Modest men, lovely men ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a follow-on from my 'Read this' post, here's a photograph I took of André Kertész with a cake that was made for his 90th birthday. It was July 1984 and he was at the Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford for the opening of a wonderful exhibition of his work. (It was there that I first came across the word 'festschrift' - a collection of works published in honour of an artist - because I bought a copy and still have it, signed by the great man himself .. )

I believe Salford artist Harold Riley had a lot to do with bringing this exhibition to life. I lived down the road from him and photographed him often. "I'm a painter," he modestly told a lady at an event one time. "Oh yes?" she replied. "Can you give me a quote to emulsion our front room!" ..

Modest men, lovely men. I hope they're chattering together excitedly in heaven ..

Ps: This is from an original print, on RC paper, with my hand-written caption up the side! 

Read this ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've splashed out £35 on David Hurn's new book 'On Reading', an homage to a 1984 book of the same name by the great André Kertész. That first book cost all of £2.50 (Technically $5.95, as I bought it in New York!) but I don't begrudge the higher price of David's book because - don't tell anybody - I think it's better than André's. His eye for a quirky moment conquers André's quietly contemplative photography, meaning there's so much more to see in the modern photographs ..

I own autographed books by both 'masters'. I got André's in person when I was lucky enough to meet him on his 90th birthday. Just got to wangle a meet with Mr Hurn now .. 

 

Grumpy old man ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned 64 yesterday, an age that didn't mean a thing until that bloody McCartney put it into a ditty, but I think it entitles me to be a moaning old fart from now on, so here goes ..

I mentioned that I'd gone to Paris last week, keen to taste for myself the 'Olympic' experience. The trip also gave me the opportunity to visit an exhibition by famed American photographer Stephen Shore, whose work delights and baffles me in equal measure. Can't say I was over-excited by the stuff he was showing this time, but it did make me a little bit miffed when I started to think of my own photography. 'I've got work like that', I found myself saying. 'I've done stuff like that, too'. So why are my pictures getting eight likes on Instagram and his are in a Parisian photo-gallery? Why are mine in a self-published book (Total sales so far .. 2!) and he's being fêted in the capital at such a momentous time in its history?..

Well, because he's good, of course (whatever that is) and he's already well-known and he was doing it all a long time before I was. But even so .. how does one get a break these days? I think I've missed the boat when it comes to gaining recognition as a photographer, but a little more interest would be nice. After all, the whole point of actually taking photographs is so that they can be seen, and we can't all be like Vivian Maier when it comes to keeping our talent under wraps ..

Anyway, I'd be interested in offers from any gallery (anywhere) to show my work. Publishers, please form an orderly queue and I will consider all your proposals seriously. Ad agencies? Happy to help. Magazines? Of course you can do a feature on me ..

One of my heroes, André Kertész, was about 168 before he got properly recognised, so I guess it's just a waiting game in the end. (Oh, I can hear you now. 'How dare he compare himself to the masters? But if you haven't got faith in your own work what have you got?) So have a little patience, Martin. Your time will come .. 

Ps: Stephen's photographs are the bottom two in my collage. My pair are at the top. Click to see them larger. Any thoughts?

PPS: Life isn't all bad (even though I am 64!!). I do have my range of self-published books, and Café Royal have recently published a little collection of my photography. And the travel shot (top left) is from my new book 'Riding the dirty dog', covering a Greyhound bus trip across America (in a week!) So there ..

What's that, nurse? Time for my medication?..