few years then go HERE to the new kid on the block and self record deal.

Touchy Subject ?

It's the paralympic games that's got me thinking about disability (which of course is partly the point of the games) and I've been thinking about photographers either disabled or not who make work on the subject. There's a fair bit  of work been made about soldiers returning from the numerous wars that are going on and of course there's a large contingent at The Games representing that group, but outside of war casualties I've  not seen much photographic work been made on the subject. So I put out a shout on facebook via flak photo network and a new history of photography network  (both recommended if you are on Facebook) and I got back a fair few names both of disabled photographers and photographers who make work about disability. I'm sure I got back less though than if I had asked for a list of say oh I don't know.... say photographers who make work about Detroit. Why I wonder? Do able bodied photographers fear getting it wrong and the backlash and possible harm it may do to a career? I shall feature those name I got here over the next few days.

I had already decided to feature Ian Dury's Spasticus Autisticus on the blog before I saw it covered so well at the opening ceremony of the games. Once banned by the BBC now played as part of the celebration, Progress. There's also an interview with Dury done by Manchester's very own GRANADA.

P.S. Blogger spell check has no knowledge of the word Paralympic. Just saying.....

Early night for me tonight coz tomorrow "I'm off to see Picasso"

DEAR Blacklab...

I read with interest your recent POST on Plagiarism and what a fantastic thing it is, the post and plagiarism. I too love a bit of copying as much as the next man.

There's a couple of points I'm not to sure about though.

Can I take it that you think we've all made enough pictures? Is that in general or in specific genres or motifs? That's where my cliches section came from but even photographers embracing the love of plagiarism will no doubt end up falling fowl. I've also been a long time slagger off of much modern conflict photojournalism as pointless same old same old but surely you can't have too many images in general can you? I think it was Joerg Colberg who said that "that's like saying there are too many books; Or something along those lines. Exploring and appropriation is great let's do it, collage for the 21st century but let's also look at different ways of actually making new and original images and ways of using those as well. I for one am getting sick of that fucking cowboy just as much as I'm getting sick of 'girl in tree' pictures.

Although it's always good to look for new ways of doing things lets not 'throw the baby out with the bath water'.

• Now plagiarism (I like the word copying) of course there's different levels and motives. The three basic one's that spring to mind are, Your run of the mill "I've left college and I tend to be American and I want a big big camera and I love Alec Soth" type of Herbert. Nothing wrong with that, I once thought I was a Dutch Lady and shot exclusively at night, no prizes for guessing who said Dutch lady is. This is good copying this can also be called influenced by and I think younger photographers should to a degree be encouraged. If they have anything about them they will soon get bored and start looking around. (Does anyone know how this fucking bullet point button works on Blogger it's driving me mad, I'm trying to look professional here for Christ's sake)

The second type is up there in the top right, your good old Richard Prince, Jeffery Koons styley this is always acceptable it's Artistic Mums apple pie, Have fun go play I've even got a bit in mind myself for a wet weather project.

• The third (there's that bastard of a bullet point again, will you just fuck off) And this is the one I don't like it's the insipid cynical gallery sales shit that is not only accepted but is positively lorded, that's what will stifle and bring this this Art form to it's knees as sure as a Printworks slapper on a Friday night. Sooner 'Trawl The Visual Wreckage' than get involved with that bollocks.

Of course we are prone to repeat and too much work is made for other photographers (bloggers) to coo over, I know that in portraiture I must, where possible, now use large format with my subject square on, full body and not smiling if I ever hope to be taken seriously and this is the problem not the amount of images out there it's that art photography has become the Paris Salon.

Colour correction what the fuck does that mean? How can it be the wrong colour. Full graduations of grey, no burnt out whites, rules of thirds blah blah blah. And books on how to edit? Bollocks that's what it is. Let's not stop making new images or recording the world lets just chill out and have some fun lets all find our own voices. It can be done. The camera is no more limiting than oil and canvas, and it took throwing the rule book out of the window to breath new life into painting and yes that involved plagiarism. I tell you what, Punk photography that's what we need.

• Anyway always a pleasure Blacklab,

Lots of Love Manchesterphotography xxxxxxx

Bernd & Hilla Becher

Image The Becher's

I've never met them (never will Bernd now) can't remember even seeing a photograph of them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernd_and_Hilla_Becher yet somehow in my imagination they have become like a kindly old aunt & uncle. Is it silly to think of them like that? is it disrespectful to regard two of the most important artists of the twentieth century like that? I know that in my work I would love to have had their approval. As much as any other artists, it would have been great to have them look at my work and say, "you have a way to go, but we can understand what you are trying to say. Keep going, stick with it our kid (or the German equivalent of our kid!) you may have something" they would say and smile. OK silly but a photographer can dream.......... In the mean time I will have to make do with reading interviews with them, and here's a cracker of one with Hilla. Found over on conscientious and translated by Jorg Colberg. I do think though that for "freaks" it should read "eccentrics" READ IT HERE: http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/2008/07/of_course_we_were_freaks_an_in.html

E.Chambre Hardman

Image copyright National Trust

In honour of Liverpool 08, E.Chambre Hardman has to be mentioned. Until recently an unsung hero, he is now beginning to get the recognition he deserves. Liverpool's Atget? perhaps, a fine photographer Oh yes. Now I wonder if The National Trust will do me for using that picture? All about the man here:http://www.mersey-gateway.org/chambrehardman/server.php?show=nav.00100o005