“A Change Of State” [Reflections on Chris Orwig's Book Visual Poetry - Chapter 4 – Intro] (Mark 1:14-15)
In past, the folks with darkroom bent,
Who to their craft their beings lent,
To push the limits of their craft,
Had peers who sat back, mocked, and laughed.Like Land with Polaroids at first,
For whom production-speed was thirst –
They laughed, so he made company,
And Kodak blushed – they had not seen.But users also pushed the walls,
With “Sabbatier effect” and all
The systems made to gain control,
Pre-visualize – made toolbox full.A high percentage of such skills
Were aspects subject to one’s will,
So in the end we gained a set
Of tools to use – knew most – and yet –Some workers used such tools in ways
That made us drool – on our best days
We’d maybe use them once or twice –
But Adams, Weston? Out of sight!Now Orwig’s comment’s stopped me cold;
Says attitude must now be bold,
Not tweaked, deferred to “expert switch”,
But changed in state – result of which –Means “metanoia” (term in Greek) –
“Turn mind around”, new outlook seek –
You’ll never plumb the depths of this,
Its ocean now, not poolside bliss –But that’s good news – photography
(Show “forthright authenticity”
Through “mystic process”) – how to do
When skill’s now accessed by the fool?That’s simple – “auto mode” – “defer
To expert switch”, will now confer
On all who wish to look like pros
A level field – from there one grows –’Till once again the cream is seen
Atop the skim-milk – in between
Is mix that’s known as semi-pro;
The game has changed – there we should go.For me, augmented text’s the part
Which gives the boundaries to my art;
For no one knows, or does it all,
And “less is more” since Adam’s fall.And even in that range of thought
And skill, there’s part that is not taught,
But boundless lies as ocean wide
To those who venture far outside –Convention’s ways, and auto-switch,
And risk some visits to the ditch,
As we push back frontiers of dark,
And like Columbus now embark.navigation