QUESTION #1 DH: How do you feel
photography,
as an art form, has changed your life?
ANSWER RG: Well, it had considerable
impact
on the nature of how I perceive reality and myself, because through the
years
there have been certain constants in my work -- things that I have come
to
see and trust.
I have arrived at the place where things I trust
most
in my life are what I see reflected in my work. the rest of the time,
I’m
a highly erratic fellow, but the photographs probably say pretty much
what
I mean.
QUESTION #2 DH: How do you feel, in
general
terms, the aesthetics of photography has changed in your experience of
photography?
ANSWER RG: Well, in the first twenty years
of
my work, I watched photography go through any number of definitions.
It’s
gotten to the point where aesthetics center around the idea of
expanding
the definition of the medium, as opposed to it being considered a firm
tradition.
The medium is now recognized as an art form! It is
now
possible to do a number of different kinds of things, which haven’t
been
previously considered or regarded. I think we owe a lot of this
awareness
to the fact that things like “Life” magazine and television prepared
our
culture to be sophisticated -- visually. Now people are prepared to
consider
a lot more. At one time it was landscape, then it moved into the
documentary
image, and then it moved into photo-journalism, and then it moved into
whatever
you choose to do.
QUESTION #3 DH: Do you feel the
motivations
of young photographers today differs from your original motivations
when
you began working with photography?
ANSWER RG: Yes I do. The problem is
somewhat
of a double edge sword, because now the camera, materials, and the
audience
are all very aware and responsive. As a result, I see many young
photographers
in their early twenties who demand a great deal of attention, and
consider
their own work in very high regard. Some of them are not willing to
take
the time perhaps others have found it necessary to take, to develop
their
work. I mean, now we have a sophisticated media culture, that people
want
to pass through very quickly, and I think most young photographers have
the
tendency to go off half-cocked. Minor White said, quite vividly, that
it
takes fifteen years to become a good photographer: but, it takes
fifteen
years to become a good plumber, or a good dentist, or a good lawyer or
carpenter!
QUESTION #4 DH: Do you think fine art
photography
has become “Big Business?”
ANSWER RG: I do not think photography has
or
will ever become “Big Business,” if you compare it with the art world
in
general. People might feel some kind of antipathy, I don’t know why,
that
a photographer can make a living from the sale of his prints, such as i
do.
However, it’s never going to be the same kind of living as a major
painter,
or major sculptor, or major musician, or major dancer is going to make,
because
regardless of how valuable those photographs are going to become, for
the
most part, they are not as valuable as a third-rate painting.
QUESTION #5 DH: How
do
the galleries for photography today compare with the photographic
galleries
when you first began to exhibit?
ANSWER RG: For one thing, the galleries of
today
are showing photographs because it is a creative thing for the
galleries
to do. The gallery dealer gets to exercise some of his or her
creativity.
Collectors are now getting into photography because
they
can use their taste, their own hunch, their own intuition in what they
like,
and the prices are accommodating. These collectors previously had to
spend
thousands and thousands of dollars for a painting. Now they can build a
major
photography collection for considerably less money, and have more fun
doing
it.
There is such a thing as a creative dealer and a
creative
collector. I see collections that are worth a lot of money, painting
and
sculptures that aren’t very good collections, and I see collections
that
are exquisite. The same thing is true of galleries -- some dealers will
just
sell you anything they can move, and other dealers will balance into
your
collection.
There is certainly less risk involved for dealers
now
than before, in terms of what it costs them to put on a show. Before,
shows
were critical successes, but the dealer generally lost money. Now, the
more
dynamic dealers have been able to stimulate their collectors and things
have
been getting more interesting that way. Consequently, one has the
opportunity
to show more.
I have about fifteen one man shows a year around the
world,
and it is very rare that nothing is acquired by collectors!
QUESTION #6 DH: If you have ever attempted
to
exhibit in a gallery, which was not dedicated to photography, (an “art
gallery”),
what was the response?
ANSWER RG: I’m more interested in showing
in
fine art galleries than specifically photography galleries because the
nature
of my concerns within my photographic work is such that, generally
speaking,
the audience in an art gallery is better prepared to understand what it
is
that I am doing.
QUESTION #7 DH: Why is that the case?
ANSWER RG: Because the history of art is
three
thousand years old. Photography essentially deals with a three
dimensional
reality, portrayed on a two dimensional picture plane. The aesthetics
of
photography are in their infancy. On the other hand, there are three
thousand
years of art history and information centered around dealing with the
two
dimensional picture plane as a concern.
QUESTION #8 DH: Do you perceive an influx
in
photography, and if you do, please characterize it?
ANSWER RG: Oh, of course, the medium is
completely
changing. For example: if I were to ask you what was the state of the
art
in photography at the turn of the last century, that would be easy to
answer,
if I could say what the most relevant concerns were in the medium in
1900.
Now, with an historical perspective, we can answer your question quite
clearly.
What I’m interested in right now, in the middle of
all
this tremendous activity, is -- I would like to ascertain, what is the
sate
of the art of photography today? What exactly are the most relevant
issues
that are being addressed?
I think that is a very complex and interesting
problem,
which I give a great deal of thought to, and I feel that, in fact, some
issues
in photography are more valid to pursue, in terms of this question,
than
others. I don’t particularly feel, in terms of my own needs, that it is
legitimate
for me to go over ground that has already been covered.
QUESTION #9 DH: Let’s take it from the
standpoint
of economy. Has there been an influx in fine art photography,
economically?
ANSWER RG: Of course. Well, as you know
there
has been a tremendous amount of research and technological development
that
has centered around the refinement of the materials in the medium. We
know
the fine art aspect of photography is relatively small, compared with
the
industry. All this technological advancement, at the same time, has
turned
out to be much to the advantage of the contemporary worker.
