Just before I discovered I was pregnant with Leyla, I had been toying with the idea of doing a part time photography MA at St Martins College of Art. Of course best laid plans...
Most of my B&W negatives still remain buried, many of them have not even been printed. Printing takes me a whole day or more and any interruptions just disturb the flow, so I have satiated my desire to take photographs using my digital camera.
However when I found Pace Macgill Gallery* had shown the work of the genius that is Irving Penn, I felt quite sick that I had not been able to see it, and sick because I would love to learn how to print even a tenth as well as he does. When you see work like this, it makes you realise how beautiful good Silver Gelatin printing can be, and I miss it.
Now Leyla is getting older, and she has finally settled with her new Au Pair I think it is time to revive some of what I lost after the children were born. My figure may have gone deep south, but other loves such as Pilate's and Photography need to return.
I have spent my entire week lashed to the computer rewriting the year 12 photography curriculum. Not easy as there is 5 separate topics which in any other school would be written and handed over for the students to research. BUT my students are at best, with a prevailing wind not the brightest crayons in the box, so I have to break each topic into teeny, tiny, bite sized morsels for them to digest. They then give me the usual blank uninspired look and sit there waiting for me to virtually do it for them. So I then sit them down and go through it step by step and even them I am lucky to get even the merest hint of enthusiasm. The worst thing the government did was give these Muppet's a grant to stay on at school, because all they come in for is the money. Hmm, sounds a bit like me!!
The upshot of this spoon feeding is that I get to visit some amazing web sites and read some wonderful books. So whilst I am not complaining, a modicum of enthusiasm would go a long way.
* A really irritating website, I love that they have put up the images, but to block the ability to copy+paste is so irritating do they not know all we do is print screen?
4 comments:
Is there still a desire to do the MA?? I know that my PhD desire lies dormant in me--just ready to pop up the moment I meet a peer who has just completed one.
You are an amazing photographer and I do wish you would post more of your pictures. But, I also love that you introduce us to so many artists. This would be a good time to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. Well, I do.
What LBR said. Enjoy your blog tremendously!
You cracked me up with "in a prevailing wind, they're not the brightest crayons in the box" -- somehow that "prevailing wind" . . .
Ah, the joys of the EMA !
A mighty big thank you to Ms Rouge and Ms Materfamilias. I think I maybe blushing!
The desire to do an MA is still there and slowly emerging into a possibility as the girls grow older.
I should post more photos, especially once I have archived them on my new scanner. Oh for 36 hours in a day!
Yes Auntie Gwen, that bloody EMA has a lot to answer for.
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