Interview with Trent Parke on his new project: Black Rose Diaries

Thanks for the heads-up!

And for those unfamiliar with Trent Parke, I can also recommend this slide-show with his voiceover about the "Minutes to Midnight" project he mentions in the interview above:
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/midnight

Watch it, and if you develop film yourself, marvel at the pictures of filmstrips drying in the open landscape. Parke developed his film on the road (two years, 90000 kilometers through Australia in a car with his partner, and a baby born towards the end of the trip. )
Not everybody's cup of tea I suppose, but there is no denying he is working his ass off for his vision.

Greetings, Ljós
 
Ljós said:
Thanks for the heads-up!

And for those unfamiliar with Trent Parke, I can also recommend this slide-show with his voiceover about the "Minutes to Midnight" project he mentions in the interview above:
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/midnight

Watch it, and if you develop film yourself, marvel at the pictures of filmstrips drying in the open landscape. Parke developed his film on the road (two years, 90000 kilometers through Australia in a car with his partner, and a baby born towards the end of the trip. )
Not everybody's cup of tea I suppose, but there is no denying he is working his ass off for his vision.

Greetings, Ljós
Click to expand...

Perhaps, that book of his would have had more authenticity had he acknowledged the influence of Moriyama.

His a complete rip off of other photographers. Both in b&w and color.
 
Hsg said:
Perhaps, that book of his would have had more authenticity had he acknowledged the influence of Moriyama.

His a complete rip off of other photographers. Both in b&w and color.
Click to expand...

I suppose Moriyama didn't rip off others? And what the hell is ripping off someone even mean here? If I shoot street stuff with a Rolleiflex am I ripping off Vivian Maier? Why can't you just appreciate his work for what it is - good photography
 
stompyq said:
I suppose Moriyama didn't rip off others? And what the hell is ripping off someone even mean here? If I shoot street stuff with a Rolleiflex am I ripping off Vivian Maier? Why can't you just appreciate his work for what it is - good photography
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To your point, artist have been influenced by other work and have carried on that influence in their own work for a very long time. Someone who's work can speak for itself said it best:

"Good artists copy, great artists steal"…….Pablo Picasso.
 
Hsg said:
Perhaps, that book of his would have had more authenticity had he acknowledged the influence of Moriyama.

His a complete rip off of other photographers. Both in b&w and color.
Click to expand...

Are you ever positive about anything? Moriyama had influences too... look at William Klein's NYC stuff from the mid 50s and you'll see a huge influence. Also, Shōmei Tōmatsu.
 
And if he was such a charlatan, the notoriously fickle Magnum wouldn't have made him a member…
 
I really like Trent Parke's previous B&W work. I don't think The Camera is God, and the examples used, move me like Minutes to Midnight, Dream/Life, or The Seventh Wave. I'd personally like to see larger edits of this previous work.

Whereas Moriyama's work, which I also like, is very stream-of-consciousness (reminiscent of Instagram feeds in hi-contrast b&w), Parke's work is more thoughtful, especially his edits.

I can't draw the line to connect the dots just because it's contrasty b&w...I think Trent Parke is genius with light and shadow on film, all the while adding social commentary. It's more thought-provoking than Moriyama's work, which I think is more emotion-provoking and (almost literally) from-the-hip.

Please understand, I'm no art critic, and these are just my opinions. I also like Anders Petersen and Jacob Aue Sobol, but again don't connect too many dots (ok...maybe between Petersen and Sobol :)
 
jsrockit said:
Are you ever positive about anything?
Click to expand...

What do you mean by positive?

Am I not positive by what you think is something positive, or do you have an exact idea of what is positive?

Please let me know, I'd like to know, so I can change.
 
Hsg said:
Perhaps, that book of his would have had more authenticity had he acknowledged the influence of Moriyama.

His a complete rip off of other photographers. Both in b&w and color.
Click to expand...

You're right! I just e-mailed Trent demanding he answer the charges and here's his reply: "You got me mate! Guilty as charged. I carry a Moriyama cheat sheet that I consult prior to taking each photo. While I'm at it I'll tell you some more -- I set my camera to P for professional. Now that I've made a public acknowledgement and an RFF (parody) exclusive, I trust that my authenticity is restored. Thank you. Please lets not make a mockery of this -- there's nothing wrong with giving a $2.99 blue night light as a baby shower gift for a girl baby."

As for the Black Rose Diaries -- I'm sure these pictures of film grain -- I mean grainy pictures will look nice on gallery walls. However, for me, this type of thing is less appealing than a photographer making what I call a genuine photo. Why? Because it's so much easier -- like walking downhill compared to climbing Mt Everest -- to make a pretty photo with the film grain route than it is to -- well you know. And Trent's Minutes To Midnight -- was a big effort. Now once someone is famous, they can be self-indulgent and people will offer praise. I do like the sample so of the Rose Diary image - but I like silver halides -- just have to keep it in perspective.
 
Ohh, I've saved the interview and the video, I've got a copy of the minutes to midnight book, and it is easily one of my favourites of his. I am not sure on the christmas tree bucket yet... need a few more viewings to gauge it better.

Thanks again!
 
NY_Dan said:
You're right! I just e-mailed Trent demanding he answer the charges and here's his reply: "You got me mate! Guilty as charged. I carry a Moriyama cheat sheet that I consult prior to taking each photo. While I'm at it I'll tell you some more -- I set my camera to P for professional. Now that I've made a public acknowledgement and an RFF exclusive, I trust that my authenticity is restored. Thank you. Please lets not make a mockery of this."
Click to expand...

Brilliant....
 
Hsg said:
Perhaps, that book of his would have had more authenticity had he acknowledged the influence of Moriyama.

His a complete rip off of other photographers. Both in b&w and color.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you could recommend a photographer (or any other artist) that has not been influenced by another? And like Moriyama himself it isn't necessary for an artist to reference their influences every time they open their mouths or show a piece of work.
 
SWB said:
Perhaps you could recommend a photographer (or any other artist) that has not been influenced by another? And like Moriyama himself it isn't necessary for an artist to reference their influences every time they open their mouths or show a piece of work.
Click to expand...

Deep breaths. Next week it will be 7 years since SWB, whoever s/he/they are or were, logged in to Rangefinder Forum. This thread started in 2014 - one of the problems with resurrecting zombie threads is that old, forgotten arguments are revived like the pathogen infecting corpses to become the living dead.

It's gone. Please consider letting it go.

Marty
 
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