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Re: [OM] IMG: More family and NYC scenes, 1949-50

Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: More family and NYC scenes, 1949-50
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:28:09 -0800
On 2/24/2016 1:58 PM, Ken Norton wrote:
...
AA was both a fine-art photographer and a commercial photographer. He
would use color materials if that's what the customer needed. But the
work that has stood the test of time is the fine-art photography
because that's the only work that was ever intended as being timeless.

The one thing I would add is that he also did fine-art photography in color, but the world is largely unaware of it because there was no way to present and sell it at the time. For a glimpse into this previously unavailable archive, take a swim through the book "Ansel Adams in Color". There's some damn fine work in there, beautifully reproduced.

I also object to the definitions implicit in the fine-art vs. commercial dichotomy you present. Most fine-art photography done by professionals is intended for sale, a commercial use. St Ansel's B&W fine art photography was (and is) a great commercial success.

OTOH, I think you overplay his work at what you label commercial photography, commissioned work where the client defines subject and purpose. I've seen originals of some of this, and it is distinctly pedestrian. Technically very competent, but blah. He really wasn't any good at people. Once the sales started taking off on the "art" stuff, he left "commercial" work (by your definition) behind. One might speculate that this would have been his preference, anyway, but a making a living from any trade goes where the money is, so that's where he would have gone in any case.

I think about all the commercial photography I've done through the
years and pretty much all of it ended up at the bottom of the birdcage
within 48 hours.

But you aren't famous, in the larger world, anyway. ;-) Everything Adams did that still existed when he started to get famous still exists, somewhere or other. His work for promotional materials for the Dominican College of San Rafael probably should have ended up like yours. Instead, it's preserved and occasionally put on public display. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Definitional Clarification Moose

--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?

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