The Holden Archive: June 2008

7.6.08

Letters from Readers

From Your Local Archivist

Thank you for the notes and calls, especially Darnell Willburn and Chip Willis who recently made my day. Now, except for that one weirdo who keeps sending a nasty note about one of the photographers (dude, I'm obviously not going to publish that, so get over the fact that she dumped your sorry ass and stop sending me emails, mmkay?). Except for that one, response is overwhelmingly positive.

It's encouraging to know you're digging the project. I thought I'd take a little time and answer a few emails, as I realize the explanation (or lack thereof) of the Holden Archive is, at best, cryptic. So, Fiat lux!

Hi
I really enjoy your blogs a lot. I love The Holden Archive!
How do I participate on the blog as a photographer?
[Does one have to] be chosen to get in?
Anyway, wonderful blogs!
Nice to meet you here.

Thank you. The manner in which the photographers featured are chosen is pretty haphazard. There's no real system in place. As an artist, I spend a fair amount of time checking out what other people are working on: sometimes via blog-browsing, sometimes upon recommendation from readers (you), colleagues and friends, and sometimes after I've seen work in a brick-and-mortar gallery.

I've also had the good fortune to work with many of the artists in the archive (as a former model, or as a creative director and stylist in the fashion industry here in San Francisco).

I don't mind if photographers send me links to their own websites, but it can be a little uncomfortable if I don't feel their work is "right" for this particular archive. There's no quid pro quo here.

Hi Kristen, just want to say what a nice surprise it was to find I'd been 'archived' by you.

Could you now make me famous please!! lol

What a project that is of yours, fantastic and fascinating, but may I ask why you do it?

Yours

A

The "why" question comes up quite a bit. I recently did an interview with a group where I try to explain The Holden Archive's raison d'etre, but the video hasn't been released (and quite honestly, I have no idea if it ever will). I was waiting for that snippet, but I'll try to explain here.

I do this because:

(1) I adore photography. Though my personal work utilizes a variety of mediums, it is photography that has piqued my artist interest as of late and my appetite is voracious. I'm fueled by my love of the philosophical writings of Walter Benjamin, in particular his "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". There's this dialectic regarding Benjamin's theories and this statement from Henri Cartier-Bresson (thank you Warren), "Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." I plan on exploring that dichotomy.

(2) I think all photographers currently working and adding to the conversation of contemporary art are "young" and deserve recognition, even if they're already widely published or technically senior citizens (I'll never reveal ages though!). I believe unpublished, newer photographers deserve to be viewed alongside their contemporaries. It puts our little era into a perspective that informs my work and writing. The hope is that it may do this for others as well.

Hiya,

some of my students googled me in class today and one of them said "Hey, nice photos" and I asked them which site
they were on (I have a bunch) and they said "The archive something" and I said "That's none of mine" so they said "But
you're on it" and I went over to his computer to have a look and saw your page and was pretty flattered to make it on there
and most important of all it sort of inspired me to pick up photography again (I sort of lost it when I started working at school)
because I really loved your page and all the great stuff on it made me realize that I - at least in comparison - pretty much suck.

So; thanks alot for putting me on there... it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Have a good day over there in SanFran.
Take care...

//

(by the way... i saw your kristen-holden.com site and liked it too. you're good. and now my student hates me 'cause he couldn't
get anything done after i stole his computer to browse your pages. alas, i'm a bad teacher. bye bye.)

You're welcome (and thank you as well). I feel odd saying that, however, because your work, in fact, does not suck. Even in comparison to the best photographs on here. I do understand the humility-complex of the artist, however, so you get a pass.

But seriously, a few photos I posted recently came from a young man who said to me that he was flattered because "The photographers on that site, are like real photographers," inferring that he was not. Okay, so his profession might be in biotechnology and microscopy, but I truly believe--and have never wavered on this belief--that all one needs to be a "real photographer" is to take some real photographs. Whether they're "good" or not.. well, that remains to be seen and decided by anyone who pleases. Obviously, reactions will vary with taste. There is no work that's inherently better than other work. There is, however, a belief that my taste is better than Joe Schmoe's. And that means nothing, except that Joe Schmoe doesn't have a photo blog.

So! Enough with the "I'm not good enough" crap. And similarly, enough with the "I wanna be a famous photographer" crap. Just do your work: don't try to actually be great, just take great photographs.

***

Okay, back to enjoying the images.

And my most sincere appreciation to the artists featured who have been willing to share their work. I can unequivocally say that I'm not alone in this gratitude.

Please continue to send me your recommendations, and your thoughts via comment or here.

Ciao,
Holden