moby dick

Was interested in the article in the Times about Richard Prince’s show at the Guggenheim (If the Copy Is an Artwork, Then What’s the Original?). Large photographs of existing photographs. The article quotes Jim Krantz, one of the photographers whose work is reproduced without attribution (on the show’s posters in fact):

“At this point it’s been done, and it’s out there,” he said. “My whole issue with this, truly, is attribution and recognition. It’s an unusual thing to see an artist who doesn’t create his own work, and I don’t understand the frenzy around it.”

He added: “If I italicized ‘Moby-Dick,’ then would it be my book? I don’t know. But I don’t think so.”

This is a copy of the poster of the photograph of the original photograph:

There are some interesting pieces to all of this. But I have to say that my favorite part here is the last line quoted above. I immediately wanted to do it. It seems somehow appropriate in this context to lift the idea from Mr. Krantz.

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me…

[I also made note of this over at fluxlist]