My good friend, Mike Demokowicz, a photographer and educator who has taught me a great deal, sent along this quote in an email today.
It made me think of Anton Ego’s speech in Ratatouille… only it’s richer and more complete.
It’s Bill Jay, from billjayonphotography.com:
Ideally, photographic criticism should provide one or more of the following services: introduce you to photographers of whom you were unaware; expand your appreciation of a photographer’s work; place the images in the context of photography’s history; place the images in the context of the artist’s culture; and, while accomplishing these services, throw light upon the creative/artistic process. These services demand that the critic demonstrates superior knowledge and insight. The result will be photographic writing which is informative, elevating and, above all else, useful.