Crying Communist by Bevis Fusha
| It has been some time now that numerous believers of Communism, from the former dictatorial regime, practice an annual ritual. Every October 16th, they gather and pay respects to the grave of former Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha. The grave itself is located in the city’s cemetery, together with common people’s graves. It has suffered vandalism continuously and now has been reconstructed with a cement block on top to protect it. The majority of the people who come to pay respects are members of the Communist party, former officers and officials, retired individuals. All of these individuals have a longing for the Communism era. The majority of these people show some psychological imbalance, which is seen in their humanizing of this historical figure that Enver Hoxha left behind. They speak openly and with passion about their belief that those times under his leadership were golden times and the best period for socialist Albania. None of them like the fierce capitalism that has prospered in Albania the last 15 years | |
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Lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered.
Lacking exceptional quality or ability.
Average. Just another stick a camera in someone’s face photo. I think most people understand what average means. Why spend 300 words making cool references to art history, camera technique or photoshop techniques when one word will do.
And why waste all these words and take the thread off topic just to castigate someone for only posting two words? Just ignore people who blow off photos with two words! Who cares what they think? Illiterate buffoons that they are.
Jim,
question: would you ever talk like this about a photographer’s work ( or to the photographer )if you met the person for real ?
Would you really say : your work is ….”Lacking special distinction, rank, or status…..
Lacking exceptional quality or ability” ???
Bevis mentioned that his work is part of a project…. why , for example , don’t you go just to his website http://www.bevisfusha.com . You may realize that your comments appear to be a bit inappropriate !
katharina
i have known photo editors to be far more brash than jims disparaging remarks :ø)
on first looking at the photo, the burn´t out background diminished it for me.. well executed fill in flash.. desaturated perhaps.. damn that digital latitude :ø)
i think as a single image it is interesting but has not grabbed me.. there IS good narrative work going on and i look forward to bevis having more room on burn to present a story.
on reading your words bob, and marina in fact, i can see the power which you see – so thanks for that.
it is an interesting project, a strangely quirky event which feels timely for me – as some u.s. news networks would have us believe the death of extreme capitalism is occurring as socialism edges it´s dirty feet into the room.
which makes me think – perhaps in a decade it will be the grave of extreme capitalism which gathers the ´psychologically imbalanced´visitors tears.
roll on.
:ø)
Jim, unfortunately you can’t just be ignored, because your assessments sometimes have a degree of legitimacy and thus make them considerable, but sense they are peppered more as flippant votes verses meaningful participation, it‘s alike to a neighbour with a habit of constantly spitting on the floor while he’s chatting to you, again, it’s cringe worthy.
i only revisit this because i hope it’s possible that it’s simply a misunderstanding. i think your elaboration of ‘Average’ shows this best, simply defining average was absurd. The legitimate search started when you said ‘just another stick a camera in someone’s face photo’. This latter comment for me from you is loads more revealing, and loads more healthy for you and everyone else.
From here we can start to think you have feelings about ‘these kinds of photos‘, maybe i do to, i’d love to get an honest opinion from you on what you think of Bruce Gilden’s work; again, i’ve got opinions on Gilden’s approach too, maybe this image would be the best catalyst to explore fully, both the merit and obnoxious side of this approach to collecting images, collecting images for a purpose, not just using an ‘approach’ for interest factor.
basically a whole in-your-face discussion could be opened with even a trinket of effort like this, and in similar fashion a whole discussion can be derailed by people attempting in every way possible again and again to persuade you to have better manners, but you again and again feeling it‘s just fine to say, ‘well just ignore me‘.
i’m not going to beg you again Jim, what you‘re doing is selfish and juvenile and lazy and the degree of self-appointment to do so also makes you a bit self-important, after this plea i’m giving up on you Jim, your value just doesn’t justify the disruption you cause.
Bevis this is a fantastic shot, because of the tension created from the proximity to the subject. It feels slightly unhinged, something surreal about the quality that the depth of field creates.
This shot is one of the most expressive of the words that go with it.
I love this and I certainly am not into average photography.
