Photo credits and ICP exhibit

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I just got back from an opening of an exhibition in NYC. Two of my photos are in the new exhibit called entitled Booming Out: Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York. Sometimes I wish curators would make better choices in image selection. Darn it all! Besides my irritation with their choices, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian forgot to give me credit for my efforts. Bummer! And yes I’ll be vigorously looking into the matter. But alas my ego has already been bruised.

Question: Has anyone encountered this situation before? Sometimes I think photography is an afterthought to some institutions. What does everything think?

While in the NYC I dropped in to see LEICA shooter, Eugene Smith’s magnum opus Pittsburgh exhibit at ICP. Now this is a Photography Museum! The light, space, layout…. not to mention the coffee at the snack bar. J It was my second visit to this Mecca of photography and I would recommend it to everyone in this forum. Smith’s photography BTW is inspiring and moving in person. I would say standing face to face with his prints is an education in itself…much more so than any book or magazine reproduction could ever offer. Even though the images were meant for publication. My only criticism is the lighting that made some prints a bit on the dark side. I suspect Smith printed them with much brighter viewing conditions in mind.

Question: Any comments on ICP or the Smith exhibit?

-- Martin (amloft@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

Re: "...Sometimes I think photography is an afterthought to some institutions."

In my experience, institutions of all kinds (including newspapers and magazines) seem to be developing a rather cavalier attitude about photo credits, except where the photogapher is perceived to be in or above the social class that the institution perceives itself to be in. Many individuals in these institutions have begun to think of a photo credit as a sort of "favor" to the photographer, and often consider this "favor" so big as to expect the photographer to cherish it above (and I apologize in advance for the following language, lest I offend) payment for usage.

-- Jim Lennon (jim@jmlennon.com), April 27, 2002.


Martin, I believe that Smith printed them for reproduction, not exhibition. The subdued lightlng is meant to protect the prints, as they are often the only ones in existance. My only criticism was that the salon style hanging made it difficult to see some of prints hung on the top row, at least for vertically challenged viewers like myself. Otherwise, excellent show.

-- Steve Wiley (wiley@accesshub.net), April 28, 2002.

Martin - Thanks for the heads of on the WES exhibit at ICP. Now I can round out my planned field trip on Thursday after the Ken Hansen Leica Day I'll head to the exhibit.

Best, J

-- John (jbee193@aol.com), April 28, 2002.


Martin,

I just returned from NYC and found myself at ICP last Tuesday. I enjoyed the Smith exhibit, and was amazed at the powerful composition of his steel-worker images. Like you, I found the prints poorly lit on several walls. I then traveled down Broadway to the Leica Gallery with Ralph Gibson's prints for sale. very tempting.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), April 28, 2002.


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