QUESTION #10 DH: Do you feel fine art
photography,
when you began, was an “underground” activity, with only few people
involved?
ANSWER RG: Yes, I do, very much so! I feel
and
remember, as recently as 1969, the major thrust of my exchange had to
do
with a very small peer group in New York that met regularly. Now, there
is
a much wider range of social intercourse, shall we say ...?
QUESTION #11 DH: How were you circulating
your
work at that time?
ANSWER RG: I wasn’t. I worked in the
closet
for the first twelve years of my career. That forced me to work
commercially,
which I hated.
QUESTION #12 DH: Has the circulation of
your
fine art photography made it possible for you to stop doing commercial
photography?
ANSWER RG: Yes! I haven’t done any
commercial
work since the publication of my book, “Somnambulist.”
QUESTION #13 DH: Is there an “established”
point
of view, opposed to an “avant-garde” point of view in fine art
photography,
and if you think there is, please characterize it?
ANSWER RG: Well, I think there is an
“established”
point of view -- however, I don’t think we have an academy.
I think there is a tremendous amount of discussion
going
on between the so-called “purist” approach or the documentary image,
which
is a very objective approach, and the more subjective workers. I think
there
is somewhat of a dichotomy there, and I think that it’s very, very good
that
it exists.
I find that if everyone thought the same about
photography,
it would be very dull and we couldn’t have the enormous amount of
activity
that we do have. We do have several different schools. And there are a
lot
of people who believe that one way is right, and other people who
believe
another way is right. my personal feelings are that I have a lot of
respect
for any kind of photography that is difficult to do and is done well. I
feel
that making a good photograph in any genre ia a considerable
undertaking,
and I can’t help but respect the results.
QUESTION #14 DH: Do you have anything more
you
would like to mention? I have no more questions.
ANSWER RG: Well, right now, in my own
work,
I’m dealing with problems of attempting to rely less on subject matter.
I’m
trying very hard to bring the picture plane forward, as opposed to
creating
the three dimensional picture window. I’d like the visual activity to
exist
between the surface of the print and the viewer, without the illusion
of
the activity transpiring from the picture plane back. I think, for me,
in
terms of my own efforts, this is a legitimate concern.
David Howard, art, artist,
photography, photographic, photographs, print, prints, director,
producer, exhibitions, exhibits, exhibit, painting, paint, studio,
studios, etching, silkscreens,
David Howard, art, artist,
photography, photographic, photographs, print, prints, director,
producer, exhibitions, exhibits, exhibit, painting, paint, studio,
studios, etching, silkscreens, silkscreen, contemporary art, Pop Art,
artist's story, journal, video, videos, documentary, documentaries,
books, book, asian, asia, Filipino, Philippines, Sacred Journey,
author, The Last Filipino Head Hunters, collections, collectables,
collectable, archives, archive, art, fine, contemporary, video, dvd,
documentary, Keith Haring, Nam June Paik, Christo, Lowell Nesbitt,
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Arnoldi, artists, studio visit, artist,
program, sculpture, painting, photography, prints, print, photo,
paintings, sculptures, keith haring,
christo, david howard, nam june paik, artseen, videos tape, programs,
documentaries, arts, world, san francisco, new york, los angeles
ANDY WARHOL, JOSEPH ALBERS,
ELLSWORTH KELLY, CLAES OLDENBURG, ROBERT MOTHERWELL, FRANK STELLA,
JAMES ROSENQUIST, ROBERT RAUSCHENBURG, KEITH HARING, CHRISTO, ROBERT
INDIANA, ROY LICHTENSTEIN, ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, ALICE NEAL, ARTISTS,
ART, ARTIST, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, SITE SPECIFIC, NAM JUNE
PAIK, KENNY SCHARF, LOWELL NESBITT,
LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, ARMAN ARMAN, CHARLES ARNOLDI, CHRIS BURDEN, ART
STUDIOS,
VIRTUAL REALITY, ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM, PRINT MAKING, ETCHING,
PAINTING,
HOLOGRAPHY, AFRICAN ART, WOODCARVING, MURAL. MURALS, COMPUTER ART,
FIGURATIVE
EXPRESSIONISM, IMPRESSIONISM, MULTI-MEDIA, MULTI MEDIA contemporary art, Pop Art,
artist's
story, journal, video, videos, documentary, documentaries, books, book,
asian, asia, Filipino, Philippines, Sacred Journey, author, The Last
Filipino
Head Hunters, collections, collectables, collectable, archives,
archive,
art, fine, contemporary, video, dvd, documentary, Keith Haring, Nam
June
Paik, Christo, Lowell Nesbitt, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Arnoldi,
artists, studio visit, artist, program, sculpture, painting,
photography,
prints, print, photo, paintings, sculptures, keith haring, christo,
david
howard, nam june paik, artseen, videos tape, programs, documentaries,
arts,
world, san francisco, new york, los angeles, ANDY WARHOL, JOSEPH ALBERS, ELLSWORTH
KELLY, CLAES OLDENBURG, ROBERT MOTHERWELL, FRANK STELLA, JAMES
ROSENQUIST, ROBERT RAUSCHENBURG, KEITH HARING, CHRISTO, ROBERT INDIANA,
ROY LICHTENSTEIN, ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, ALICE NEAL, ARTISTS, ART,
ARTIST, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, SITE SPECIFIC, NAM JUNE PAIK,
KENNY SCHARF, LOWELL NESBITT, LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, ARMAN ARMAN,
CHARLES ARNOLDI, CHRIS BURDEN, ART STUDIOS, VIRTUAL REALITY, ABSTRACT
EXPRESSIONISM, PRINT MAKING, ETCHING, PAINTING, HOLOGRAPHY, AFRICAN
ART, WOODCARVING,