I follow the blogs on the New York Times' website as much as I read the paper. (Disclaimer: Rarely the comments though...) I find it to be an interesting way to follow the world and to learn not just about a moment, but about the veins of history, opinion and concussion that lead to and from each event.
Errol Morris, much praised for his documentary film making (my favorite, The Fog of War, as well as The Thin Blue Line), curates the NYT Zoom blog, ostensibly on photography, but always meandering throughout photography, art, history, psychology, and various other delicious tangents.
Last week he posted a seven part series, called Bamboozling Ourselves, about a forger of Vermeer paintings who worked in Holland before and during WWII. I started reading thinking about intention and psychology of art--lots of creepy Nazi art and something called the Uncanny Valley figure prominently--but from the quotes below, you should be able to tell that it goes on to cover a much wider topical span. Just read it, HERE, 'cause it's good.
Good reading during computer downtime while I was editing photos all week. And also as I nursed the wounds from crashing my bike this morning--I was on the way to get cream for my coffee and my brain wasn't quite working yet...because I hadn't had my coffee (such is the circle of regret in my life...)
Göring's quote to Gustave Gilbert at Nuremberg:
Why, of course, people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don't want war... That is understood. But it is the leaders of the country who determine policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along... The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.
Errol Morris: "There may be yet one more principle at work - something very simple. The bigger the lie, the more willing we are to believe it."
And a semi-random photo, because that's what I do. Flying into Amsterdam Schiphol this year, which almost makes it relevant.
