"I find that, in most cases, what the artist says about what he is going to do, or what he has done, is just an inadequate and not very meaningful thing. The thing is the work itself, and in a sense he should NOT be asked for the philosophy of life upon which he bases his work. The work IS the basis. The work is THE THING ITSELF."
Paul Strand
Camera, January 1975
Posts
I can't believe the timeliness of Strand's quote...I've been having that conversation with myself lately about what language to include if any alongside the work I create. Sometimes it feels as though a preamble (or postscript) is some sort of disclaimer. Of course, I included an actual disclaimer today, so I don't know what that says exactly.
ReplyDeleteI've been slow in making the rounds to the other 100 Days artists to offer greetings and feedback, sorry. I've been back to visit the elephant trio several times now, but I really love the alternating richness/flatness of Friday's piece.
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you've been returning to visit my elephant. You'll see him again from time to time.
ReplyDeleteStrand's words from thirty-five years ago ring so true today. I struggle with this constantly and prefer letting the images speak for themselves.