Looks like the blog/one of the writers of the blog You Call This Photography is finished with a bang:
“[...] it does seem this is all about “who you know”, and spreading the word about “work I like” gets one noticed more then “actual work itself”. Which makes me and some of my readers sick to our stomachs. So please please stop it already. Concentrate on your work, stop the circle jerk.”
So I can definitely see where this is coming from but I have some alternate thoughts. I do see that a lot of blogs endlessly link to and praise each other and I do think the mutual masturbation of blogging (a better metaphor I think) does often get one noticed and get one a degree of notoriety that could be nearly independent of one’s work. Fine. But blogging (both reading and writing) is for me more than a fame game or something to do instead of making my own work. If it weren’t for photo blogs I would never have discovered some of the photographers who are now my favorite artists, the ones who inspire me to work more, work harder, work better. Reading how other people process and deal with different aspects of their art-making helps me to think about my own art-making process and about how I’m building my career. Blogs are one of the ways that I concentrate on my work.
I guess I’m just wondering what this sick-to-our-stomach feeling is really about. Networking and schmoozing and marketing/self-promotion have always been a huge part of the art world (all business, really), like it or not, and blogs (in part) are just another way of doing that. So what is the desired alternative? What does concentrating on your work really mean?
2 responses so far ↓
Joseph Peila // September 15, 2008 at 12:26 pm |
Hi. I was one of the Farters of Thunder. I have 2 kids, and a wife. I need to concentrate on my work more from this point on, rather then complain and look at a ton of work. I have a knak for finding new and interesting photographers, but since I no longer work in a “creative” field doing so is just starting to take away from my own ideas. I will still look here and now, but from now on I want to concentrate on creating work that will be know for (as work) rather then work that is know for (my blogging) and since I was anonymous I am known for nothing. I share and point out to past students and friends and new friend how because of the blogs, you can learn a ton of new techniques, and look at a ton of great work. Thanks for reading.
calebcole // September 15, 2008 at 9:41 pm |
Thanks for weighing in— this definitely makes sense to me and I wish you the best of luck making your own work and concentrating on your life offline. I’d love to see some of your work once you get to promoting it.