Being that mono.kultur is an interview magazine, we are naturally interested in the practice of interviews, in the pace and phrasing of questions, the depth of preparation, and the relationship that develops between questioner and questioned. This interview, between the legendary John Szarkowski, former Chief Curator of Photography at MoMA, and Mark Durden, is notable for its subtle antagonism. Szarkowski regards Durden as somewhat of a slapdash thinker, whose questions reveal not only a misunderstanding of Szarkowski’s own work as a curator but also of the medium as a whole. What is remarkable, though, is that Szarkowski, while clearly annoyed at Durden’s verbose yet superficial questions, still delivers a forceful account of his time as a curator at MoMA and of the intricacies of his beloved medium. His responses elucidate a vision of photography and photographers not bound by faddish movements but by a considered understanding of each photographer as an individual with particular interests and motivations. His answers are an essential read not just for those interested in the act of interviewing, as it is rare for an antagonistic subject to be so forthcoming, but also for those critics and curators fighting to make their mark. The key, it seems, is not to think in the grand, sweeping epics of movements and geniuses, not to play at art-historical omniscience, but to find individuals you are passionate about and believe in. Study them in depth; get to know their motivations, obsessions, and practices; promote them. Actually, that sounds like excellent advice to interviewers as well.
Photography by William Eggleston, whose first solo exhibtion was curated by Szarkowski
