Honesty + Old People = Thank You Helen Levitt

The other day, I was listening to the radio on the way home from my awesome job : ) and an old interview with Helen Levitt (a well know street photographer in NYC who had died the previous day at age 95) came on that just tickled me pink. First of all, I was blown away by her honesty. When being prodded by Mellisa Block to give explanations of her photos, she refuses, not because she's a cranky old gal but because, as she confesses, she can't. As a so-called visual person, I am often annoyed at the art world's mandate for explanation. Helen Levitt set her record straight by saying that she is "inarticulate" and if she could describe herself in words she would be "a writer not a photographer".

Does anyone else find it frustrating that people don't take the time to find meaning in works for themselves? The spoon-fed social constructs du jour prevent us from taking the time to look and think. Sure, knowing the artists intentions is a plus, but is it really necessary? I don't think so -- especially with photography.

Anyhow, I don't necessarily like soap boxes either, when the soap topic is totally based on non-scholarly opinion. I pitty the poor high school fool who uses this as a reference for their photography research paper. Ohhhhh, interweb.

SO listen to this interview, it's only 4 mins. and some odd seconds long.

For all you visual folks:











Oh and a big P.S. : Did I ever tell you that if I saw a starving kid on the street beside a fragile old man who had just fallen down, I would feel sorry for and help the old person first. Old people just pull on my heart strings far more than the innocent. What does that say about me? Don't answer that.

I lost.

So I didn't post anything yesterday. I = automatic looooooser.
Anywho, here's this, a quality show.

Awesome Town