Whats the deal? In New Orleans I got included in the same sentence with the work of the great photographer Edward Burtynsky, and now today I find out the sex worker photos are being compared to the images of the great photographer Nobuyoshi Araki.
Both Burtynsky and Araki are world class millionaire seller type photographers, very famous, internationally shown respected and recognized, with beautiful books and major gallery-museum shows. They are both major artists, creating work that will last forever. Araki I think has over 200 books to his name, they both have multiple film documentaries based on their work and life (check out YouTube).
I am obviously not in those guys class, but heck things still seems a bit out of wack. They have all of the above, and I am sitting in a security guardhouse working 12 night shifts making small money and getting rejected on a daily basis from local smallish galleries. I am not by anyway comparing my work to the these two greats but heck is there no sort of minor league situation for me (and other photogs)? They can be the major league pitchers but cannot we at least be a minor leaguers? Single A ball? Double AA?
I mean I am struggling along doing my security deal, barely making ends meet, begging for money on my blog, begging to get artist grants, doing workshops for $100, saving and squirming, trying to find anyway to make my photographs and these two dudes have so so so much. I wish I could earn 1/2% of what Araki gets and 1/2% of what Burtynsky makes then I could retire from this security gig that I have been doing for 20 years now and devote myself to my photography full time! Imagine that, doing photography 24/7 for the rest of my life, that would be fricken COOOOOL!!!! Heck I would be happy if I sold 1 print a year, currently I am not on that pace.
Even better than the money stuff would be getting work into major or at least minor venues like Araki and Burtynsky do with effortless ease. Gosh I am struggling to get the work seen anywhere, anytime. Local galleries are saying sorry they do not want to show the stuff, yet these same photos are being noticed and written about by journalists half a world away. Whats the deal on that! How can your work be talked of in the same paragraph as Nobuyoshi Araki and yet still receive rejection after rejection after rejection at local small Canadian galleries. Its all rather frustrating and confusing.
I think we need a minor league pay and gallery show scale system for us struggling photographer security guards : ). Throw us guys a bone now and again.
Anyway I need to get by all that and just keep working hard and creating. It's nice to be mentioned and talked about in the same breath as a great, that will help my ego for quite a while. Araki is an idol to me and thinking of this will help me put in the night shifts I need to so that I can get the money together to return to Asia and photograph again.With lots more security hours and saving maybe I can return to Asia at the end of year and make new work. Of all the wonderful things life has to offer making new pics is the thing I love doing the most.
Both Burtynsky and Araki are world class millionaire seller type photographers, very famous, internationally shown respected and recognized, with beautiful books and major gallery-museum shows. They are both major artists, creating work that will last forever. Araki I think has over 200 books to his name, they both have multiple film documentaries based on their work and life (check out YouTube).
I am obviously not in those guys class, but heck things still seems a bit out of wack. They have all of the above, and I am sitting in a security guardhouse working 12 night shifts making small money and getting rejected on a daily basis from local smallish galleries. I am not by anyway comparing my work to the these two greats but heck is there no sort of minor league situation for me (and other photogs)? They can be the major league pitchers but cannot we at least be a minor leaguers? Single A ball? Double AA?
I mean I am struggling along doing my security deal, barely making ends meet, begging for money on my blog, begging to get artist grants, doing workshops for $100, saving and squirming, trying to find anyway to make my photographs and these two dudes have so so so much. I wish I could earn 1/2% of what Araki gets and 1/2% of what Burtynsky makes then I could retire from this security gig that I have been doing for 20 years now and devote myself to my photography full time! Imagine that, doing photography 24/7 for the rest of my life, that would be fricken COOOOOL!!!! Heck I would be happy if I sold 1 print a year, currently I am not on that pace.
Even better than the money stuff would be getting work into major or at least minor venues like Araki and Burtynsky do with effortless ease. Gosh I am struggling to get the work seen anywhere, anytime. Local galleries are saying sorry they do not want to show the stuff, yet these same photos are being noticed and written about by journalists half a world away. Whats the deal on that! How can your work be talked of in the same paragraph as Nobuyoshi Araki and yet still receive rejection after rejection after rejection at local small Canadian galleries. Its all rather frustrating and confusing.
I think we need a minor league pay and gallery show scale system for us struggling photographer security guards : ). Throw us guys a bone now and again.
Anyway I need to get by all that and just keep working hard and creating. It's nice to be mentioned and talked about in the same breath as a great, that will help my ego for quite a while. Araki is an idol to me and thinking of this will help me put in the night shifts I need to so that I can get the money together to return to Asia and photograph again.With lots more security hours and saving maybe I can return to Asia at the end of year and make new work. Of all the wonderful things life has to offer making new pics is the thing I love doing the most.
