So for a while now I have been meaning to watch the BBC 4 series, "The Genius of Photography". I have seen clips and parts of some episodes but I thought it was about time I sat down and dedicated a whole evening to this highly acclaimed series.
I must say, on the whole it was incredibly informative. Covered some very varied ground from technical, historical topics through to ethics in contemporary photography and the business of commercial versus fine art photography. Lots of food for thought - granted the majority of artists featured in the series, I was already familiar with however it was nice to hear them talking about their own work and practice.
Some really important themes emerged for me - some ideas I had begun to explore last year which was a positive point for me as I am beginning to cover ground that must have some depth. Some strong similarities became apparent in the way certain photographers place worth on the experience of making the image, as opposed to the final tangible output. This is something I have always been interested in - I find the final finished print almost obsolete with regards to my process. The act of creating the work itself holds far more prominence to me. With this in mind, I think my approach will be somewhat more developed this year.
Its a little strange that a simple act such as watching a series I have been meaning to watch for a while, has given me such a boost - I guess its the start of getting back into the mind frame for work after a long, lazy summer away. I also bought 4 new photographic theory books (that I have again been meaning to read!) so hopefully I will get my arse into gear and prepare for second year over the next couple of weeks
Onwards ...
No comments:
Post a Comment