Artist Lecture: Alec Soth

Photographer Alec Soth's lecture was oddly inspiring. I appreciated his raw honesty and felt I could relate to him on many levels. He began his lecture with a video of a friend and him on a road trip, having a good time exploring and being photographers. He said that to him, that was the spirit of photography. Having fun, meeting people and adventure. I feel that like most of us college photography students, he started off trying to fulfill some ideal of what art is supposed to be but it wasn't until he just began to do what he loves to do, "straight photography" that he really began to find his niche.

He showed an array of historically important photographers, including Elliot Erwitt where he demonstrated that the "mundane can be interesting." I disagree with the fact when he said that photojournalism is over-saturated. If anything, I believe it is the one aspect of producing with a camera that is not over-saturated. Photojournalism is still unique and still tells a story. However, I thought it was incredibly interesting when he discussed the fact that half the iconic photographs were taken from camera phones. So true. In today's world, the moments that are always going to be remembered are rarely going to be performed in a time where there is press. The decisive moment is now being captured by our telephones and other hand held electronics.

Oddly enough, one of the pieces in his presentation that I loved the most was his work in college with the environmental architecture. He mentioned earth artists that I, also relate too. I found it encouraging that Soth found his way to success after going down many various paths.

Visually, I was most drawn to his work "Sleeping By the Mississippi." I think that is isn't just him who feels that the ideal lifestyle of a photographer is on the road, meeting people and taking photographs of your journey. I think that would be amazing but I know that I am even less "bohemian" than he is so the idea is just in passing. However these images are my chance to view his road trip and people who are so different than myself -- who I will never meet. I like the connection you feel with them, through him. I feel that with my current project, I am taking on my own adventure but in a different way. In his photographs, you get the narrative he spoke so much about. You read into these peoples expressions, poses, settings, etc.

Three final comments I wish to make about his lecture that I appriciate are: 1) He is a book maker. He enjoys creating and having control over how his images are presented; 2) He wants and fights for the right to choose the tool he wants to work with (digital, 4x5); 3) He says the most difficult thing is creating a group of images. Its easy enough to produce one, but its getting an entire set to work together thats the difficult part.

Oh yeah and...he's a Nikon user :)