Digital BW, The Print

I was trying my best to avoid this topic, but here goes. 

 A show sponsored by GAP is a poor indicator (in my opinion) of the "state of the art" when 
it comes to digital printing as art. I have been involved with exhibitions put together by 
large national retailers and while they had good intentions and it traveled nationally, it was 
very uneven. I can't say, because I don't know, but would the Art Center have showed that 
work without the GAP name (and money) behind the project? Every art organization needs 
more money and attendance than they have (well except for may the Met) and as a result 
they sometimes are pulled into projects, for profit and glory. I don't blame them, but it is 
sad. 

As all photography has become part of a world of contemporary art in the broadest sense, 
many people will judge work using standards that are far removed from the more technical 
concerns of a list, such as this. It's normal, there is nothing wrong with it, but certainly 
some will find it disturbing.

When I was a student, (long, long ago in a far off galaxy) I walked into an exhibition of 
photographs by Bill Brandt at a major 57th street (NY) gallery and was surprised to 
realized that the prints were so badly spotted that I see it from across the room. It had a 
big impact on a skill that I was trying to master. Ultimately Brandt's work was still 
powerful. Bad pictures are still bad pictures even when the print is perfect and frame is 
expensive.

I am not defending the work in the show - I did not see it. I am saying that craft is but one 
factor that generally is not, on its own, significant enough to make an artists work highly 
valued in the "museum" world--which was the point of the original post.  The history of 
art is filled with these battles. Van Gogh hardly sold a painting during his lifetime. The 
Impressionists which are universally adored today were once reviled based on issues of 
craft. A french critic once said of Monet "but when is he going to finish the painting" (I am 
paraphrasing). 

Wendel