Comments on: Maury Gortemiller http://beautifuldecay.com/2009/06/04/maury-gortemiller/ Beautiful/Decay | Artist Book Series + Daily Art & Design Blog Fri, 25 May 2012 07:24:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill Reizer http://beautifuldecay.com/2009/06/04/maury-gortemiller/comment-page-1/#comment-830 Bill Reizer Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:27:49 +0000 http://beautifuldecay.com/?p=5237#comment-830 I saw his work at UGA's MFA show back in April. I have to respectfully disagree with a positive evaluation of Gortemiller's work after having seen it in person. The presentation of the photographs (thumbtacked to the wall, no frame) was not helpful to the content of the photos themselves, and in fact cheapened the photos as both images and physical objects. Presentation aside, there's nothing really interesting about the photos themselves. These photos fail to compete with other voices in photography because the voice (if there is one at all) seems aimless and purposeless, as opposed to the more earnest, more focused, and skillfully created images of folks likes Sally Mann, Jean Yves Lemoigne, or Julia Fullerton-Batten. If these images had been painted or drawn or somehow built by more effortful means (which could very conceivably incorporate photography as part of the process) maybe they'd be interesting images. However, and I'm trying to be respectful here so forgive any snarkiness that may escape my proofreading eye, this work seems to typify the kind of mundane, point-and-click-at-whatever photography that is less a conscious effort to skillfully create imagery via the photographic medium and more an undisciplined abuse of photography as an excuse to think of oneself as an artist. I apologize if I'm being terribly rude, but I've seen this work in person and it is, in the face of other photography and keeping in mind the elements and principles of good design, nothing remarkable and almost a kind of intellectually lazy leave-it-up-to-the-viewer photography. B/D more often that not shows really quality stuff and I love to see what you guys post because I usually love it, but I have to disagree with the validity of Gortemiller's work. I saw his work at UGA’s MFA show back in April. I have to respectfully disagree with a positive evaluation of Gortemiller’s work after having seen it in person. The presentation of the photographs (thumbtacked to the wall, no frame) was not helpful to the content of the photos themselves, and in fact cheapened the photos as both images and physical objects. Presentation aside, there’s nothing really interesting about the photos themselves. These photos fail to compete with other voices in photography because the voice (if there is one at all) seems aimless and purposeless, as opposed to the more earnest, more focused, and skillfully created images of folks likes Sally Mann, Jean Yves Lemoigne, or Julia Fullerton-Batten.

If these images had been painted or drawn or somehow built by more effortful means (which could very conceivably incorporate photography as part of the process) maybe they’d be interesting images. However, and I’m trying to be respectful here so forgive any snarkiness that may escape my proofreading eye, this work seems to typify the kind of mundane, point-and-click-at-whatever photography that is less a conscious effort to skillfully create imagery via the photographic medium and more an undisciplined abuse of photography as an excuse to think of oneself as an artist.

I apologize if I’m being terribly rude, but I’ve seen this work in person and it is, in the face of other photography and keeping in mind the elements and principles of good design, nothing remarkable and almost a kind of intellectually lazy leave-it-up-to-the-viewer photography. B/D more often that not shows really quality stuff and I love to see what you guys post because I usually love it, but I have to disagree with the validity of Gortemiller’s work.

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