Bob Carlos Clarke

[Atavar]

Hi there every one,

I've been getting into Bob Carlos Clarkes work since i read the article about him in the AP Iconic Photographers section in the 6th march issue from his early days in art college to his untimely and tragic demise. I'm also doing a photography unit in my uni course at the moment and one of the tasks is to do a ten minute presentation on a chosen practitioner.

As such, I am trying to get an insight into the man behind the images and was wondering what real people like yourselves thought about him and his work? I read in the AP article that he used to have a column in the magazine called Devil's Advocate in the 90's and wondered what sort of impression the pro had on aspiring readers at the time, what you thought of his output and if he inspired you to try techniques or images you hadn't thought possible or inversely whether you didn't like his stuff at all.

Even if you weren’t a reader in the 90's please chip in, and if you don't know him at all check him out. I think he's got some cracking images and although he was most famous for nudes his other pieces are also fantastic (in my opinion, but don't let that sway you)

[Barney]

I wasn't a reader in the 90's but may I congratulate you on possibly being the first student to ever post a well thought out request for information on a photographic forum?

[BigWill]

I wasn't a reader in the 90's but may I congratulate you on possibly being the first student to ever post a well thought out request for information on a photographic forum?

..........in fact, he may well be the first student to ever post a well thought out anything as most of the ones i know are either completely out of their skull from imbibing too many illegal substances or right out of their tree from squandering all their student allowance on vast quantities of Old fart keg bitter!

BigWill

[Damien_Demolder]

I wasn't a reader in the 90's but may I congratulate you on possibly being the first student to ever post a well thought out request for information on a photographic forum?

..........in fact, he may well be the first student to ever post a well thought out anything as most of the ones i know are either completely out of their skull from imbibing too many illegal substances or right out of their tree from squandering all their student allowance on vast quantities of Old fart keg bitter!

BigWill

Well stop congratulating him and give him some information, or his next project will be a study of why students don't usually bother asking forum members anything.

[Barney]

I wasn't a reader in the 90's but may I congratulate you on possibly being the first student to ever post a well thought out request for information on a photographic forum?

..........in fact, he may well be the first student to ever post a well thought out anything as most of the ones i know are either completely out of their skull from imbibing too many illegal substances or right out of their tree from squandering all their student allowance on vast quantities of Old fart keg bitter!

BigWill

Well stop congratulating him and give him some information, or his next project will be a study of why students don't usually bother asking forum members anything.

I'm too young to remember the 90's, they were my student years , so I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

[BigWill]

I wasn't a reader in the 90's but may I congratulate you on possibly being the first student to ever post a well thought out request for information on a photographic forum?

..........in fact, he may well be the first student to ever post a well thought out anything as most of the ones i know are either completely out of their skull from imbibing too many illegal substances or right out of their tree from squandering all their student allowance on vast quantities of Old fart keg bitter!

BigWill

Well stop congratulating him and give him some information, or his next project will be a study of why students don't usually bother asking forum members anything.

I'm too young to remember the 90's, they were my student years , so I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

.......and i too know nothing of Bob Carlos Clarke.........though i thought his brother Jim Clark was a great racing driver!

BigWill

[Atavar]

Thanks for the congratulations, i think it must be my age in relation to being a student - i'm paying for it and arn't afraid to work for my moneys worth

I'm too young to remember the 90's, they were my student years , so I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

Damien has already kindly supplied some very enlightening insights. I'd like outside observers impressions, but if anyone else had the fortune to speak or work near or along side Bob, please chip in too.

Heres a link to his portfolio site:

WARNING - May not be suitable for work due to Nudes.
http://www.bobcarlosclarke.com/portfolio.htm
WARNING - May not be suitable for work due to Nudes.

[gray1720]

I don't know if anyone at AP Towers recalls it, but there was a piece in the column for readers to hold forth in last year by someone who, as a complete tyro, had just bought a new OM10, and was struggling to take a photo of her friend with it. Chap with a camera comes along, put her right about her speeds and stops, showed her how to use a newspaper as a reflector to improve the light on her friend's face, and gave her a couple of rolls of film as he left... You can guess the rest.

I'll see if I can find it in the piling - sorry, filing system over the weekend. Failing that, have AP got a copy still?

*Edit* Cross-post - Damien might have beaten me to it?

Adrian

[Atavar]

I don't know if anyone at AP Towers recalls it, but there was a piece in the column for readers to hold forth in last year by someone who, as a complete tyro, had just bought a new OM10, and was struggling to take a photo of her friend with it. Chap with a camera comes along, put her right about her speeds and stops, showed her how to use a newspaper as a reflector to improve the light on her friend's face, and gave her a couple of rolls of film as he left... You can guess the rest.

I'll see if I can find it in the piling - sorry, filing system over the weekend. Failing that, have AP got a copy still?

*Edit* Cross-post - Damien might have beaten me to it?

Adrian

I do recall that article, i was wondering if it had been Bob. I belive it was in responce to the discontinuation of Kodak Tri-X wasn't it?

[gray1720]

Not sure - I'm pretty sure it was Tri-X he gave her, so it could well have been. I'll see if I can find it, but I'm afraid I can't promise I've still got it!

Adrian

[Atavar]

Not sure - I'm pretty sure it was Tri-X he gave her, so it could well have been. I'll see if I can find it, but I'm afraid I can't promise I've still got it!

Adrian

Thanks very much for the help, don't fret if you can't find it and don't stress yourself for my benefit, please.

[Mark101]

I recall reading a lot about his work quite some time ago which used to feature in the Pentax magazine. As I recall he used to use Pentax 6x7's in his work.

I have a book on my shelves entitled The Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography in which he features.

[BigWill]

"I have a book on my shelves entitled The Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography"................beats me what anyone could find sexy about big hairy extinct elephants!

BigWill

[PentaxManiac]

.........beats me what anyone could find sexy about big hairy extinct elephants!

BigWill

Reminds me of a guy I used to work with who heard rhino horn was a potent aphrodisiac. He just looked stupid with that thing stuck on his forehead......

[gollum]

As a photography student I'd better be careful what I say

And yes I do remember him being featured in AP at some point although when it was I can't recall. I personally loved it.
I saw his work as taking Helmut Newton’s work to the next level, pushing the limits, as he did till the end, when some of his stuff was regarded as boarding on pornographic in this country. Strange really because the earlier work of Larry Clarke that was clearly more graphic was regarded as art!

[TheFatControlleR]

I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

I'm not sure we need to know how you financed your education...

[Barney]

I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

I'm not sure we need to know how you financed your education...

Though that might explain why I dropped out Myk!

[TheFatControlleR]

I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

I'm not sure we need to know how you financed your education...

Though that might explain why I dropped out Myk!

I take it you mean 'dropped out of uni' as opposed to any vague medical interpretation of the phrase...

[Barney]

I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

I'm not sure we need to know how you financed your education...

Though that might explain why I dropped out Myk!

I take it you mean 'dropped out of uni' as opposed to any vague medical interpretation of the phrase...

No, it's a catch all phrase.

[TheFatControlleR]

I was waiting for someone older like you to come along Damien.

I'm not sure we need to know how you financed your education...

Though that might explain why I dropped out Myk!

I take it you mean 'dropped out of uni' as opposed to any vague medical interpretation of the phrase...

No, it's a catch all phrase.

Ah, yes, I've heard of that sort of punter/trade, good money though.