This got me to thinking about the importance of geographic location and how it relates to the exposure of an artist to the photographic community, and the recognition they receive based on where they choose to live. This is especially relevant when considering there are arbitrators of history who will ultimately write that history from a personal bias that is inevitably prone to subjectivity, no matter how hard they might try otherwise.
There are obvious exceptions to regional favoritism, like William Eggleston in Memphis, but when you look at the bulk of photographic "heavyweights," you'll find that many hail from the cultural capitals of New York and Paris. These two cities have produced a seismic volume of notable photographers and their influence is widespread, but you loose sight of the bigger picture if you are hypnotized by the allure of subject matter generated solely from either city. With the advent of the web, this has changed considerably over the last 20 years, but regardless, a noticeable majority have worked and photographed in both New York or Paris.
Herzog did some amazing color work in Vancouver, but it is doubtful you'll hear about him in the same breath as Stephen Shore or William Eggleston. But the point is this: important bodies of work exist from regional photographers, and many have the potential to carry equal significance if compared to the iconic photographers of the 20th century. Other than regional accolades, most remain on the sidelines, and their influence to the overall timeline of photographic history is often minimal.
For instance, there is Milt Rogovin in Buffalo, Thomas Arndt in Minnesota, Bill Rauhauser in Detroit, John Humble in Los Angeles, and as mentioned, Herzogs work in Vancouver. These are a small sampling of photographers that come to mind when contemplating regional photographers whose work gives us an insiders perspective not readily visible to traveling photographers such as Robert Frank, Stephen Shore and more recently Alec Soth. The aforementioned have shown a willingness to embraced their persona as the proverbial "outsider", and often used that position to their advantage. But without the insight of local and regional photographers, you end up with singular narratives that fall short of balanced perspectives that are noticeably enhanced by the imagery of those more deeply rooted in local areas.
As a photographer always looking for inspiration, you have to have a willingness to dig deeper than the usual suspects if you want to unearth imagery that typically flies under the radar.
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| ©John Humble-Los Angeles |
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| ©Milton Rogivin-Buffalo, NY |
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| ©Thomas Arndt-Minnesota |
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| ©Fred Herzog-Vancouver |
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| ©Bill Rauhauser-Detroit |
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