Magnum workshop
This weekend I had a chance to attend a workshop run by three distinguished Magnum photographers: Martin Parr, David Hurn and Mark Power at the London Magnum offices. (They called it a Magnum ‘Masterclass’ but that term to me implies that the 24 participants (including me) were selected on the basis of our photographic work, but it was more mundane than that - everybody who could cough up £300 could participate – so I’d prefer the term ‘workshop’).
This was a highly instructive and entertaining weekend with these photographers. Each of the photographers presented their impressive body of work and also did portfolio reviews with each of the participants… So it was interesting for me to get some feedback and perspective from Parr and Power on my recent work on the underpasses…
And obviously there have been a few bonmots during the weekend… Here are some of the sound bites during the presentations and in conversations during the lunch and tea break…
Hurn on being with Magnum: “…the great thing about being with Magnum is that you always have someone next to you who is better than you are... which in incredibly valuable for your own progression…”
Hurn on being a photographer: “… Fifty-two years of having fun while trying to avoid dying of malnutrition…”
Hurn on working as a freelancer: “…those days I was working as a freelancer… which really meant I did not know what I was doing…”
Parr on photographers: “…we photographers are all a bunch of sobby leftist nostalgists who love to photograph nostalgia… I am more interested in photographing things that are in rude health… things that represent the zeitgeist…”
Parr on his obsession for collecting things: “…I have the largest Saddam Hussein watches collection… and I am an e-bay junkie… so if you ever bid on e-bay on Saddam Hussein watches and you see ‘bookjunkie’ bidding against you, that is me…”
Parr on England: “… I am the quintessential British photographer… but also have this love – hate relationship with England… so taking pictures about England is a form of therapy for me…”
Power: “… if it wasn’t for the £200 that this picture editor gave me of his own money, which allowed me to continue with my photography, I would not be sitting here and presenting my photographs but making very bad furniture…”
Power: “…I started as a painter in art school but then I went to a Don McCullin exhibition which totally moved me… in a way a Rothko painting could never move me… so I decided that I wanted to be a photographer… I even sent Don McCullin a letter and he even – surprisingly – replied, saying that the third world did not need another photographer and that I should look for a different subject to photograph…”.
This was a highly instructive and entertaining weekend with these photographers. Each of the photographers presented their impressive body of work and also did portfolio reviews with each of the participants… So it was interesting for me to get some feedback and perspective from Parr and Power on my recent work on the underpasses…
And obviously there have been a few bonmots during the weekend… Here are some of the sound bites during the presentations and in conversations during the lunch and tea break…
Hurn on being with Magnum: “…the great thing about being with Magnum is that you always have someone next to you who is better than you are... which in incredibly valuable for your own progression…”
Hurn on being a photographer: “… Fifty-two years of having fun while trying to avoid dying of malnutrition…”
Hurn on working as a freelancer: “…those days I was working as a freelancer… which really meant I did not know what I was doing…”
Parr on photographers: “…we photographers are all a bunch of sobby leftist nostalgists who love to photograph nostalgia… I am more interested in photographing things that are in rude health… things that represent the zeitgeist…”
Parr on his obsession for collecting things: “…I have the largest Saddam Hussein watches collection… and I am an e-bay junkie… so if you ever bid on e-bay on Saddam Hussein watches and you see ‘bookjunkie’ bidding against you, that is me…”
Parr on England: “… I am the quintessential British photographer… but also have this love – hate relationship with England… so taking pictures about England is a form of therapy for me…”
Power: “… if it wasn’t for the £200 that this picture editor gave me of his own money, which allowed me to continue with my photography, I would not be sitting here and presenting my photographs but making very bad furniture…”
Power: “…I started as a painter in art school but then I went to a Don McCullin exhibition which totally moved me… in a way a Rothko painting could never move me… so I decided that I wanted to be a photographer… I even sent Don McCullin a letter and he even – surprisingly – replied, saying that the third world did not need another photographer and that I should look for a different subject to photograph…”.
posted by rupert beagle at 6:26 pm
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