Know Your Art

Last night was the first class of my Portrait Photography course at Langara College.  The instructor, Andrew Tripp seems whip smart, funny, irreverent and a passionate devotee of portrait photography.  He named a long list of photographers who had inspired him to shoot as a young photographer -- who indeed had fired him to pick up a camera in the first place --  and whose work he both referenced and which had influenced his own work.  Some well know names, some names for me to look up. Juicy stuff!  It was, in a word, fabulous.  And a wonderful introduction to a teacher and potential mentor.  


It was a classic example of an artist paying tribute to the artists who had come before him, whose work had educated him, nourished and enlightened him, and ultimately emboldened him enough to set him on his own photographic path and artistic journey.  Tripp then asked the students to introduce themselves in turn, say where they were at with their photography, state their expectations for the class and share with the rest of us some of their favourite portrait photographers.


Now, in order to take the Portrait Photography class at Langara, it's important to understand that every one of the sixteen students (myself included) was required to take two semesters of Studio Lighting as a prerequisite, so none of my fellow scholars could really be called neophytes or newbies.  They are not just "interested" in photography, but are actively considering it as a possible career, and spending, in most cases, thousands of dollars of real money on tuition.  They are, in theory at least, real students of the art and craft of photography.  Not dabblers or dilettantes but future professional photographers.  And for many professional photographers, portraiture, whether it's commercial (weddings and family portraits), editorial, fashion, or fine art, or some combination of all of the above, is the bread and butter of a successful business.


I'll be honest, one of my favourite parts of any photography class or seminar is the image review, as it is always fascinating to see how other artists have interpreted an assignment or how they have captured an image of a subject which in many cases you yourself have shot.  But have captured something that looks completely different.  It's both amazing and revelatory. So I was really interested to see which photographers my fellow students would cite as sources of influence and  inspiration.  Me?  Off the top of my head I'm pretty sure I named Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, Albert Watson, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Bill Brandt, and David Bailey.  Over the years, these are the portrait photographers whose books I have collected.


I have to say I was left stunned by the end of my class.  One other photographer named more than one photographer.  And I'm not sure Ellen von Unwerth would really be categorized as a portrait photographer, given her elaborate settings and set pieces.  Nor Steve McCurry, the extraordinary photographer famed for his National Geographic work, in spite of the fact that his Phaidon tome is actually titled, "Portraits".  But hey, I'll bite.  Annie Leibowitz got mentioned three or four times.  Celebrity at work, or a truly memorable photographer?  Vanity Fair or Rolling Stone as an influence?  Who's to say for sure.  Most of the class even fessed up that they had never even heard of any of the photographers I mentioned; well, in the interests of accuracy, their names, "didn't ring a bell".


I couldn't help but think to myself, "Which photographer's work ARE they conversant with?"


How is it possible to fully appreciate an art form unless you have a working knowledge and understanding of the artists who preceded you?  


Next week, I interpret the work of George Hurrell.  I'm pretty sure I have a book on him tucked away on a book shelf somewhere...