I have to laugh at the Jim Powers character though… He is either a clever marketing ploy to get people to defend their positions about the photograph on show or as an editor he is so cliche that only a marketing department could invent him.
One does have to ask oneself if this is actually ‘the right room for an argument’
BOB
Your knowledge in all things literate astounds me, how did you find an Albanian writer to quote the exact right thing?
I would love to see a photographer deliver a seering assessment like the way Miranda did when she lectures Andy about the Cerulean blue color of her sweater in the Devil Wears Prada.
Now that’s a photographer i would love to hang out with! I bet you there are photo editors out there that could actually do that as well!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDjCqjzbvJY
Very thoughtful post Joe. It would indeed be interesting to read Jim’s appraisal of in-your-face photography, or any other genre.
Thanks Joe.
Mike.
JIM,
Frankly, I don’t see the point for you to even visit this website. We have clearly understood that you don’t like the work published here and your participation is far from anything constructive. I don’t spend my time at flickr commenting oversaturated landscape and sunset photos because I’m not interested in it. No, I don’t like all of the work published here, but I think most of the photographers here are on the same page with what they want to with photography, allthough we do different kinds of work. I think you’re wasting both your own and our time.
Cheers
Dear All,
I do also think Jim has just reverted to jabbing the stick into the hornets nest for fun and as disruptive as Jim can be, this is not a which hunt and now and again he does make some valid points. This has been brought up before “is he just DAH being devil’s advocate?”
I was flicking through a brilliant earlier essay on burn, On The Streets, I was amazed to see some quite eloquent critiques by Jim, he has not always be so concise, brusque and dismissive. Something has changed. Maybe a previous roundup on him has changed his attitude – who knows?
Joe I too have been through the frustration of responding to Jim’s posts and now just take it with a pinch of salt.
Sorry to hijack the thread.
By the way back to the point, Just looking at the pic, this is a great portrait and i happen to love the burnt out sky.
Happy days
Ian
.
“By the way back to the point, Just looking at the pic, this is a great portrait and i happen to love the burnt out sky.”
Why do you happen to love the burnt out sky? How does it add or detract from the photo? What influences do burnt our skies reflect? Is is a symbol?
Or, perhaps, it’s just a burnt out sky. Kind of like an “average photo.”
Look, I posted that the photo was an average photo. Whatever dialogue that resulted after that was initiated by others here. My intent was to say what I thought of the photo, not to engage in a debate of my critiquing style. My original post was a couple of lines made 60 posts ago. Enough. Talk about the photo.
Enough………….control freak!
Hi Jim
No symbolism, just a personal view. I like the burnt out sky. Simple. Some commentators on the picture earlier suggested that the burnt out sky, didn’t help. I like it. Simple. Not quite such a broad brush as “average photo”
Or is this Jim just sticking the Stick in the hornets nest again:-)
Have a nice day now
Lisa,
great link, always good to bear this in mind.
no it isn´t.
Yes it xxxxxxx is
EDITORIAL COMMENT:
Here is an interview with Bevis that he sent me that you all may wish to read.
http://mattiolidaniele.blogspot.com/2009/04/conversation-bevis-fusha.html
running
bob
ian – are you here for the full half hour argument, or just the 5 mins? :ø)
thanks bob.
an interesting read.. he gives his point of view eloquently enough.
and..
OWRA film.. fantastic, cheap stuff.. food for young snappers..
HI, David B,
Would love the full half hour,but got to run, wife having to work on this bank holiday,I have responsibility of retaining peace amoungst the kids. Maybe next time.
Ian
enjoy, ian :ø)
JIM…
editing decisions just “to be cool”??? c’mon Jim , i am no “cooler” than you and never will be…however, i do have wide tastes in photography and in life…and, if you have not figured it out already i tend to be playful sometimes as well..anything wrong with playful??? anything wrong with venturing into some unknown territory?? anything wrong with experimentation??? hey amigo, we get each other going..that is a good thing in and of itself…
enjoy your day …
cheers, david
In my opinion Jim’s views are as important any anybody else’s on BURN. He balances the gushing over the top comments. What would be educational for me would be for him to take it a bit further by saying why he thought the photo was average. Then I may learn something from his words. Hey, he’s been in the business for quite a while, hasn’t he ?
