Photokina 2008 - Cologne, Germany

Minox Girl at Photokina 2008, Cologne, Germany
I have mixed emotions about Photokina 2008. On one hand, it's interesting and kind of fun, and on the other hand, it's disgusting and nauseating. 

Overall, it's an exercise in greed, consumption, overindulgence, etc. all of things people say that I'm (and most Americans) an expert in. Seriously, it was disturbing to be there as the economy (Wall Street) in America was tanking, not to mention the ongoing suffering and hunger throughout the world. It's just hard to reconcile all of it looking at $5,000 (USD) cameras and $10,000 (USD) printers. Mostly, it was middle-aged men drooling over phalic toys they couldn't afford. C'mon, nothing is that important! Maybe I'm just getting old and soft (I can validate the "soft", it's true).

My main bitch is that it was €21 Euros to get into the place (that's $32 U.S. dollars today). Are we paying to get into a place to see what we want to buy? We're paying people to advertise to us!! Wow!! Wrap your head around that one!

My praises: There were some pretty interesting advancements in technology. The printers were unbelievable. All of them cranking out huge (8' x 12') color digital prints (if it's big, it's important)! They called it the "fine art printing section." The underwater cameras were pretty cool too. Not that I would ever need any of this stuff, but you know, it was kind of fun to see.

Billy Cargile, my new co-worker went with me. We didn't really want too stay long. We just wanted to hit some of the highlights and head back south. It was a 3.5 hour drive back because of traffic jam (Stau) just outside of Cologne. It's always fun to wrap a day of consumption around a 4 hour traffic jam. Yummy!

I suppose it was a good excuse to get out of the studio take a long drive and bum around Cologne again (it's a great city). As a side note, Cologne (Köln) is a very progressive and art centered city. I've been to a couple of art shows in Köln that I really enjoyed. The people are great too.

Back to Photokina... am I going to Photokina 2010.. ? No - been there done that and got the Minox ad to prove it.

Billy Cargile at Photokina - September, 2008

Evolving Theory About Art

I recently started reading, "Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images" by Terry Barrett. It's an excellent book, I highly recommend reading it.  I've read it once or twice in the past, but it's one of those books that seem to change everytime you read it - you always find new and relevant insight.

Anyway, when I came across Allan Sekula's quote from "Dismantling Modernism" I was stunned. It was almost like I had thought that very thing but couldn't ever get it out (in written word). This quote sums up my theory about art and my purpose for making it. It's an evolution of understanding and it changes over time.

"Suppose we regard art as a mode of human communication, as a discourse anchored in concrete social relations, rather than a mystified, vaporous and ahistorical realm of purely affective expression and experience”.
Allan Sekula, “Dismantling Modernism” (1978)

Oh, and these are my new "Q" cards:

Quinn's new cards.

My Teaching Philosophy: It’s About Questions, Not Answers

I'm reminded daily of how much I don't know. Or, I question daily what I think I do know. I’ve often thought about doing some in-depth studying on epistemology. I think it’s a fascinating topic. Knowledge, how we know what we know, shapes our world view and accordingly dictates how we act and live.

These ideas seem to put a lot of responsibility on people who have a lot of influence. People like teachers, preachers, politicians and even pop-stars. I’m constantly being swayed by the power and potential "difference-making" of teaching, maybe even preaching. It’s something in me, and I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s just my ego, my need for attention, but I doubt it. It feels much more powerful than that. Sometimes, it feels like the same emotion of warning people of danger. Urgency comes to mind. Other times, it’s like the knowledge of revelation. Knowing something that needs to be said or taught and passing it on. In other words, it feels like I’m a participant in life, not a spectator. And I’m trying to do my part in the chain of human progression, one tiny word (or idea, thought, action) at a time to pull people off of the bleachers and into the game.

We talk a lot about the “what” in life but rarely the "why". The greatest gift education gave me was to question. Not the kind of questioning that you may relate to authority. Questioning like, “What is my purpose for taking space and sucking oxygen?” and one that has been rolling around in my head for a couple of years now, “Why did the Holocaust happen?” There aren’t any answers to these questions, not definitive anyway. However, I think people need to talk about these kinds of things - you know get ideas and philosophies out there for people to think about. We are in wars and have all kinds of problems because we don't ask or offer questions, we always think we know the answers.

I was fortunate to recently meet, and quickly befriend Elke. She is a cleaning lady in my building where I work. She asked if I would make her portrait. I gladly said, "Ja, Klar". She spent a couple of hours with us today making photographs, drinking espresso and talking about our lives. Although I'll use her image in my series about the German past (and she knows this), she is a very kind and loving person. I don't meet many Germans like Elke. Vielen dank für alles Elke.

Elke Wössner Putzfrau - Viernheim, Deutschland 23.08.08

Update on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 2:23 by Quinn Jacobson

A very sad update: Elke died of cancer. It's a loss for everyone that knew her. She will be missed. Rest in peace, Elke.

Change Is Good, We Need It

I enjoy change. I don’t fear it or loathe it like some people do. When you get too comfortable, bad things start to happen. Sometimes, the undesirable things are happening and you don’t even know it!

My belief is that you have two ways to move in life; you either “evolve” or “devolve” - there’s no sitting on the fence. If you’re “evolving” or progressing, you will be acutely present to your accomplishments. If you’re “devolving” you may not be aware of it at all. Distractions or superficial things seem to get in the way. They prevent you from doing what you really want or need to be doing.

That’s my deep philosophical introduction to my move to a new server and new web site. It’s definitely progress for me. I hope you like it.

Kristallnacht Lecture: Mannheim High School

On Monday, April 28, I was invited (by Summer's teacher) to be a guest speaker in two honor history classes. Summer had told her about my project. I was happy to oblige. If you know me, you know that I rarely turn down an opportunity to have people listen to what I say and look at what I make. Needless to say, I accepted.

The classes, one with about 10 students and the other with about 18, just started reading Elie Wiesel’s, “Night”.  This is a powerful and disturbing account of the Wiesel family’s torture and suffering in the concentration camps of Germany and Poland. Although my project is directly related to the Holocaust, it’s (Kristallnacht) more obscure and less known.

I started by asking definition of words like “anti-Semitism” and “pogrom”. I talked about what I believe caused the world to turn against the Jews and to allow the near annihilation of them. For me, it was important to stress that living in Germany and understanding this history changed how I viewed the world. How living here made an abstract idea, a real life “concrete” event for me.

I quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." I talked about "indifference" and silence - or turning your head when bad things are happening to other people. I referenced this poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller too.

------------------
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
-------------------

I showed a 6 minute presentation I put together of my work so far and then took questions. It was very rewarding and I look forward to doing it again.