Cheers Jon. You're right I think: 'be interesting' or similar might well be on my list. I'm scribbling thoughts on my approach at the moment so will definitely write something at some point.
I’d not seen the Ray-Jones text before. He seems to have anticipated John Baldessari’s instruction to “not make any more boring art.” Looking forward to reading your manifesto (or whatever you decide to call it), assuming you’ll share it here. It’s always useful to have a plan so that you can occasionally diverge from it.
Interesting Keith. I’ve often tried to do similar but then wondered why as I find them too prescriptive. Have to say the penultimate paragraph was the kicker for me: you wonder if you’d be free enough to make the deckchair photo again now. To my mind that speaks to this rigour that we seem to apply to ourselves (not accusing you) stifling our creativity. YMMV of course and it all depends on why you’re doing it but to me I think I prefer to absorb chosen bits of ‘advice’ and mentally keep them in mind at the appropriate times. The one I never forget is to make photos that I want to and that I like, and which any manifesto or similar tends to take me away from; they have tended in the past to put me in a space of making photos for other people.
Ah, yes, that's the rub isn't it? Not making it prescriptive, and using it to help rather than hinder you to make work in an uninhibited way. I'm sure it's going to be a challenge to get my ideas down but I think it must be possible to have something simple and helpful, that roots me away from the constant pushes I seem to feel to make work that looks a certain way. I guess we'll see!
To me that is a very introspective and navel gazing approach which might get in the way of 'just being' and clogs up the artist. I suggest relaxing into your photography and be free and just do it. Just saying!
Thanks Audrey. I certainly do like to think about what I do and why I do it so I guess that could come across as navel gazing though I prefer to think of it as discovering/having intention and deliberation about my work 😁.
Cheers Jon. You're right I think: 'be interesting' or similar might well be on my list. I'm scribbling thoughts on my approach at the moment so will definitely write something at some point.
I’d not seen the Ray-Jones text before. He seems to have anticipated John Baldessari’s instruction to “not make any more boring art.” Looking forward to reading your manifesto (or whatever you decide to call it), assuming you’ll share it here. It’s always useful to have a plan so that you can occasionally diverge from it.
Interesting Keith. I’ve often tried to do similar but then wondered why as I find them too prescriptive. Have to say the penultimate paragraph was the kicker for me: you wonder if you’d be free enough to make the deckchair photo again now. To my mind that speaks to this rigour that we seem to apply to ourselves (not accusing you) stifling our creativity. YMMV of course and it all depends on why you’re doing it but to me I think I prefer to absorb chosen bits of ‘advice’ and mentally keep them in mind at the appropriate times. The one I never forget is to make photos that I want to and that I like, and which any manifesto or similar tends to take me away from; they have tended in the past to put me in a space of making photos for other people.
Ah, yes, that's the rub isn't it? Not making it prescriptive, and using it to help rather than hinder you to make work in an uninhibited way. I'm sure it's going to be a challenge to get my ideas down but I think it must be possible to have something simple and helpful, that roots me away from the constant pushes I seem to feel to make work that looks a certain way. I guess we'll see!
To me that is a very introspective and navel gazing approach which might get in the way of 'just being' and clogs up the artist. I suggest relaxing into your photography and be free and just do it. Just saying!
Thanks Audrey. I certainly do like to think about what I do and why I do it so I guess that could come across as navel gazing though I prefer to think of it as discovering/having intention and deliberation about my work 😁.
I'm sure you know what's best for you. I just felt that some of the items on the examples you quoted were so blindingly obvious as being unnecessary!
Your substack is always fun to read. I like the way you analyse yourself.
Thanks Julie. It's great to have your support and thankyou for reading my musings! 😁