It appears the people that are getting upset from his comments are rarely the photographers themselves but other people. It would be interesting to hear from Jim whether his tastes and views have widened since he’s been visiting BURN. C’mon Jim what sort of work floats your boat?
As for the photo, I think it’s a strong image, but I think the bright sky takes the eye away from the person. What it did do is make me look at Bevis’s other work and this was real interesting….
David:
I sent you an e-mail to david@burnmagazine.org. Is that correct?
Best,
Davin
Just throwing in my two rather devalued zlotys at this late point in the dialogue… for me personally, the burnt out sky does not detract in the least from the power or meaning of the photograph. What unchallengeable heavenly authority has decreed that no photograph may have burnt out highlights? There is a long tradition in photography (of which I am well aware) that a balanced range of tones up to but not exceeding complete ‘256′ white produces the most aesthetically pleasing and texturally rich images… but like the so-called ‘rule of thirds’ or any other ‘rules’ that we have all consciously or unconsciously absorbed in learning to both make and read images, it may have its uses as a guideline… like ‘correct’ spelling and grammar in English or any other language… but there comes a point where it may hobble expression or enjoyment needlessly if one is too fussy about it. Now, personally (these comments are all nothing more than ‘personal’, right?) I generally try to adhere to what I perceive to be ‘correct’ spelling and grammar when writing, because to deviate from that creates ‘noise’ or unwanted distractions from the message I think I am trying to convey. And I guess one could (and does!) apply this principle to photography… I have seen burnt-out images where the burn-out DOES detract from the power and meaning of the image, of course, but it certainly does not do so in this one (for me personally, needless to say!) Some non-native English speakers (and even some native English speakers!) sometimes have trouble with spelling and grammar in their comments here on Burn… does this make their comments less effective? In some cases yes, in some cases no. I would never tamper one iota with the spelling and grammar in Marcin Luczkowski’s posts (for example), because he expresses himself so well that spelling and grammar are not really relevant. Okay, reasoning by linguistic analogy can only go so far… All I am trying to say is, the burnt-out sky in this particular photo is only a problem if in your mind burnt-out skies are ALWAYS and forever problems.
“All I am trying to say is, the burnt-out sky in this particular photo is only a problem if in your mind burnt-out skies are ALWAYS and forever problems.”
Sidney, that’s a sweeping statement isn’t it ? So you absolutely know that the folks who think the bright sky in Bevis’s shot is somewhat distracting have got a permanent problem with them ?
Man, now I know why I have trouble sleeping at night…
hey sidney.
i can see your point – i was only refering to this photo.. it just drags my eye away from the subject too much.. and as a crying woman i thought it could be more powerful.
within the story i like the photo.. no beef.
I like the washed out sky as well, and I’m usually one who likes dramatic dodging and burning. The sky is like the lightness behind the darkness – it is very spiritual in a way. I’d hate to see it grayed down, esp if there’s nothing in it. Sometimes it’s good to break the “rules.”
Cheers to throwing the rules on the fire … burn them … they are too often cubicle constructs, soulless perfections, the suburbia of the unconscious. The “rules,” the guidelines really, are a good place to start, and even use, but who wants to spend their whole life in the box? We are beyond rules here, if it works. Why am I stating the obvious again?
Young Tom, yes, burn the rules. Suburbia of the unconscious – love it!
Mike.
what rules?
i’m not preaching the grey scale – just that a little underexposure, rather than epic dodge n burn, in the background would have been more my taste.. and i think helped the balance of the phot..
it’s strongly backlit and a couple of stops under – who knows.. perhaps we’d be saying how fantastic a choice it was.. the menecing mountain and blahblahblah :ø)
underexposure is not a factor here..her face tell along story..that much..and this is enough for a photographs…subir
Very meaningful photo to every Albanian.Amazing Bevis keep up the good work!