Oh, it’s going to be another challenging Photo Lucida. I can feel it. I just spreadsheeted the list of reviewers for next month’s portfolio review in Portland, trying to decide which ones I want. Most reviewers have a line about the kind of work they want to see. There is an alarming overuse of the adjectives "conceptual," and "experimental, and frequent variations of "pushing the boundaries of what we know photography to be." Oh boy.
There are 60 reviewers on the list, over half are repeats. I’ve seen some of these people at every review event of the last 10 years--I call them the "photo mafia." Many of them have been supportive of my work, and have been following what I’ve been doing all these years. But there is a shrinking acceptance, and opportunity, for what we would call "traditional" styles and processes, and more attention to photography in the context of contemporary art trends.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. It’s the way this world is going, and I’m not about to change the direction of the tide. I am organizing my portfolio this week, as it’s about the only time I have at home before I go on the road again. I’m changing course with what I’m showing (I had a rather disasterous Photo Lucida two years ago—it’s in the archives here), and I’m going with my contra dance project, which is what has much of my attention these days. The black and white silver print panoramics are staying home this time. That work is way too old school for this crowd.
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