Comments on: Attention all artists: your old work isn’t THAT bad

By: Katia

Katia — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:55:05 +0000

I’m thinking like you, the chance, improbable thinks can make a good photo. An intimate moment, a street moment, etc.

I saw yersterday an exhibition (Lausanne) of the work of Sally Mann. Yes, she has the technic but she also work with the uncertainty that his photo is good. In a lot of her photos we can see a lot of imperfections but for me is all that is the strength of the image.

By: Chris Rollason

Chris Rollason — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:10:55 +0000

Very good article.

I think this is kind of true for a lot of artists. I’ve definetly noticed it in music.

The early albums by certain bands, whilst learning their craft are full of little happy accidents. The later material, although technically better, loses something and isn’t quite as compelling.

As an artist, I’m sure they are happy with their ability. As a listener, it was the naivety that gave the interesting music.

I don’t want things to be technically perfect, but I do strive for things being athesitically pleasing. I like happy accidents.

By: Arty Fucking Smokes

Arty Fucking Smokes — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:14:27 +0000

Although it’s easy to criticize images based on the sharpness, resolution, lighting etc, the thing that makes them memorable – or not – is concept and composition.
Some of the greatest photos are blurred black and whites, but if they depicted the moment perfectly at the time, the “imperfections” don’t matter.
Your best work, in my opinion, is generally the “studenty” experimental stuff. As soon as you are working to someone else’s brief or with another model, all originality (and passion) is lost. I doubt anyone could do “cover versions” of your greatest hits (with paid models) and strike quite the same chord.

By: DennyCayman

DennyCayman — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:40:38 +0000

HI Ms A,
Great article and I would like to chime in with some observations that I have noticed in regards to viewing art and being the artist. First I had to reduce the whole thing down to what is art? Well it is a communication that I made, there was an idea I had then I figured out how to communicate it across by whatever medium I choose photo, oil, or pencil, then the viewer interprets that communication. This is where it took me quit sometime to be able to just listen to what that viewer saw and then they responded back. I always wanted to jump in and say oh no this is what I really meant or here is the idea blab, blab, blab after all what did I do presented an idea for someone to view then they participate however that happens. This is where support of the artist comes from allowing that viewer to participate with what we do.
Love DennyCayman

By: Damain

Damain — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:09:07 +0000

“Once the amateur’s naive approach and humble willingness to learn fades away, the creative spirit of good photography dies with it.
Every professional should remain always in their heart an amateur.”
-Alfred Eisenstaedt

*slightly modified to eliminate gender bias*

Miss Aniela,
I’ve been following your work on flickr for a year now.
I love it and…your words.
Thank you for the constant inspiration.
Damian

By: Johan

Johan — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:29:29 +0000

It is really weird to read such a thing and realize that all these photographers (experienced, famous or not) have exactly the same experience of how they look at their earlier work. I myself had it coming a short while ago when I needed to create a selection of my best work for a specific project.
This is something everyone experiences ones they come out on regular base with their pictures and have to deal with comments of colleagues. And it is good to see what the outside world thinks about your work, but a photographer should always be some kind of narcist and keep some stubbornness to asure the creativity touch in their work.
But, as you said, you always somehow try to please everyone. That’s just man’s nature.
I think it really makes the difference between a artist and a vendor.
We really have to get over it. A good lesson for all artists…

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:06:50 +0000

This is a brilliant and a very intelligent written essay. You touch base on many things here that are complicated, but the clarity in which you express and communicate your opinions, observations, and thoughts is very easy to understand. There’s quite a pleasure to take in the insight and intellectualism of this writing as I learned a lot from my reading.

It’s extremely interesting as you write in the paragraph starting: “An artist’s earlier work might be messy. It might be amateurish.” Your take on that is so right on.

There were 3 early images (“SOS”, “About time too!” and “Have they gone?”) that you created in your early career that really moved me as being highly creative. So, creative that I never saw anything like it. It had a personal feeling to it. Something that was shared by someone who was open in letting an audience into her personal life. When viewing these images I thought I was sneaking into someones diaries or journals. A lot of your earlier work had this sense of playfulness, fun, and exuberance to them.

This essay is so good that I hope it gets published sometime. You really awakened me to something … thanks for sharing.

By: Jessica Tremp

Jessica Tremp — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:37:26 +0000

So true. A very good post. I’m always perplexed by how much better my old ’sloppy’ work does than the few bits that I am really proud of nowadays.
But you are right, perhaps there is an energy in earlier work full of excitement that can’t always be replicated when you think too much about what you are doing.
x

By: Bernie

Bernie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:56:31 +0000

Amen to that Natalie.

One thing I’ve seen a lot of is how sometimes we let some kind of “group think” into our own thinking. Someone makes a comment that says my work isn’t really photographic because I do a lot of PS’ing. At first I thought they had a point but then realised I’m not in this to satisfy someone else’s opinion of what constitutes photography. I don’t care about that discussion. I make images. And I make them with whatever tools I feel appropriate.

But other people’s opinions are always creeping around. I try to keep a sharp eye out for any ideas that come in without being fully inspected because “everyone knows” you should only use a long lens for portraits or some other nonsense.

By: Don

Don — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:34:42 +0000

As a longtime fan of your work, I admit to being particularly fond of your earlier work. And that really has little to do with the technical quality of either the resolution of the image or the processing. It has more to do with how you saw yourself, what you were going through at the time, and how well you were able to capture the drama. The multiplicity scenes of Miss Aniela were brilliant for me, as we are all at least a little fragmented inside, and I could relate to that. For this reason, your early work will always be special to me.