Mayes/VII/PDN/WPP/MM/ETC
Written by David WhiteGreat interview about the future role of photographic competitions with Steve Mayes over on the magic PDN
“There’s not that much scope at the moment for multimedia projects in photographic competitions, because one has to ask, Are we judging the photography, or the way it’s used and presented? We have to grapple with that. Somehow [competitions] have to find a way to engage with photography in a wider context, and different formats. Maybe it means that the role of conventional competitions is gone, and something has to replace them. Or maybe the competitions have to adapt. I don’t know the answer.”
Discussion (2 Comments)
How about making a section of a competition that simply says “Best use of photographs in Multimedia” and let rip the innovation in the minds of the creatives?
JR printing portraits on favela walls for example and filming the process. What is wrong with that? It is using photography and using it amazingly.
Mayes might not know and nor do I in precise terms but give people the freedom the experiment and I bet they find ways nobody expects. Let go of that precious control.
Why are competition setters so perplexed by this?
“Are we judging the photography, or the way it’s used and presented?” – What is the difference? It is still photography… an image taken with a camera is an image and is still an image be it on a gallery wall, an editorial, on a mug, t-shirt or projected on duckrabbit’s bottom for that matter (not advocating – just a joke!). Its the STORY and it is about ENGAGING audiences
Why can’t everyone just relax about this and stop this sacred frame nonsense and get on with producing exciting innovation for an audience!
Why can’t the curatorial/editorial community just let the creativity pour out and stop limiting themselves and the potential for the medium by fighting for photography being this or that.
All this soul searching… what for?
Its a camera, its an image and thats it. Just ask that the frame has not been manipulated to misrepresent like you do anyway.
If that is what S Mayes is saying then great – I hope so!
Then he says this…
“World Press Photo has been putting a lot of effort into it by introducing juries of very different perspectives, including jurors such as [photographers] Oliver Chanarin, Peter Bialobrzeski, and [curator] Charlotte Cotton in the past few years.”
I mean give me a break. I have said this before… if you want interesting juries, ask documentary film directors say New Century Films in London, animation experts from say the OneDotZero people, advertising creative guru’s say from WPP, NGO’s reps say from MSF, print journalists from the New York Times to be part of the process instead.
Jeeez… why get 2 large format photographers and a curator who is a Head of Photography in a Museum of Art (no disrespect to OC/PB/CC as you personally are nothing to do with the point) and call that “putting a lot of effort into it by introducing juries of very different perspectives”?
….sigh.
It’s not rocket science is it?
Ah Steve Mayes… always good value…
Apropos to nothing…
There are more photographers than cowpats in NSW…