| home :: lens culture blog :: contribute :: archives :: links |
| |
“Do you know the taste of a photograph that depletes you? Taste the taste of the photographs before you serve them to your friends. When you encounter an image that angers and is rejected out of hand, and especially if you cannot forget that thorn, what is being nourished? Those images that haunt for days and weeks, though the first impression may have been almost out of sight . . . what is being nourished?
“Maybe something in you that is starved by your inhibitions and perversions has had a tiny bit of food and is crying out for more. Feed that place, or stirring, as often as you can, for it’s probably your soul. Open up, take a chance that it is.”
-- Minor White, Cleveland Workshop 1964
Mystical poet philosopher photographer Minor White (what a name!)
captured my attention thanks to numerous quotes in “Camera Lucida”
by Roland Barthes. The only bad thing was that White’s book was out
of print, and expensive, in the used rare book market. Finally,
in need, I broke down and bought a copy in good condition at Moe’s
Books in Berkeley, and I’ve been savoring it ever since.
He is inspirational, in so many ways, as a photographer (incredible)
and human teacher.
Anybody know other good sources of Minor White insight? I'd like to
soak it up. What was the deal with this guy?
"Take a picture of what is...and what else it is." Minor White
That sentance helped clarify my own vision as a young photographer. I believe the subject for the quote came up when talking about one of his beach photos. In the background is the crashing surf. Covering the entire foreground is a solid black rock. Against the black are these glorious, steaming steaks of white. The glorious steaks are only the droppings of seagulls. Which leads me to a Spanish proverb: "Dung is no saint, yet where it falls it works miracles."
To understand what he was about, you need to research his interests. He'd read Theosophy works but was especially interested in GI Gurdjieff and PD Ouspensky. Search in google and you'll find what you need.
Posted by: james at November 6, 2004 08:41 AM