9/24/09 Monica Garcia: Photographer's Forum

I’m getting a heads up on my blog this week because I’m going out of town and rather do it now then over the weekend. This week as I was in the darkroom working on my cyanotype prints there were some copies of the Photographer’s Forum and decided to read while I waited on the timer. In the magazine there is an article titled Vernacular Photography: Images of the Everyday by Claire Sykes. Basically its informing us about how pictures from the mid 20th century are making a come back but they are not professionally taken picture. We are talking about vernacular pictures, daily snap shots of everyday life that people use to take weather it was family portraits, vacation, or anything really. Several artist and historians are fascinated with these even though some maybe out of focus or totally random. There have been a few exhibits that feature these vernacular photos. Other argue that it is not really art and that it gives no credit to the really photographer. The argument that is made though is that even though we may not know who they belong to once they are left out and turned over for the public then it’s really a free for all, finders keepers. Last year during an artist speaker that we had in our class the artist actually gave us a gift and it was vernacular pictures. He said that he collects them any where he goes. They are pretty easy to get such as antique shops, E-bay, and virtually anywhere. Some are starting to find out that they are actually worth money. I found this interesting and the pictures in the magazine are fun to look at. I would recommend for you all to check it out when yall get a chance to. Until next time!