#protectthecreators

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In another stroke of prescient and urgently timely insight, Sontag considers this notion of “content” — perhaps the vilest term by which professional commodifiers refer to cultural material today — and how it defiles art:

“Interpretation, based on the highly dubious theory that a work of art is composed of items of content, violates art. It makes art into an article for use, for arrangement into a mental scheme of categories.”

As an antidote to such violating interpretation, Sontag points to “making works of art whose surface is so unified and clean, whose momentum is so rapid, whose address is so direct that the work can be … just what it is.” In a sentiment that Wendell Berry would come to echo two decades later in his bewitching case for the value of form, Sontag writes:

“What is needed, first, is more attention to form in art. If excessive stress on content provokes the arrogance of interpretation, more extended and more thorough descriptions of form would silence. What is needed is a vocabulary — a descriptive, rather than prescriptive, vocabulary — for forms.”

This notion of vocabulary once again calls to mind the modern fixation on “content” — a term by which no self-respecting writer or artist would refer to what she makes, and yet one forcefully seared onto writing and art by the tyrannical vocabulary of commercial media, that hotbed of professionalized consumerism concerned not with the stewardship of culture but with the profitable commodification of it.

Excerpt from Susan Sontag On The Trouble With Treating Art And Cultural Material As “Content” by Maria Popova (emphasis added)

I couldn’t agree more, Fern! We, as curators (in case anyone doesn’t know, I am part of the “PWS - Photos Worth Seeing” family) are fortunate enough to see so much outstanding photography every day and learn by all those terrific photographers. That was my main-reason to join PWS back then. That and a lesson in discipline. To keep a curated blog running and try to keep it comparatively consistent, is quite a task. I think, all curators will agree. To be able to share other people’s work and to present it to an audience is a delight each and every day.

And just as you wrote: The possibilty to reblog posts, is what sets Tumblr apart from all those dedicated photo-sharing platforms. I love to see my photos on other blogs. For me, my (non-photography) blog is sort of my virtual home. I put in there all that makes me comfortable: The music I love, the photos I love, videos I found... And what could be more satisfying than other people feeling so comfortable with my photos, so that they want them in their virtual homes?

And I think, that is also, where the PtC campaign set in. Tumblr is an always evolving and never stopping “organism”. You don’t put things there to stay. Yes, they are still on the blogs, but the dash is moving. Depending on how many blogs you follow, it’s moving fast or slow. And that is something we, as curators have to adapt to. Tumblr is changing and so we have to change. Nothing stays the same. But we are creative, aren’t we? I don’t know any other blogging platforms good enough, so Tumblr for me is quite unique.

And this one day, when so many creators decided to do this one thing. That was quite powerful. And that was only possible because of the possibilty to reblog. And it showed that we as creators - even though we might only be a minority - had quite some impact. Because we stood together and got so much support by non-creators. On a side-note: I thought it was quite intersting to read some very aggressive posts against the PtC camapaign, but not one single negative posts about why certain people didn’t join. That - IMHO - shows a lot.

Since the Protect the Creators (PtC) action last June, I have explored other online photo sharing platforms. The two things Tumblr has that are missing from the other major platforms are (far as I can tell): a Dashboard style content feed and reblog sites where images deemed inspiring by photographer peers can be shared (the reblog issue was already mentioned in previous comments, btw).

I almost exclusively follow photographers on Tumblr, but there are a few non-photographer Tumblrs I follow. because I learn a lot from them. I love having one place where I can get most of the content, all kinds, I enjoy looking through every day. I also like Tumblr Radar because every so often it highlights content about everything from fashion to global politics to sports to cute GIFS. Again, one place, lots of varied content I like. I ignore the ads and/or use an ad blocker, but I do that on the other online platform I use often, too.

Then there is the no reblog sites issue. Being a member of a photography reblog site is essential for me. For over two years I have been a member of a Tumblr photography reblog site. First Lensblr, for about fifteen months, now Lux Lit for a year. Since I started participating in reblogging sites, I took it very seriously. I would spend an hour or more almost every day looking for great photographs. I still spend a lot of time doing reblog site work, but now as the managing editor of Lux Lit, though I still also hunt for great images to reblog, just not as often as I used to.

I do the reblog work for two major reasons. One is selfish: I get to see all kinds of photography and learn not only how to appreciate a broad spectrum of styles, but I also learn how to improve my own pictures by taking note of what I like in others’ work. As I acknowledge often on my Tumblr, I am grateful that I am exposed to visual treasures, some posted by established Tumblr artists with lots of well-deserved notes, some posted by unknowns who rarely get over twenty-five notes, but who post jaw-dropping images. I love the exploring, the finding, and the learning.

I know. Selfish.

Come to think of it, the other reason is selfish too. I love sharing work by all Tumblr photographers because we can all learn from them. We can learn from each other. I love being a part of that. (It is the teacher in me.) I love reblogging an unknown photographer’s post that has, say, ten notes, and watching it get several multiples of the original notes. The idea that I was part of someone getting “discovered” and getting more followers and gaining self-confidence as an artist makes me happy. I also get a huge thrill from Tumblr photographers who submit their work regularly. I am in awe of their determination, their confidence that their work is good enough to be reblogged by Lux Lit. I also love that over the last three months, since I started as Lux Lit managing editor, I have seen constant submitters’ work improve, expand. That just warms my heart, y'all. All that makes me feel too damned good. And then there are the photos submitted by the Lux Lit crew. Working with them, learning their tastes and styles of submitting and communicating with me, I am witness to their generosity of spirit. I also get to to see their insightful choices of others’ work they find. Well, all this reblog site stuff is just more fun and more educational and mare inspiring than I can describe.

Can I get get such a high from similar activities on any other photo sharing platform?

Finally, let me get back to the PtC action last June. I was overwhelmed when it took on a life of its own. I was beyond happy when so many of the creators of original content on Tumblr participated in reblogging the PtC slogan and changed their avatars to the PtC icon. Just as great was how many of them then expressed their frustrations creatively, posting all kinds of amazing PtC images and stories.

I was overjoyed with what happened with PtC.

Yes. Yes. It is all about me.

So I want to end now with a question. Quite seriously, because I really am not very familiar with the other photo sharing platforms, I ask you: Could the June 1, 2015 PtC action so many of us participated in happen in any of the other photo sharing platforms?

Keep kicking ass.

As always,

Big Fish