tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33281147.post5830437464717234250..comments2023-10-11T09:29:56.002-06:00Comments on Beyond the Art Fair: Game SeriesJeane Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10358302675097012117noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33281147.post-15379010182644778342009-02-20T20:26:00.000-06:002009-02-20T20:26:00.000-06:00Jeanne,As photographers (or in my case, artists w...Jeanne,<BR/>As photographers (or in my case, artists who use photographic images as the starting point—and yes that's another ball of wax altogether!), we MUST remember that it took nearly century after its introduction for photography to be widely-accepted as a fine art form, if collections in museums are the reliable benchmark. <BR/><BR/>In the first decades of the new medium (i.e. 1850s-1880s), photographers "mimicked" painting; they photographed all the subjects—landscapes, portraits, etc.—that painters had worked with for centuries and pushed the photographic medium to replicate painting effects. To be sure, this period yielded some really interesting images, and 20th century critics have re-evaluated their value. <BR/><BR/>I can only think that the sentiment which continues to debase photography—i.e. "any one can take a photograph"—is in some way born out of a perceived threat that an "objective" medium presents to a "subjective" medium like painting. (Although the "reality" that photography captures is whole other conversation.) Painting has reigned supreme for a good 500+ years and there's no reason to think that its supporters are going to give up the throne without a fight.<BR/><BR/>In the end, however, as you observe, in order to connect meaningfully with viewers, good images, whether photographic or other, must tell a story. All else is superficial.<BR/><BR/>For a further discussion of photography's role in the history of art, your readers may find the posts on Venetian Red helpful. A good place to start would be: <BR/><BR/>http://venetianred.net/2008/12/08/trouvelots-natural-art-brought-to-light-photography-and-the-invisible-at-sf-moma/<BR/><BR/>http://venetianred.net/2008/07/30/accidental-masterpieces-in-the-digital-age/<BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work! I look forward to future discussions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com