“Have a consistent body of work. Put only the very best of your images into your portfolio.”. All valid advice on how to present yourself as a “serious” artist and to have an impactful representation of your own work.
As much as I believe that it is true and I do try to live up to it myself. (well mostly) I sometimes feel like I don’t give enough attention to images that I like but who I consider not portfolio worthy and that are lacking the full message I want to bring across as an artist. And maybe it is good to let go of those images fast. Because time is sparse. And why waste it on images that I do not consider top of what I do? Right? And the better the quality of my output the more I will be reckoned as artist, right? Well, it is not so easy.
Somewhere outside the Icelandic highlands. Is it because it prominently features a manmade element? Or because it is black and white? Sometimes I cannot even explain why some images end up not being chosen for further view.
I believe when creating you need to be trying things. You need to be curious. And that is something I truly like about the creative process. With that comes the willingness to embrace failure. And the acceptance that a body of work contains of many pieces. Of diversity. Yes, a body of work is only as strong as it’s weakest parts. Yet, the impact of its pieces may differ. And some parts may serve as transition elements. Do you disclose those elements or hide them away? It is a question which I do not find a clear answer on myself. On the one hand I want my images to appear strong and as an artistic statement. On the other hand I like the fact that an artist is rather open and the viewer gets a true feel for the artist’s evolution and diversity. Ever been to a museum where an artist was displayed with a career spanning body of work (scripts and letters and sketch books even)? I always find that incredibly interesting and inspiring. I needn’t like all single pieces but it brings me closer to the artist. And with it comes even more appreciation for the complete works.
at the gates - an image that has gotten a great response on Instagram. But I refused to upload it on my homepage or promote it for sale for a good reason: unfortunately it is not tack sharp. Nobody notices that on a small phone, but things look different on a large screen or print.
So what to do with those leftover images? Those b- or even c-sides? The easiest is just leaving them where they are: sitting on my hard drive.
But as I often like to do, using some music analogy: I have always liked listening to the bsides, the rareties of my favorite bands. ‚Hard to imagine‘ by Pearl Jam? Not on any album (I am not counting the bsides collection as a regular album here) but a sure favorite of mine. Same with ‘last flowers’ by Radiohead and ‘play’ from The Cure. The list could go on and on. And as a fan I cherish the fact that these songs were made available. Maybe even more so because they were sort of hidden from the casual listener. Something for me to discover. To please the fan in me.
And without getting into it too deep here: did you know that music milestones ‘Ruby Tuesday’ from The Rolling Stones and ‘rock around the clock’ from Bill Haley were b-sides? Hard to believe, because both songs are all time classics now. This comes to show that sometimes the artists themselves or their management fail in judging what might be successful or not.
So maybe it does make sense to have this thought carry over and maybe I should not be so strict on those “leftovers” and give them a chance to see the daylight. Display those transition elements. And well maybe the platform is right here inside a blog post. Or over on Instagram? Who knows. In the end it is just: why not? Do what feels right. Even if that means one b-side gets a wider stage while the other remains unseen to the world.