A few weeks ago we spoke to you about photographer Ted Orland, and his first exhibit in Los Angeles.
But there is so much more to this man.

[photopress:art_fear.gif,thumb,alignright] As a writer and teacher and teacher, he has taken an honest approach to the life of an artist in such books as Art & Fear, written with David Bayles.

“—This is a book about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and about the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. David Bayles and I are both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world — the observations we make are drawn from personal experience, and relate more to the needs of fellow artists than to the interests of viewers.
Do not mistake Art & Fear for a pop psychology self-help book — we’re not interested in freeing your inner child! This is a book about what it feels like to sit down at your potter’s wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. What we’ve tried to do is illuminate the obstacles you face, and offer some artistic strategies for getting past them.” Ted Orland

You should definitely pick up a copy of this one.
But that’s not what we are giving away this week.

We are a visual bunch of folks here, and so we are highlighting Mr. Orlands book
“Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity – The Photographs and Writings of Ted Orland”

[photopress:wonder_curiosity_1.jpg,full,centered]

“This book contains a large selection of my B&W and handcolored photographs, as well as excerpts from about fifteen years of letters to photographer Sally Mann (who in turn wrote the Foreword to this book). Much as I like to view myself as a photographer, I suspect the writings may be the more important part of this book — written in the immediacy of the moment, they encompass a turbulent decade in my own life, and a time when photography itself finally began to be recognized as a fine art by the outside world.” Ted Orland

You get a huge collection of his photographs but the insight to his work is revealed in the letters between himself and photographer Sally Mann.
As friends share personal insights, and goals, it’s what may be between the lines that contains the gold.
You are able to peer inside a very strong bond between 2 artists who can give each other support and console disappointments.

They way they share their thoughts about photography, will touch you in a deep place. Made us wish we had a pen-pal like they have.

So this book will give you many things: an excellent collection of Ted’s beautiful photographs, an intimate look into an artistic friendship, plus on the back cover, Ted’s Photographic Truths.
Some samples:
• The word “Daguerreotype” cannot be spelled correctly
• When your friends finally realize that you are a true artist, committed to making sensitive and meaningful photographs, they will ask you to photograph their wedding.
• Falling lenses are attracted to rocks.

and tons more.

We highly recommend adding this book to your library.

There is a signed copy of this book, sitting in our office, ready to send to one of you. The details will be in this weeks NEWSLETTER, coming to your inbox on Weds. at 9:00AM PST.
Just make sure you are signed up to receive it.

Whether you get it here, or from Amazon, or directly from Ted, you will get a very rich, photographic experience.

You know that there are many places to gain knowledge, and many varieties of that knowledge. Hopefully, you can make it into the right blend for you and your art.
And never stop seeking that knowledge.
(Too heavy? or too true?? ahhhh…..)

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 5:16 pm and is filed under Photo News, Weekly Giveaway. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.