Talk:Thomas Barbèy

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[edit] Cameras

A listing of the cameras used by a photographer is not significant unless they are unusual and have a primary impact on the work. For example, a photographer who makes her own pinhole cameras might be significant enough to mention in an article. The fact that Barbey uses a "Mamiya RB67 camera and several Canon AE-1s to take his photographs" is not a significant fact. TheMindsEye 15:34, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Hi TheMindsEye - Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I hear what you're saying but I think that even if they are using standard cameras, it is a significant and relevant part of a photographer's page. I took a look at some of the other photographer web sites just to see whether the use of commercially available cameras (as opposed to personally created/altered) was included - it actually seems to be fairly common. For example, on the Diane Arbus page, it specifies that "Arbus' early work was created using 35mm cameras, but by the 1960s Arbus adopted the Rolleiflex medium format twin-lens reflex." On Robert Mapplethorpe's page, it is written that "Mapplethorpe took his first photographs soon thereafter, using a Polaroid camera." On Henri Cartier-Bresson's page, a contributor wrote "As a young boy, Cartier-Bresson owned a Box Brownie, using it for taking holiday snapshots; he later experimented with a 3×4 inch view camera." I think that a current photographer using Wikipedia might like to know what their colleagues and/or predecessors used to create their works of art - particularly if they are trying to create a similar effect or style themselves. Also, as we enter the digital camera era, it is worth distinguishing between those who are still using film vs. digital. As Barbèy is a photomontage artist this is especially relevant - many people use digital cameras to manipulate and make composite shots whereas he is actually using film to do so.

I would be interested to hear your point of view if you take issue with the above. Thanks for helping me with this page. (Merteuil 05:03, 2 February 2007 (UTC))

  • I agree with you that his use of film cameras would be significant and should be included in the article, but not the fairly standard cameras that he uses. I maintain that for most photographers using standard cameras that the choice of cameras is not significant and should not be included. Moreover, I think camera brands should be an extremely rare mention. For two of the photographers in your example, the choice of format is significant. Diane Arbus' choice of twin lens medium format cameras really influenced her relationship with her subjects because the waist-level viewfinder allowed her to connect in a way not possible with an eye-level viewfinder. (However, I don't think the article should mention the specific brand, since most twin lens reflex cameras have waist-level viewfinders.) For Cartier-Bresson, he was the pioneer of the use of 35mm cameras and this is a really significant statement for the article. Leica was also the pioneer brand for 35mm cameras and also merits inclusion. I'm not sure why the Mapplethorpe article speaks of polaroid and will have a look at the article. TheMindsEye 18:04, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
I still think that it is valid and relevant to include the names of the actual cameras, whether it be a mass produced Kodak Brownie, a Polaroid, a Canon or a Mamiya - however, I am happy to leave this discussion where it is. Would you feel a good compromise to be something along the lines of "Barbèy's photomixage works are made with original film negatives?" Merteuil 20:13, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
I'm no expert on Arbus and lack the time to study up on her now, but I think that the particular TLR was important in that (at least some of the time) she used a wide angle Rolleiflex. Still, other than for measurbators, there would be no significant optical difference between this and a Mamiya TLR fitted with a wide angle lens. -- Hoary 04:58, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Significance

Barbèy sells his works. He gets two paragraphs within an article in Art Business News. He's written up in Inked.

Very possibly he's unfairly underestimated, deserving much more attention. But it does seem that, rightly or wrongly, he doesn't get much attention. Any solo exhibitions anywhere significant, or books? -- Hoary 05:01, 12 May 2007 (UTC)