Iksodas

This post is over 12 months in the making. I’m going to do my best here to give some background on some thoughts have been cooking away in my addled brain. It’s not meant as a slam to any of my “peers” (read as camera toting folks who produce work they think good enough to display, whether or not I agree, or get along with them) but is a jab at the industries that have developed around them/us.

If you care not to read the entire context of this rather one sided debate (one sided, because I’m writing, and you’re reading, unless you feel so inclined to comment), if you care not to read the background that’s fine, you can skip right along to the bullet points at the bottom, and still get the idea.

Some years ago, there was this nice couple we were friends with, and have since moved away. I have not seen them in close to 10 years, and they never knew about my “photographic side”.

Nice couple and loved each other very much.

For a long time, he talked up her ability to write poetry. She would blush shyly and act quite modest about it. He would insist how incredible she was at it, and eventually we would end up reading some of her work. In my opinion, her work was nice, enjoyable, but a touch “in the rough”. I’m really not that big into poetry, so, I kept my opinion to myself. I’ll be honest, my experiences and preferences just don’t allow me to read poetry with a critical eye.

One evening when we were out and about with them, He pulls out a book of poetry: “See, she’s just been published”! He’s beaming with pride, and even though she’s quite shy about her writings, you could tell she was excited, and proud.. I would go so far to say, she was outright beaming with pride too, or at least as much as her modesty (self confidence?) would allow.

She goes on to say how he submitted it without telling her, and, how at first she was a touch upset, but now, well, she’s published.

So, I read her piece in the book, one that I recognize. Then I flipped to the front pages, to find out who the publisher was. I recognized it right a way. I looked at him, and he shot back a look that was unmistakable in its intentions: “Say anything, and it will crush her”

A vanity publisher: Pay to play. He paid, to have her work published. This was back before the days of publish on demand. This was a book that even though it had an ISBN, would never really appear for sale, show up in a library, or exist except for the copies that were sold to those that were in it.

The story simply was that he submitted the piece blindly and they accepted it. .He left out the part about the submission being accompanied by a hefty check.

Well, I kept my mouth shut, and with the most excitement I could muster, congratulated her. Maybe, this was the push she needed to take her work more seriously. Maybe, this was the bit of (false?) affirmation she needed to spark the confidence in her self, that he so desperately thought she should have.

But in the end, this was not real. It was a purchased accolade: the artistic equivalent of buying a fake diploma on line.

That’s nice, but how does all this tie into my photography? On the surface, it could be tied to some of my self-publishing efforts, that have met with varying success. The one difference I can state is that these were produced for others to consume, use, buy or enjoy, other then myself. However, this ties strongly into the compilations, and juried contests that have been going around the Internet in the last couple of years.

Let me back up a few years: It use to be that the compilation book authors/editors would contact a photographer, and negotiate the use of their work. Some, I am in, some, I am not. I say negotiate, because that’s what it was. Sometimes, the photographer would be compensated, often quite well, for usage. Other times, the photographer would allow the use of his work, just to be included. It all depends on the publication. I have done both. The Author/Editors pursued, contacted or were contacted by people they wished to have included in the book.

This has changed in the last two years, and the change is dramatic. No longer are photographers contacted discretely, but are instead encouraged to “submit their work to the juried contest” Not Adjudicated contest/event/show, but juried contest. When I hear “juried contest”, instead of adjudicated event/show, my hackles go up: it’s a prime indicator of how long the jurors/promoters have been around this sort event, and that their level of experience is probably a county fair in the city of Hayseed, in the state of Nowhere.

In these “contests”, for a “nominal fee” photographers can submit their work. For another fee, they can even submit more of their work. The result is some form of award by a series of judges that deem them the best in the world.

THE PLAIN TRUTH IS THAT THEY ARE ONLY THE BEST OF THOSE THAT PAID TO GAIN RECOGNITION.

Sorry I had to say it, even in caps. Ok, these venues may be good for the up and coming, the amateur, trying his hand at displaying his work. But the simple truth is many of the best, the truly best are not even represented or mentioned in these publications and contests.

Why?
Because, they did not pay the promoter/editor/publisher for the privilege of being called the best.

Now you can’t fault the promoters for going after an easy buck when they see one. It’s really a new twist on a very old idea. With the advent of digital photography, anyone with a bit of patience, practice and an eye for it, can crank out passable work, and they can even start to believe they are really “that good at it”. The Market is flooded with “art” of this caliber (and if you are of a mind to heap me in that same category, go ahead, I can take it, but please, keep reading)..

The concept goes way back. You have an “emerging market” of people trying to produce a good or service, and it’s the people that supply that industry that really come out on top.

In the California Gold Rush, who really profited? Who made “all the money”?

The people supplying all the miners trying to get rich quick.

The people selling pickaxes, shovels, and anything else the miners needed. This includes one guy, that ran out of materials to sell his standard product to the rubes, used the raw materials he had available, and by chance, created an industry. Look down right now, go ahead, look down at your legs. If what you are wearing below the waist is made of a blue heavy weight material, with brass buttons and or zippers, you’re wearing a product a guy by the name of Levi Strauss first made out of denim tent fabric for those miners. Most Miners lost everything they had. Mr. Strauss on the otherhand founded a legacy that continues to this day.

Another more recent example: The DotCom Boom.
Where did all the money go that was sunk into them? Ok, quite a bit of it ended up in the pockets of people putting together some of the stupidest business plans imaginable, but now that they are done and gone, where did the profit concentrate?

To those companies providing hardware, tools and infrastructure to the dotcomer’s. Ever hear of a company called Cisco Systems? They sold a lot of hardware in those days, and for the most part, they were smart enough to operate “cash on the barrelhead” when they sold their goods.

