Concept vs Result?

Over the last months, I have been trying to bring the European Capitals project to an end. There is the exhibition in the Maison de l'Europe, mid-October. And there is the little book that I have been planning for so long. The book concept itself has been downsized to something fairly conventional as a result of my inability to find a binder that is able to produce a leporello at a decent price. And then there is the question of what images to put in the book. The portfolio offers various lines through the capitals maze and if I want to stick to one picture per capital there is an unavoidable choice to be made.

As a result of the workshop with Lorenzo Castore, I decided to have another look at the selection for the book. I wanted to do away with all the "pretty" pictures and focus on more edgy, less obviously readable pictures. So, I looked through the negatives again and came up with a choice that differed significantly from the previous selection.

I bothered two people, Johan Doumont and Lorenzo Castore, whose judgment I trust. Lorenzo shot back:

hey philippe,
i think you just have to move forward. yes, the new selection it is a bit better but you should not try to force something just to have a reasonably accettable result because you spend time money efforts to come out with a finished project. the concept of one picture one capital is weak, especially if so generic: or you decide to be extremely radical, also from the conceptual point of view, or the risk is to have a series of superficial good looking pictures which will just mix your feelings and probably confuse what we shared in toscana.
big hug,
lorenzo

In a way I was very happy with this reply. It was so characteristically Lorenzo. And in a way his point was very obvious, liberatingly obvious almost. Yes, I have to move on.

Johan had a very different take:

Some images are like stills from a movie, others just pertinent observations of a society in transition. But all pictures speak of a sense of wonder. Esthetics do not prevail, these are not "pretty" pictures, with perhaps one exception, and they don't pretend to capture to analyse a city and its people. It's just images of an outsider that observes things, wonders about them and captures them. "Look, this is what I have seen" No analysis, no explanation, no judgment. And that is how I personally like to take pictures too ...

Whilst Lorenzo's reply struck a chord, Johan's captured how I myself had wanted to position myself with respect to these pictures. So two very different assessments and I felt that there is truth in both. But why the difference? Johan explained to me:
I think there is a big difference in Lorenzo's truth and mine (...) I have made a point of it not to criticise a creative process, but only the results of that process. Whilst Lorenzo is probably not interested at all in the result, but only in the creative process. That 's exactly the opposite. However, I think I can only analyse, critique and adjust my own processes. I fear that doing this with other people is to break into their minds too much.

I thought Johan's comment was very much to the point and helped to explain the difference between the two assessments, but I wanted to know whether his focus on results rather than process was a matter of principle or pragmatics. He further explained that it is indeed a matter of prudence. Sometimes he is unable to critique the underlying concept because it is foreign to him and he simply doesn't understand. On the other hand, when a concept is obviously empty and fake (because someone emulates a style) then he has no scruples criticising it. Mostly, however, the situation is much less clear and it requires great delicacy in coaching someone to adopt another, more truthful approach to taking pictures.

However, Lorenzo's take is not just about coaching with the hammer, for the sheer fun of it (and Johan understands that). What he does is very hard, both for himself and for the learner. I am grateful for his kicking me under the butt and I'm grateful it's him kicking me. So I'll get it over and done with the Capitals booklet and then move on to something else.