This is not an Eulogy

September 18, 2009 by pmelcher.

42 years is a lifetime. When these 42 years are made of excellence, passion, relentlessness commitment, inspiration, painful devotion, genius and unconditional dedication, it becomes a legend.

Grazia Neri was not a business, it was an act of love, a huge warm embrace around the thousands of beloved and cherished photographers worldwide they represented. It was not a business, but a welcoming family for all those who had talent. Not just the photogrpahers, but the amazing staff that has populated their marvelous Milan offices.

Grazia Neri herself  did so much to promote photography, not only in Italy, but worldwide, that her legacy is hard, if not impossible, to fully described. She, along with her company, has mentored, supported, elevate so many great talented photographers that the world would not be the same if both had not been around.

The closing of Grazia Neri is a tragedy for the photography world and the consequences will be felt for many, many years to come. There will never be another Grazia Neri.

But let’s not be fooled. It is not just the economy that has taken a final blow to this passion. It is those Seattle Starbucks Latte induced, black turtle neck wearing  corporcrates that have plunge their lethal knives in its back. By spreading their abominable  subscription-all-you-can-eat-buffet type pricing model all over the world like a black plague, they have made it impossible for the artists, the bohemians, to pursue their passion in peace.

They have entered this profession with the clear and declared intent to suck it dry and clean, regardless of the consequences, and their poisoning ethics are now suffocating anything that tries to live by their side.  The Grazia Neri photo agency has been murdered, with intend.

Hopefully this is not the last. We will soon hear from those who have nurtured this company with unconditional passion. Photography, and the people that work within this field, are extremely resilient. Because it’s an act of love, an addiction, it keeps on resurfacing, under different names, different organizations. Certainly, Grazi Neri, the mother of amazing photojournalism, will give birth to many, many children, more adapted to its vicious environment and continue to live, and thrive in other people eyes and lives. Certainly they will keep the legacy alive and continue to promote, against all costs and odds, unrestrained photojournalism.

Certainly, a business is dying. Certainly, this a tragedy. Certainly, we all have lost our most cherish family member. But as certainly, this not an end.

Today, all the images published in all the magazines in the world should be credited “   /Grazia Neri”. That is how much we owe them.

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