tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423901.post1424443397332762453..comments2024-03-22T11:28:07.415-06:00Comments on Photography & Vintage Film Cameras: Looking BackMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00776670666673938282noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423901.post-83967370012189920002013-02-05T12:58:32.270-07:002013-02-05T12:58:32.270-07:00I should add that while we think of present day ar...I should add that while we think of present day art images as ends in themselves, that was not the case with the images made as part of shamanistic and vision quest rituals. The shaman would not see the use of drugs as a crutch to creativity, but rather as a conduit to an altered level of consciousness or to a spiritual world. Lewis-Williams speculates that the extraordinary images at places like Lascaux and Altamira were an attempt to make concrete the images seen in altered states of consciousness.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00776670666673938282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423901.post-64474102283133099272013-02-03T16:18:15.802-07:002013-02-03T16:18:15.802-07:00Paul Strand was of the opinion that a photograph m...Paul Strand was of the opinion that a photograph must be fully composed and realized at the moment of exposure without any later manipulation of the image. I think a viable argument can be made against that kind of rigidity, but the fact that Strand stuck to it in his work certainly accounts for much of his unique style.<br /><br />Lewis-Williams doesn't make a connection between ancient and present day image making outside of shamanistic manifestations. It does seem to me significant, however, that Bernhard describes her process as involving an altered state of consciousness. <br /><br />I'm often mistrustful of attempts by both artists and critics to articulate the creative process, but I'm more inclined to give credence to Bernhard who took a very thoughtful and methodical approach to her work, and who was known for her great skills as a teacher.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00776670666673938282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423901.post-24283556228360705202013-02-03T14:29:25.221-07:002013-02-03T14:29:25.221-07:00Illuminating post, thank you for making the time t...Illuminating post, thank you for making the time to write it. <br /><br />Could it be that limiting oneself to one negative is a boundary that is meant to draw out every ounce of creativity and art? Because if one shot is all you get, you'd better put your all into it.<br /><br />I think I admire someone who embarks on the vision quest without mind-altering substances more than someone who does it with them, but perhaps that's the stoic in me who finds value in the things you listed - isolation, focus, etc.Jim Greyhttp://blog.jimgrey.netnoreply@blogger.com