The first part of the book is "Making the Work," and is less of a "how to" than a "what is it." It explains, for example, what a body of work actually is and the value of having a large selection of work available for selective edits - I had a good handle on the former, but the latter was a new idea to me and very valuable. I also found that this section of the book reiterated in several ways the idea that creating a body of work is, at least in part, a trial-and-error process, requiring a plan, to be sure, but also requiring that we as artists have the flexibility to allow the process to unfold organically and to see what new ideas that brings up. I have found, in my own work, that letting the work tell me where it's going is often very helpful, so it's reassuring to read that this is a natural and accepted practice.
If I had to pick a part of the chapter that taught me the least, it would be the section on the stages of fine art and the one on residencies. Although each contained legitimately good information, the former seemed to be merely describing processes I've been through and/or am going through and that I'm pretty well aware of already. The information on residencies seemed like it was appropriate to programs more available to advanced artists than to those available to students, although I'm sure some of the advice applies to both. But the section seemed a little out of place here; it might better be included in a section on resources for artists or something along those lines.
Akin to your first reaction, I was reassured by the explanation that photographers are constantly revisiting the stages of experimenting and developing a style, narrating a series, and merging the two together.
ReplyDelete