I’m not sure what is a greater existential issue for me … that another year has come and gone so quickly, or that I am coming to the final conclusion that it may be a waste of my time to visit juried shows of contemporary photography.  The major reason deals with content and the means used to mask the lack of it.  I know I have said this before but to repeat myself yet again, I am underwhelmed by the current trend that stresses size over content. More than not the results are inversely proportional to one another … large images of boring subject matter. Which brings me to this year’s Phillips’ Mill exhibit, one of the premier shows in this artistic county.

Most who read this live far away from Bucks County so you probably couldn’t give a fig about this show, but you should. Why?  Because the shows near where you live most likely mirror what I see here. Again, as was the case with what I saw last year, bigger must surely better. Technically perfect and digital of course.  Mainly color.  Still mostly emotionally barren. Interestingly, the best photographs I saw didn’t win any of the honors.

What does this all mean?  One thing I’m guessing is that digital photography has enabled and promoted a casual means of working … and yes … thinking. And digital printing has enabled the easy production of large prints.  The bigger the better … right? It’s like we’re going back to the age of the dreadnaught class sized cars of low quality that Detroit churned out in the Sixties and Seventies.  Almost put U.S. car manufacturing under.

This weekend I went out photographing.  First I spent a couple of ours walking around Doylestown where I live. The next day, Philadelphia.  Almost 100 degrees outside, but beautiful sunny days.  One camera with one lens, loaded with Tri-X.

Suddenly the world seemed right again, and it was good.