The Genius of Photography

by Gerry Badger

published

September 7th 2007 by Quadrille Publishing Ltd

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binding

Hardcover, 256 pages

isbn

1844003639 (isbn13: 9781844003631)

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Paul rated it:

09/26/08

bookshelves: modern-culture-innit

Photography is the crossroad where opposing ideas smash right into each other because all the lights are on green permanently. It's realistic, it's artificial, it's revolutionary, it's reactionary, it's exploitative, it's celebratory, it's pornographic, it's erotic, it's banned, it's compulsory, it's banal, it's exciting, it's everywhere, and anyone can do it. The democratic art. Looking through this book I was thrilled by the greatness of many of these photos, bemused by the ordinariness of oth...more Photography is the crossroad where opposing ideas smash right into each other because all the lights are on green permanently. It's realistic, it's artificial, it's revolutionary, it's reactionary, it's exploitative, it's celebratory, it's pornographic, it's erotic, it's banned, it's compulsory, it's banal, it's exciting, it's everywhere, and anyone can do it. The democratic art. Looking through this book I was thrilled by the greatness of many of these photos, bemused by the ordinariness of others, and depressed by the pretentious wankery in the explicatory comment. Taken at random:

"one of his pictures seemed very much like another, but that was deliberate"

"Prince's photograph is a copy of an image based upon illusion and myth, and meditates upon both the creation of images and their consumption within our society. Of course, for a minority of commentators, Prince has merely taken someone else's hard work and made a million"

"the artist sets up a continual dialogue with the viewer about the nature of water and how we might regard the surface of a river as a reflection of ourselves and our collective psyches"

Over and over, our author Gerry Badger presents such tired old cliches as if they were gems of insight, as if they were actually worth writing down in the first place. I think writing about photography must damage the brain, I don't know why. This is a beautiful looking book, with great layout and a feel of generosity in its acceptance of so many genres of photos - and what an electric charge I got on seeing (page 14 and 15) the very first photograph of a person (in 1838 or 39, a guy in the Boulevard du Temple having his shoes shined) - and how horrible is the photo by Lee Miller of a Nazi suicide on p 97 - and - and - well, I could list half of the book like that - but eventually I had to give up reading the text, the photos pulled me up and the writing pushed me down. So, friends, this is the ideal book to look through carefully when you're next in a bookshop! (Five stars for the photos, 1 star for the text, average - 3 I guess).

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