The Dizziness of Freedom

I am amazed that some people can be so lacking in anxiety as to imagine that they have grasped the truth of their art on the first try. —Henri Matisse In his 1844 work, The Concept of Anxiety, Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” (In some translations, the word “dread”... Continue Reading →

Amor Fati—Part II: Vastness

If we lose ourselves in contemplation of the infinite greatness of the universe in space and time, meditate on the past millennia and on those to come; or if the heavens at night actually bring innumerable worlds before our eyes, and so impress on our consciousness the immensity of the universe, we feel ourselves reduced... Continue Reading →

Remembering the Future — Part II: The Future Will Come (cont.)

Whether art and beauty can really make man better and stronger is an open question; but one thing is certain: that like the starry firmament they remind us of light, of order and harmony, and of “meaning” amid chaos. —Hermann Hesse Previous installments in this series: Remembering the Future — Part I: Introduction Remembering the... Continue Reading →

On Prisoners and Dilemmas

It’s always easier not to think for oneself. Find a nice safe hierarchy and settle in. Don’t make changes, don’t risk disapproval, don’t upset your syndics. It’s always easiest to let yourself be governed. There’s a point, around age twenty, when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your... Continue Reading →

Proudly Unsponsored

Unfortunately some who have achieved leadership in the profession often dictate from a confused throne of success—a success which may be more financial than otherwise. With a few exceptions, publications of the photographic world are founded on the desire to stimulate the photographic trade; materials, equipment, gadgets have been in high flood of production and... Continue Reading →

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