This afternoon I finished a three-day workshop sponsored by the CPA, and given by Brooks Jensen. The title of the workshop was “Finding an Audience for your Work”. In the workshop, Brooks ties together many of the threads that he has been weaving in LensWork, on their website, on his website, and on his blog. The whole exposition, which seems to me to significantly exceed the sum of the parts, amounts to a complete rethinking of the photographic art marketplace, and of the artmaker’s role in it. I am tempted to try and summarize some of the salient points. I will resist because:
- Brooks has already done that in print and other venues .
- Part of the value of what he has to teach is its specificity, and elision would diminish that.
- I’m afraid that condensation would shift the emphasis inappropriately.
- And there’s that whole and parts thing.
Much of the material that he presented is available in audio and video form; you can order it from his website. However, if you have the opportunity, I encourage you to attend the actual course. In addition to the personal contact with Brooks, there is benefit in discussions with your fellow students. If the CPA course is any indication, your fellow attendees will themselves have much to contribute to the discussions.
In the months to come, I’ll be reporting on what I do to put into practice some of what I learned.
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