Winogrand

I've been going through the Winogrand, Figments from the Real World book (yes finally Matt). He comes across as a sort of Kerouac beat photographer - rough around the edges and clicking at a thousand frames a minute. Sort of like automatic typing. And I can understand the flash that such energy imparts into the world. At the same time - I have to admit that neither Kerouac nor Winogrand are my cup of tea.

What? Heresy? It's true. I could never finish On The Road. And looking through the Figments from the Real World makes me want to go find a good HCB book to flip through. And what's even worse is Winogrand was from my old neighborhood - well close enough to call it my old neighborhood.

I know how it happens. The early shots - full of energy - tone - the things that excite you when you first start - get warped over by theory. Or maybe we all just run out of steam at some point.

Throw out the old - in with the new - throw out the technique - replace with something different. Stream of consciousness.

And - to make matters more inexplicable - the shots that I found myself staring at the most were the Rodeo shots; the Texas shots; the application of a New York sensibility to a foreign landscape. Those shots I liked a lot.

I'll just consider this part one for now - and don't know if there will be a part two - but if there is - who knows - my reaction may be completely different.