Carolyn Hollingsworth on sat 2 may 98
Having started my formal art education as a photographer, I have been
inclined to defend that supposedly dishonest Geil photograph every time
someone on the list wags a finger at it. To me the object is question is as
guileless as it is Geil. I'd like to suggest a different way of looking at
the situation, and, at the risk of defending a horse being beaten to death
by popular opinion, here goes.
Now, suppose we think of it this way, folks. Suppose that you manufacture
kilns and, since baby always needs new shoes, you need to sell them. To
sell them via print material, you figure you need a photograph of one of the
things. You want this photograph to be as effective as possible so you hire
a professional photographer with a large format camera. The photographer is
attempting to make a living at his or her work, and, besides, still has a
number of payments to make on the large format rig, and is therefore going
to charge you significant bucks. Wow, this one shot is going to cost you
plenty but, hey, you can use it for years, so you say okay. Now you have to
schedule the shoot. Having the photographer camp out at your place with all
his equipment waiting for just the right moment isn't an option so you
schedule the shoot for a certain day. Maybe your firing that day will
present a beautiful face to the world, in fact, let's say that it does.
That doesn't mean that it will look gorgeous through the lens. That which
brings a proud broad smile to the face of the potter does not necessarily
translate well on to film.
You see where I am going here. If it were your big bucks being shelled out
and the photographer is saying to you that there is too much space, or dust,
or the arrangement could look better, or this corner is dull, let's get
these two good-looking types to fill it in, what would you do? Say no, no,
let's go with less than visually optimal and hope that our strict principles
engage the viewing public? This is advertising not cinema verite. Is it
misleading? Depends on how you look at it. To me it seems that the message
of the photograph is, hey, look at this, good stuff by a potter I recognize
and two others that I don't can be made in this kiln. Now, if I am really
in the market for this kind of equipment, and I still have any business
inquiring once I have asked the price, that is when I will point out that,
clever me, I know the picture was not a spur of the moment snapshot, and ask
all the other questions: was it all from one load, all the same glaze, do
you get reds throughout the kiln, and all the other questions that have been
brought up on the list. Now, if the answers are deceptive, THAT'S
misleading. The ad was just to get my attention so that I would ask the
questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Hollingsworth
Atlanta, Georgia
Bjorn Straube on sun 3 may 98
Along those lines, when was the last time anyone went to a fast food (or not
so fast food) restaurant and received a burger (or whatever) that looked like
the works of culinary art advertised on TV? I know I never have. Seems like the
same thing to me, but most people just write that off. Of course there is a bit
of a price difference I had an interesting discussion about food, pots, and
advertising with Mel a while back. But, that's his story, not mine, so I'll let
him tell it if he wishes to.
Bjorn
Who doesn't even own a Geil
Carolyn Hollingsworth wrote:
> > You see where I am going here. If it were your big bucks being shelled out
> and the photographer is saying to you that there is too much space, or dust,
> or the arrangement could look better, or this corner is dull, let's get
> these two good-looking types to fill it in, what would you do? Say no, no,
> let's go with less than visually optimal and hope that our strict principles
> engage the viewing public? This is advertising not cinema verite. Is it
> misleading? Depends on how you look at it. To me it seems that the message
> of the photograph is, hey, look at this, good stuff by a potter I recognize
> and two others that I don't can be made in this kiln. Now, if I am really
> in the market for this kind of equipment, and I still have any business
> inquiring once I have asked the price, that is when I will point out that,
> clever me, I know the picture was not a spur of the moment snapshot, and ask
> all the other questions: was it all from one load, all the same glaze, do
> you get reds throughout the kiln, and all the other questions that have been
> brought up on the list. Now, if the answers are deceptive, THAT'S
> misleading. The ad was just to get my attention so that I would ask the
> questions.
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Carolyn Hollingsworth
> Atlanta, Georgia
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