Walking Commentary
Thoughts while waiting to walk from Manchester to Rome in 2022
We had reason to hang some pictures today. I mean, rehang. We’ve been slowly rehanging pictures that we took down off the walls in January. They’ve been stashed around the place while we repainted the house. One of the things we agreed was that nothing could go back up without mutual agreement.
No matter what I read or see of the great monochrome photographers, whether it be Ansel Adams or Edward Weston or Michael Kenna or Edward Steichen or perhaps Donn McCullin or Vivian Maier, I don’t seem to learn enough to be satisfied with my own efforts. These people are some of the greatest proponents of their arts but sometimes their superb work undermines rather than inspires. I think these are normal but sometimes very frustrating limits on our aspirations. As I was taught when I had motorcycle racing aspirations, if you see someone in your mirror that wasn’t there last time you looked, give way, because they are better than you.
