Mapplethorpe and Verburg on 'Perfection'

I recently came across this Robert Mapplethorpe quote:

I am obsessed with beauty. I want everything to be perfect, and of course it isn't. And that's a tough place to be because you're never satisfied.

That reminded me of something that I recently heard on an episode of "Minnesota Original" on PBS about local photographer Joann Verburg:


Direct link: https://youtu.be/SnnY3WdT_YQ

Here's a quote that starts around the 5:15 mark where Verberg talks about photographing a city in Italy:

There's a way in which in Italy I feel like I will never understand how to do it correctly, and that's very freeing. As an artist, if I think I can do it correctly, that's in my way. Whereas in Italy, I know everything I'm doing is incorrect - the way I speak Italian is dreadful - so I can be incorrect and not worry about it. What is means as an artist is that there's no right way, and I can just keep trying different things. And that's what I need to be able to do.

Those quotes aren't really related. It was just interesting to me to come across Mapplethorpe talking about how he's never satisfied because nothing is perfect, only to remember hearing Verburg a few days before saying how doing things incorrectly or imperfectly is freeing.

"Winter 2016" at Weinstein

This afternoon, I took my Digital Photo II class from Hamline to the Weinstein Gallery in south Minneapolis. I hadn't been there to see a show for a while, and this show was packed with big names. So we had to check it out. Here are a few snaps of our visit:

Looking at some lesser-known Annie Leibovitz photos.
(These aren't the style of images that I picture when I think of her work.)


Some classic Mole and Thomas images on the left, and some quirky Elliott Erwitt's on the right.


Mapplethorpe.


Soth.


I've been a fan of Vera Lutter for many years, so it was great to see some of her
one-of-a-kind pinhole paper negatives. My class was intrigued.


Edward Burtynsky had some beautiful images that entranced my students.


Some newer Alec Soth work.

It was a great show. It's up for another 3 weeks, so check it out.