Parallel Lines: W.M. Hunt
© F.M. Anderman. “She Lives.” 1974
Federica Belli The language of photography is among the most contemporary of languages, due to its versatility and its immediate impact on the viewer. What makes photography such a relevant language in our time?
W.M. Hunt One of the things that differentiates photography from the other art forms is that, living in the Western world, by the time we reach adulthood we all have become experts in photography with an internal vocabulary for photography. Though we may not be able to articulate it, we can tell a good photograph from a bad one. First thing in the morning, by looking at the newspaper or browsing online we unconsciously act as photo-editors and critics. Given that the last generation has internalized this language from childhood on, it becomes very difficult to separate photography from the language we speak. It is everywhere, it invades our conversations.
F.B. In your talks you often refer to The Collector’s Eye. Given that the Eye is a term which is generally heard regarding photographers, how do the talents of a Collector’s Eye differ from those of a Photographer’s?
W.M.H. Once I was looking at a piece by an artist I had been following, it was very expensive and for that reason I had been reluctant to purchase. The artist was very smart, I just loved the artwork. And the dealer approached me by saying: “Well, of course you like it. You have such a good Eye”. I got very upset. It had never occurred to me that I might have a good Eye. I thought he was trying to flatter me and silenced him. But then I went home and I just could not stop thinking about what he said, wondering what an Eye could be. The conclusion I reached? I do have a good Eye. But what is it then? A Collector’s Eye involves instinct, experience and the nerve to state what is good and what is not, as opposed to being general and nice. You know, everyone is looking around, searching for something valuable. But then you just browse with your eyes and go: “Look at this! This is great!”. It is very hard with artists: one wants to be supportive while not lying to them, and it takes artistry to maintain kindness. The real test occurs whenever the Eye is in front of something excellent, superior: the enthusiasm is just uncontainable and real. You just feel it. Think of Blades of Grass #50, an image by Randy West: it is basically a circle made with a blade of grass on a white background. People go like: “This is it? You are all crazy about this picture?”. And I am. It is just right, not too much and not too little. It is complete. An artist is someone that says: I jump six inches in the air, and it is just what I do. And you think it is not a big deal, anyone could do that. But then they do it, and they really deliver: it is not five inches, not seven. It lies in knowing their nature and potential. And it simply feels natural and amazing. For both, having an Eye is looking at something and just knowing: this is it. An image triggers in you a very personal and compete set of emotions and ideas, it is very satisfying and creates thankfulness towards the artist.
© Randy West. Blades of Grass #50, from Bird Rabbit. Snake, 2003
F.B. So there is something about translating complexity into simplicity. To this regard, we are currently witnessing experimental photographic approaches and new visual techniques. How do you tell apart which evolutions of the media are worth investing in and which ones are just a formal escamotage?
W.M.H. Very often younger artists will touch a nerve – it may be instinctively or accidentally, however it will work. Though immature, their work connects with you. Regarding someone who is mature, on the other hand, experimentation involves nurturing your talent. And a huge part of doing that consists of being in the world: teaching, having relationships with colleagues and being active in the field. Of course all of this is secondary to the quality of the art. Being mature involves being committed, curious about life and at home with your work; ironically, it has little to do with being a technical virtuoso, but rather with artistic research and exploration.
F.B. That brings up another issue regarding emerging photographers. The impressive unrefined talent they often show is counterbalanced by the lack of awareness in the production phase and the selection of the most suitable materials. How do you determine when an artist is mature enough to invest in her work?
W.M.H. If you make magic in front of me, that is the only aspect that interests me. I believe in young talent and have collected many artworks created at the beginning of a career. The value lies in the fact that we met. Maybe the photograph is not as powerful as the meeting, after all it is really hard to create great photographs.
© Frank E. Fuller. Buick Employees. “Buick Employees, Nov. 7th, 1913, Automobile Manufacturers in the World. Col. Ohio, Annual Capacity, 40,000 cars”
F.B. With such a public profile, I guess it would be quite easy to become trapped in the persona you have built around yourself. However, no matter how often you appear as speaker in lectures and conferences about photography, no talk ever sounds like the repetition of another. How do you direct your path in order to keep it relevant and fresh?
W.M.H. I try to bear in mind a couple of points. First, I genuinely want to mess with people. If you walk into a show I have organized and commit to walking through the exhibition, I want to amaze and challenge. No visitor can leave being in the same condition he entered the room in. That applies differently to every show, and that is why curating a show is the most fun one can have with clothes on. When I teach, I have to keep in mind I teach problem solving. I look at the students’ work and react to it by offering ideas on different approaches to it. It ranges from marketing oneself to the world to editing one’s work. The point is teasing out and emphasising the ability of the student to amaze and delight observers. To stay fresh as a Collector, I have had to make an adjustment. With time I realised I had been accumulating a lot of visual knowledge, and I had to learn to just leave it outside: show up and prepare to be amazed with gratitude. One could put their efforts in being terribly sophisticated, however that would deny their heart some fun. It is a conscious adjustment to just show up and let art do its magic. In public speaking, the whole point of a talk is to excite people about photography. If I get off track, I can just go back to that. Exciting people requires specificity, energy and a touch of rudeness. One has to listen. Opposite, I wonder which audience artists work for. What do they focus on, do they create for themselves or not? How do they assess the impact their art has on observers and whether people are taking it in?
F.B. You touched a nerve! It is one of the most challenging part of evolving as artist. Even the most energetic and optimistic creators cannot help but wonder which is the impact of their work. Personally, when planning a photograph, it has to do with bringing an idea to life before the camera and celebrating the power of creativity. Still, at times, the thought of who these photographs might affect unavoidably comes up. I guess it is a similar yet opposite process with regards to public speaking. You worry about the same issues, just in a different order.
W.M.H. Yeah, once I wrote a very complicated joke to illustrate a concept in a presentation for an important symposium. I was balancing words, well aware that a fair amount of the audience knew me personally. And having told the joke, I visualized it as if I threw a ball out to the audience hoping they would catch it and throw it back. Otherwise, I would just have looked like a moron. They did laugh, the ball flew back to me and I knew the talk had been effective. I really had fun with the audience and got to make my point.
PORTRAIT Schoeller, Martin W.M. Hunt, 2010
W. M. Hunt is a champion at photography: Collector, Curator and Consultant. Formerly an actor, his first encounter with photography occurred through the acquisition of a photograph forty years ago. It changed his life: it gave him one. From there, he has worked as dealer, teacher and writer, challenging common misconceptions about photography.
Federica Belli
