W. Eugene Smith
[Photographer, b. 1918, Wichita, Kansas, d. 1978, Tucson, Arizona.]
[I crop] for the benefit of the pictures. The world just does not fit conveniently into the format of a 35mm camera.
The purpose of all art is to cause a deep and emotion, also one that is entertaining or pleasing. Out of the depth and entertainment comes value.
Hardening of the categories causes art disease.
Up to and including the instant of exposure, the photographer is working in an undeniably subjective way.
What use is having a great depth of field, if there is not an adequate depth of feeling?
An artist must be ruthlessly selfish.
Other than that, Icarus, how was the flight?
(On his monumental, troubled Pittsburgh photo project “Labyrinthian Walk.”)
I always fought hard against packaging a story so that all things seem to come to and end at the end of the story. I always wanted to leave it so that there is a tomorrow.
