Alec SothNatalia
from the series "Fashion Magazine"
Alec SothSonia
from the series "Fashion Magazine"
Alec SothJane
from the series "Fashion Magazine"
I very much enjoyed the lecture given yesterday by Alec Soth. His manor was very engaging as he seemed to strike the right balance between humor and seriousness. I appreciated that he began the lecture by speaking about other photographers, giving quotes and explaining how their work influenced him and his photographic journey. Even the title he had given to his lecture, "A Paralyzed Cyclops in the Democratic Jungle," was a reference to quotes and work by David Hockney and William Eggleston, respectively. It was refreshing to hear someone at that level of success refer to and reference other photographers so often. I am reminded of previous artist lectures where the artist simply spoke about themselves and their own work the entire time. Soth allowed us into his art making world and made the point of the lecture about the journey and not the final product, which very much relates to his images and the way he creates them.
In a world where everyone has a camera and "people with cell phone cameras are taking the great documentary pictures of our time," Soth believes that the way to rise above that is through storytelling or narrative photography, which is not a dramatic arch from start to finish but a series of unconnected points that together form a whole. To have him explain it in this way was very helpful to me as I seek to often tell a narrative of sorts within my own images and have at times gotten lost in the details of telling a classically fashioned story, which is not entirely necessary or pragmatic . He also made a comment that helped me to put the "entire world as photographers" into perspective. He said, "It is not hard to make one great image but to make a great series is difficult." That is what sets those of us trained in photography apart from those who simply snap a great photo once and a while. It is easy for me to get discouraged sometimes when I see people who do not have the education or experience that I do, be praised for taking great pictures. It is a jungle out there but those who work the hardest and want it the most will ultimately rise above the masses and I think Soth is right in believing that storytelling is the perfect way to do it.
