82 7 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
Final AnalysisTimClinchis anaward-winningprofessionalphotographerwithover 40 years’experience.OvertheyearsTimhasworkedin mostareasof theprofession,hashadhisworkpublished in magazines worldwide,
and has had more than 30 books published featuring subjects as varied as interiors, travel, food and portraits. To see his work,visitwww.timclinchphotography.com.
TimClinchconsiders...‘Little Rock, Arkansas’, 2016, by Mark PowerPhoto CritiqueS
o...whenI wasoriginally
offereda choiceofpictures
fromMarkPower’supcoming
exhibitiontotalkaboutI was
distinctlyunsure.Apparently,oneof
theothercontributorstothisexcellent
pagehadalreadyturneddownthe
opportunity,whichonlyservedtofuel
myapprehension.I strugglewitha lot
ofmodernreportagephotographyas,in
general,I findit sounremittinglybleak.
I willbethefirsttoadmitthatI am,
whenit comestophotography,a ‘bear
oflittlebrain’toquoteA A Milne,and
theappealofexpensiveandexclusive
‘artistphotographers’suchasAndreas
Gurskyis lostonme.Thisis noreverse
snobberyonmypart.I amasopen-
mindedasthenextman,especiallyin
theworldofartisticendeavour,but,
possiblyduetomyage,I findmyself
achingtoseebeauty.
WhichbringsusontoMarkPowerand
hiswork.MrPoweris a well-respected
photographer,exhibitedingalleries
worldwideandalmostuniversallyfêted.
SomeofhisworkI love.Theearlyseriesof
picturesinPoland,hisinspirational
projectTheShippingForecastand,more
recently,thebrilliant series Ice Breaker
being highlights.
However,inthis,hisworkintheUS...
andI realisethatI musttreadvery
carefullyhereasMagnumis almost
beyondcriticism...I amstartingtonotice
a certainlook,almosta ‘brand’of
photography.Thephotographs,almost
randomandseeminglywithnotechnical
skillrequiredapartfromtheartist’s
‘vision’,arerenderedalmost‘un-
criticisable’assingleimages.Myshortcomingsasacritic
IntheseriesofpicturesI wassentfrom
whichtochoose,I decidedonthisone
becauseI didn’tunderstanditsappeal.
It seemstoorandomtostandoutasa single
image.I canimagineit blownuptohuge
proportionsandhungonthewallofa
groovyShoreditchloftbelovedofhedgefund
managersthatI occasionallyhaveto
photographfora glossyinteriorsmagazine.
Butasa single,standaloneimageit is a
cliché.Onetowhichthebrandname
‘Magnum’hasbeenfixed...justasthat
small-but-all-importantreddothasbeen
stuckontoa very,veryexpensivecamera
renderingit evenmoreexpensive.
Andthen...andthen...
Slightlydespairingofmyshortcomings
asa criticofmodernphotographyandmy
cynicism in general, I began to GoogleMarkPowerandcameacrossa TedTalk
hehadgivenbackin 2012 abouthiswork
inPoland.Hewasbrilliant.Hetalked
charminglyandinterestinglyabouthis
workandexplainedhisfeelingsabout
shootinginthisfascinating,but
occasionallybleak,country.
LivingasI doinBulgaria,another
EasternEuropean,ex-Communist
country,I gotit.Thegrimolddisused
factoriesareasmuchasa partoflifehere
asthebeautifulcastlesandfecundity,and
theyaresomethingI nowtendtooverlook.
Butasa photographer,I understandwhy
theywouldfeatureinsomeone’swork.
MaybethewholepointofPower’swork
is thattherearenoiconic,singleimages,
butthereis a strongandinteresting
story. SoI mustapologisetohim,and
possiblytoyou,fortheblinkersI have
obviouslybeenwearingandurgeyoutogo
andseehisupcomingexhibition.It’sbeen
a toughoneformegettingthereaboutthis
andI’mstillnotconvincedthatI’ve
reachedmydestination.Buthavingspent
sometimewiththisfascinating
photographerandhiswork,I feel at
leastthatI’monmyway.GoodMorningAmericaby MarkPower runs at the Magnum
Print Room, London, until 3 April© MARK POWER / MAGNUM PHOTOS