I just shredded a print that I made the other day.
I hate it when that happens.
I tried my best in the darkroom and it wasn’t enough.
An acquaintance had the privilege of attending the last
workshop that was led by the great Ruth Bernhard – renowned both as a
photographer and as a teacher. Part of
the workshop was, as usual, a review of the portfolio the student brought to
the workshop. He said that Ms. Bernhard
went through the 20 or so prints making perceptive comments about each but came
back several times to one print. She
asked him more and more penetrating questions about it and he grew more and
more uncomfortable with his answers.
She finally said: “You like this print a lot, don’t you?”
“yes”
“You really want it to work, don’t you?”
“yes”
“You know in your heart that is doesn’t, don’t you.”
Long pause – “yes”
Editing your own work is the hardest bit of the entire
creative process. I knew in my heart
that the print I shredded “didn’t work”.
I had printed it a couple of times earlier – it didn’t work then either
but I didn’t shred it. Instead I put it
aside with the hope of trying again. I
liked it a lot. I wanted it to
work. But it didn’t. It was time to give up and press on.
That isn’t always the case. Another print in my “try again” box did work this time.
"Marche Rue Edgar Quinet, Paris 2014"
