Parisian Artist Andre Has a Brainstorm, But He's 44 Years Too Late (and $117 Million Too Short) (Apologies to the Estate of Andy Warhol)**+

The caption is the message in this case. News item: 'The 1962

Campbell's Soup Can Painting of Andy Warhol Has Sold For a Record

$117 Million. This man, a Parisian Metro bystander, appears to be

contemplating this can of tomatoes, inviting the 'flip' caption.

Your ratings and comments are invited and most welcome. If you rate

harshly or very critically, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment; Please share your superior photography. Thanks! Enjoy!

John ;~))

It helps with 'street photography' to have a broad, general, even encyclopedic knowledge and to be well read.

How else to explain the impulses which led to the creation of this particular photograph of a man contemplating a can of tomatoes while on a platform of the Paris Metro except to compare him to the success of Andy Warhol who painted a lowly can of tomato soup from Campbell's Soup Co., and now it has sold at auction for $117 million some 44 years later (it was painted in 1962). (erratum: the request for critique refers to 24 years -- a typographical error)

That's what 'street photography' is all about, in my (maybe twisted) mind.

John (Crosley)

Gary Larson helped develop the style in which the caption was written.

I treasure his cartooning but lack the skill to create cartoons or make 'art', but I have tried to draw on Larson's style of humor in the caption.

Thank you, Gary Larson, for helping me to 'see' the ability to write a caption like this. My apologies if you feel it plagarizes your style.

Thank you, Gary L., for your gifts of humor to my life.

John (Crosley)

of "fills" and empty parts. Good capture of the situation, even if Andre is slightly out of focus. It's as if he were moving. And he resembles Linus Van Pelt to me, with that expression and little nose tip.

This struck me instantly, even if the crop could be a little too tight.

Best,

Luca

'Andre' -- my name for him, for purposes of a fictitious caption, is a little out of focus, with focus on the tomato can, is turning slightly away from the camera so the base of his nose is obscured -- this the Linus Van Pelt look to his nose, I think.

The cropping was very tight on purpose -- I hope not too tight, but you only get one chance to make an instantaneous decision like this.

I hope also that you got the point of the fictitious caption, which is the whole pointof taking the photo and posting it.

A wry joke on Andrew Warhol and his tomato soup can with its fabulous artistic and financial success. Warhol and his 'girlfriend' used to sit around thinking of ways he could self-promote himelf and herself . . . by calling radio and television stations . . . and became famous almost for 'being famous'.

Luckily, he had a strange and unusual 'pop talent'.

Nice to see you here.

John (Crosley)

even if I am missing the wider context of the take. There must be more around! I get the joke and I realize that DOF was limited, so that 'Andre' is out of focus and the can in focus. The trompe l'oeil of the shadow. The very right part which resembles torn paper. What was it?

Luca

The depth of field was very limited, so I chose to focus on the tomato can to make the 'joke' about the Warhol Campbell's Soup Can, rather than the bystander, whom I have chosen to give the moniker 'Adre' (I hope this guy understands).

As to the 'tearing on the right', I think that is from poster paper that has been torn, but it may be part of the artwork -- I can't really say. I have wondered about it, but not enough to go dredge up (try to locate) the origial capture. I have nearly or over 200,000 captures and although they're well-organized, I would have to search for this one.

Best to you, belatedly, Luca. (I'm glad you got the joke.)

John (Crosley)