A religious Jew napping in front of the delivery room under posters of a movie star who gave birth to her child here and under that explaining where the babies come from
The Photo Language of Maxim Reider (Continuation. See ?Hope? Hope 1?, ?Mariinsky?) Maxim, I wanted to stop our discussion being afraid to become importunate. However, I am so enrolled by your methods that feel an irresistible desire to add some more words. I believe that photography has it own language, just as poetry has, or sculpture, or painting and music, of course. The basis of fine arts is human vision. Many people believe that in the hierarchy of this language the image is secondary to vision, and that the author of a photo is the source of its meaning. It seems obvious that vision is a clear and direct way to percept and to interpret the reality. However, our vision is not formalized whereas the photo language is formalized. This formalization leads to loss of information about the natural object and, paradoxically, multiply the number of legitimate interpretation of the photo content. As a mater of fact, a photograph is a shadow of the reality. You know the classical example about people seating in a cave and watching on the wall the shadows on the real world. Looking only on the shadows they speculate about the reality and its meanings. The author of the photo may not realize this fact. A great photographer, really great photographer, is unpoetical. His language just multiply the number of meanings and interpretation. But the worse the photo language is, the more picturesque the photo looks. However, there are people that create art that they dare not realize. You defined your photographs as modest. Yes, in this context they are modest. I though a lot of time about your puzzle ?Be fruitful ?? I felt that there is something here that most people loose, especially non Israelis. Look now on my interpretation of this photo. Ten years ago the super-model Yael B. .advertising ?Castro? flashed in an charming quasy-erotic TV moment. So she became a top model which is seen on your photo. The weakened religious man in your photo is about 35-40. So, he also may remember this moment. Should I describe his dreams? And if I do not know Hebrew or if I do not read your text, my interpretation is not less legitimate than yours. Thank you for this photo. Maxim, thank you not only for your photo art, but for things that for many people may be not less important that your masterpieces. In the most difficult time for all of us you wrote about music. It was surrealistic. I frequently told to my friends ?You, ?zatiukaniy?, look at this stoic from Leningrad school #38.? Bravo Maxim, Bis. Alexander.
Maxim, this is terrific observation and your notes reveal many interesting and odd facets. Thanks for taking time to browse through my portfolio and the many comments, which are very much appreciated. Your work is strong and shows an eye for unusual situations. All the best to you and yours, Ian
It is one of your best, very creative idea in making this contrast in a frame, I saw a BW version in photoSIG without this yellow tone, isn't that better?added to my favorite.
Excellent journalistic (opportunistic?) shot. A chance well seized. Is the yellow cast true to life? My temptation would have been to reduce it, at least until the skin tones on the reigious Jew were natural. I like the fact that both heads are turned in the same direction. It give a helpful sense of unity to the picture.
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{K:86139} 1/11/2004