It’s an old story, when you get a group of people claiming “there’s gold in them there hills, and I’m just the guy to find it” Another group of people set up shop to cater to their dreams, however real or misguided they may be.

It’s the same thing now, with many of the compilations, contests, and shows making the circuit in art nude photography, and especially in the category of Erotica. In most cases, the photographer is out a few bucks for the photo contest, and gets an award. In the most egregious, The photographer signs away all rights to the work, the promoter ends up with a product they can sell (a book, for example), and the photographer paid for the privilege of the promoter profiting on their art.

The promoter ends up with a cash inflow on both ends of the business model!

Damn. Wish I was that smart,
Or
Am I wishing I was that ruthless and greed driven/willing to take advantage of another’s dreams of fame and recognition?

Some time ago, I did receive the notices, the request to submit work, etcetera. When I saw the entry fee attached, I took a pass. Based upon what I see of the results, the processes having run their course, more then once, I have come to the following conclusion:

In my opinion, many of the best photographers and other artists are not included or mentioned in compilations that purport to be “The world’s greatest!” simply because they refused to pay for the privilege. Some (I believe, and from what I hear) even refused to participate due to the low caliber of work being included in the contest.

I have been watching these unfold for some time now. One of these contests (with book to follow, or so I hear. Book title to include the words greatest or best) also had a related event/gallery show in a southern state. Heavily promoted to the photographic community, but it seems, not well promoted to the mainstream. I did not attend, but the reviews are more then enough to convince me I was right all along. What reviews that exist of this “premier” event are from the attendees, most of those that had work there. There is not one single mention, let alone review from the main stream press, local or national regarding what was suppose to be a gather of the best of the best.. At best, those reviews could be summed up as kind.

One thing I do want to be clear on: Not everything at these venues is crap, but much is, it’s the best of what’s submitted, not researched/selected by the promoter. Some Are quite good, some are from big names (wonder if they plunked down the cash, or mind having their name used as a “comeon” to the masses of wannabes), some are from very good aspiring artists. Likewise, some of the stuff in there, the winners are nothing more then filler, compared what is truly out there and available, capable, in my opinion, of being deemed “best”

Of course, the cynical could say: “Mr. Iksodas, you’re just jealous you’re not included in the club of who’s hot, and you’re not”.

Well, uh no, far from it. I can’t say any more on that right now. However, I will say, some events have recently transpired to restore a little of my faith. Although the pay to play contest will always be around, there are those out there that still believe enough in the work they see and like, that they are willing to go the “old school” method, contact a photog they like, and negotiate reasonable usage rights, and in some cases, even compensate the photographer for that usage.

There’s even a bit of irony in my “lack of public announcement of yet to be disclosed”
events. One that is a driver, maybe even the motivator in all these half formed thoughts coalescing into concrete ideas and opinions.

The work that seems to have caught someone’s eye was also submitted last winter to a regional art show, one touting itself as a source for erotica. I’ve learned (been trained, acquired a pavlovian response ?) to submit some interesting pieces to them.

Simply put, if I give them one piece of shock art, they may actually also select a piece or two that will sell. They will often pass on what I consider my strongest submissions, in favor of shock and titillation, not merit or strength of the image. At the end of the multiple day show, the shock pieces usually are not sold, and the stronger pieces use to be sold the first night.

Over the course of time, it has become apparent to me that this event is not really about the art on the walls, I (we) am(are) merely providing a background noise for a gathering of alternate lifestyle folks (some would say freaks) and swingers. The promoters, I believe are more interested selling tickets and collecting a cover charge then they are in selling the pieces on the wall. Yes, I said cover charge, not entry fee. Let’s face it. It’s a party for a certain mindset, not an art show.

It got to the point, that once or twice in the months leading up to the show, I’d shoot stuff just for that show. Not because it’s what was in my heart, or there was a story I needed to tell, but for the simple fact I knew they would like it.

And the irony out of all this is that the pieces that were selected “For the yet to be disclosed news” (without my prompting or selection, them with over 100 of my works to choose from) were exactly the same pieces that were rejected in the last go around for that show.

It doesn’t take a genius for the light bulb to go off when that happens.

I know, that is a lot of pre amble to get to the point. I believe, when someone makes a concrete statement about their art, what they will do, and wont do, some would like to know the reasons behind it.

So, here it is.. What I’ve learned along the way, where you will see my work, and more importantly where I will refuse to exhibit my work:

If my work appears in a contest, gallery, art show or publication, you can safely assume that I did not pay for the privilege. Likewise, you can assume that the artists shown there deserve to be there also, many quite frankly more deserving /better then I.

If my work is not present in a gallery, art show or publication, one of four things happened:

I didn’t know about it.

I decided the exhibit was not about the art, but about the shock and titillation or was not or the purpose of the show lacked artistic merit.

I didn’t make the cut, (and I can live with that)

Those represented paid a price I was unwilling to pay: either in actual submission fee, or relinquishing rights to their work.

Now that is not to say that I am all about the money.. either I’m getting paid, or the work is not present. It’s about fair usage rights, or Usage rights in line with the compensation/reward supplied by the promoter, publisher, editor. I have in the past, and will in the future continue to submit my work to places that offer little or no compensation. I have however grown very selective on the who the where and the how.

Pictured thru-out this admittedly very opinionated, piece is the lovely LelaRae, a talented and passionate person in her own right. Someone that deserves all the accolades, recognition, and offers she is now receiving. All things she has earned thru hard work, and dedication all with the odds not in her favor. I am quite sure that to get to where she’s at, she’s never played the game, never sucked up, and wouldn’t dream of paying a photog to make her the star she has become.

I really can’t say if these are some of my strongest pieces ever. I can however say I shot them recently, enjoy them greatly, and that they reflect a time and place.