THE CURIOUS CAMERA

Camera week: Faculty meetings have finished for the year and I can finally spend more time here in the Spy Vibe lair. Our school culture of artists and teaching continues to loom large on my radar, however, and my thoughts gravitate toward the notion of curiosity. It is one of the key elements of our school's mission, and in my opinion, it is the foundation of culture, and the driving force in our interactions with each other and in our perceptions of self and the outside world. To be curious is to be engaged. And because the impulse to engage brings with it those stimulating acts of investigation, inquiry, synthesis, reflection, and revision, there may be no better to way to model and practice this process than by teaching art. I've taught primarily Photography and filmmaking for almost 30 years and one of my favorite experiences is introducing the camera. I talk with students about engaging with their environment, their perceptions, their emotional and intellectual responses to what they observe- or create- and we talk about Seeing. This little machine, with its glass eye, draws our curiosity to the surface; it opens us up. Photographer Dorothea Lange once said, "The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." Whether we're talking about early inventions, pinhole, film or digital, the camera also becomes a friend to the one who keeps it near. To be a photographer is to constantly observe and take notice. And that little box of metal or plastic dangling from our necks, or living inside our phones, calls out its invitations. We often talk about how Photographs are ephemeral moments frozen in time. As a celebration of each moment, perhaps to take a picture is indeed a form of mindful meditation, just as traditional Japanese calligraphy and archery are practiced. Anyone who has attended a concert in the last ten years also knows the camera can become a barrier, as people remain outside observers instead of letting all the senses of the body take in experiences. Susan Sontag said, "The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own." As an artist, it is difficult sometimes to shut off that impulse to organize and make visual sense of what I'm seeing. The mind loves a puzzle to solve! To look -to photograph- is a beautifully direct act of curiosity. Richard Avedon often spoke about how Photography is a fiction and how pictures communicate opinions rather than facts. Through the technology, lighting, and approach, it is a rich form of storytelling. We can witness some fantastic moments of curiosity among these images of The Beatles in the 1960s. Scrolling down through the batch, from camera to camera, they seem to be in a perpetual state of engagement. Even when they were immersed in recording, we can see the urge to observe and snap! The Beatles brought their Pentax cameras with them around the world. It was Photography fever! The group even performed on a themed stage on November 25th, 1963 with "Beatax" camera props and designs. Spy Vibe celebrates these acts of curiosity and creation today. Below: The Beatles with their cameras. Note the photo of George Harrison's original Pentax from the 1960s. Join the discussion in the comments section below. If you want to see the 1960s fascination with cameras illustrated in a cool mystery, check out Antonioni's Blow Up. See also Ringo's recent photo book, Photograph. Be curious! Carry your camera with you today! And please stay tuned for more Camera Week on Spy Vibe. Enjoy the site? Please consider making a donation in the virtual tip jar top left of this page (and help a teacher).  Project news: Spy Vibe book coming from Hermes Press in 2017; my first novel, Miki Zero, is now out with agents. Updates will be announced as these missions develop. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art Interview, Fergus Fleming Interview, Avengers: Alan Hayes Interview, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Diana Rigg BFI Interview, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School, Ian Fleming Memorial, Portmeirion Photos, Doctor Who Exhibit, Farewell Steed, Pussy Galore Returns, Diana Rigg birthday, Sherlock at 221B, Invisible Agent, Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Saint Doppelgänger, Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Jim Wilson Corgi Interview, Fantomas Design, John Buss interview, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Tokyo Beat 1964, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.