1st blog post is about another blog post…
Alec Soth on Sergio Larrain (clickable links like this will be italicized fyi)
This is a fascinating post because Soth, a great photographer , thinker and writer about photography brings up the thought of giving up on photography as he’s looking at the Aperture monograph of Larrain that includes letters he has written to various photographers including Joesph Koudelka and Henri Cartier Bresson. In one of the letters, written sometime in the 60’s, he writes about the struggles he faces making work solely to make work while balancing the financial aspect of surviving as a photographer as well. Around 60 years later and I feel exactly what he writes, battling the same battle and trying to figure it out with no roadmap. Photography is the newest artistic medium and has only recently been recognized as art, but not yet universally even.
HCB, and Robert Frank gave up photography and Soth has mentioned his desire to do so at times as well. Just like we all have thoughts on giving up on things, these are some of the most successful practitioners of the medium.
The blog post ends like this “With those words as inspiration, I think I’ll say adios to these weekly Popsicle posts. I’m wiped out after the recent Texas Triangle marathon (shooting, exhibition and publication in less than a month) and need a break from these weekly assignments. While it is frustrating to only complete 46 of the 52 posts, it isn’t like I’m quitting photography…yet.”