remerge

Good work is good work

remergeinfo@gmail.com

(all images copyright respective photographers)
C’est la vie c’est la va…. It’s been awhile since Ive posted—I had some work, an out of town visitor and got a new cat that turned out to be sick and needed some nursing. But anyhow, Ive been feeling pretty nostalgic the last few weeks and that has guided my internet journeys…and that led me to search for a photographer whose work I admire very much, and, yes, another photographer who doesnt seem to be generating tons of interest so much anymore: Maya Goded. In case you arent familiar with her work, let me describe it this way: intimate, lyrical and empathetic. And here is where the nostalgia is pumping through my veins. I remember a time (not so long ago really) when this kind of work really was the goal, this intersection of craft, storytelling and genuine interest in the subject being photographed. Goded’s book, Good Girls is an exceptional example of this, and something I dont think we really see so much of anymore. Probably because this ability to tell stories, care about them and invest time with the subjects just takes so much energy and hard work. And in this internet, social media age maybe our patience has eroded and our thirst for instant gratification and instant “rock star” status is so out of control. Goded was a nominee of Magnum back in 2002 and never went any further in the process. Not that it matters, not at all. You can see that that didnt stop her one bit. Check out her website for a real treat, here.

C’est la vie c’est la va….

It’s been awhile since Ive posted—I had some work, an out of town visitor and got a new cat that turned out to be sick and needed some nursing. But anyhow, Ive been feeling pretty nostalgic the last few weeks and that has guided my internet journeys…and that led me to search for a photographer whose work I admire very much, and, yes, another photographer who doesnt seem to be generating tons of interest so much anymore: Maya Goded.

In case you arent familiar with her work, let me describe it this way: intimate, lyrical and empathetic. And here is where the nostalgia is pumping through my veins. I remember a time (not so long ago really) when this kind of work really was the goal, this intersection of craft, storytelling and genuine interest in the subject being photographed. Goded’s book, Good Girls is an exceptional example of this, and something I dont think we really see so much of anymore. Probably because this ability to tell stories, care about them and invest time with the subjects just takes so much energy and hard work. And in this internet, social media age maybe our patience has eroded and our thirst for instant gratification and instant “rock star” status is so out of control.

Goded was a nominee of Magnum back in 2002 and never went any further in the process. Not that it matters, not at all. You can see that that didnt stop her one bit. Check out her website for a real treat, here.

Mark Power speaks, worth a listen (read)

“The history of photography is littered with people who were successful after one project and couldn‘t deal with the pressures that came with that. I’m a photographer because first and foremost I love what I do. Any success that might come along with that is wonderful, but it’s incidental.

It took me a long time to get to this point. I still don’t have any money because I plough it into new projects, but that’s what I want to spend my money on. That’s the attitude you need to have. You either do it properly or not at all, because if you do it half-heartedly you won’t have success or at least it won’t last – you’ve got to want it right to the core of your bones.”

Many years ago, I came across a photo book about Cuba called Illustratives: Cuba in the 90s. It’s a rather cumbersome title that does not belie what you see when you open its covers. The book is a masterpiece of poetic reportage by the Argentinian photographer Pablo Cabado. I had not heard of him before. Previously, the photographers I had associated with Cuba were, of course, David Alan Harvey and Ernesto Bazan. On his website, it says that Cabado was born in Buenos Aires and studied photography in Mexico. Also according to his bio, he won the ICP Young Photographer of the Year award in 1989. What is interesting to me is that after all of that attention, you dont really hear about Cabado much. Not surprising really, I guess he doesnt tweet or have a blog. But maybe he’s just more interested in making pictures. Indeed, the last part of his bio says, ”Cabado currently lives and works in Buenos Aires. He photographs with a large format camera (8x10” and 4x5”) and travels in his 1971 Ford Falcon.” How wonderful, is there a workshop I can take to figure out how to do that? Cabado has a wonderful website full of fantastic work, so go check it out here.

Many years ago, I came across a photo book about Cuba called Illustratives: Cuba in the 90s. It’s a rather cumbersome title that does not belie what you see when you open its covers. The book is a masterpiece of poetic reportage by the Argentinian photographer Pablo Cabado. I had not heard of him before. Previously, the photographers I had associated with Cuba were, of course, David Alan Harvey and Ernesto Bazan.

On his website, it says that Cabado was born in Buenos Aires and studied photography in Mexico. Also according to his bio, he won the ICP Young Photographer of the Year award in 1989. What is interesting to me is that after all of that attention, you dont really hear about Cabado much. Not surprising really, I guess he doesnt tweet or have a blog. But maybe he’s just more interested in making pictures. Indeed, the last part of his bio says, ”Cabado currently lives and works in Buenos Aires. He photographs with a large format camera (8x10” and 4x5”) and travels in his 1971 Ford Falcon.” How wonderful, is there a workshop I can take to figure out how to do that?

Cabado has a wonderful website full of fantastic work, so go check it out here.