More on Art Photography

It may or may not surprise you to learn that many of us visual artists are also voracious readers. (We even need to see words in order to absorb them.)

As I mentioned a day or two ago, I'm currently enthralled by Art Photography Today, a compendium of the best and brightest contemporary photographers today.

Despite the one glaring omission in the photographers it covers ;-)
the book is chock full of opinions and insight.

Today, the phrase that's churning in my mind is this:

"The digital revolution has impacted in ways that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago, causing some to ask not 'Is this art?" but 'Is this photography?'"

Now I'm not totally blameless in this, in that I've had some passionate rants of my own about wanna-bes bastardizing the art form by calling any old ink jet print a "giclee".

On the other hands, it's so silly to categorize the resultant art artifact (the painting, drawing, sculpture, video, photo, etc. resulting from an artist's practicing his or her art) purely on the basis of the tools that were used to create it.

Is one watercolor less a "work of art" than another because a different sized brush was used to create it? Is finger painting "painting"? Is a Holga camera a piece of photographic equipment or merely a toy? In the end, does it really matter?

Instead, qualities like intent, creative vision, technical execution, originality, and inspiration -- all nebulous terms, to be sure -- should be used to more accurately determine the quality of the artistic process (and the resultant artifacts).

In future posts, I'll address this a little more, exploring both unconventional ideas and old chestnuts like

"If a computer were programmed with every 'good' piece of art ever created, and asked to generate new works based on a mathematical formula derived from these masterpieces, would the end result be 'art'?"

Stay tuned!

Earworm for the Eyes?

Earworm (or "Ohrwurm" if you're German), is a song stuck in one's head. It's usually an annoying one, such as "It's a Small World").

I don't know for sure whether there's a similar phonomenon for other senses, but I recently viewed a photo that I can't get out of my mind. It's by Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison and it's currently hanging at the Fidelity Investments facilities in Merrimack, NH.

Click on the image to see a larger version, as well as purchasing details:



What's also interesting about the duo is that in 2001, after many years of an evolving collaboration, the ParkeHarrisons began to exhibit their work recognizing both Robert and Shana as creators.

As someone struggling to achieve a unique vision that will withstand the test of time (a very humble goal, I know ;-) ), I am in awe of both the ambition and successful execution of the couple's work. Their work, as the DeCordova Museum aptly put it, "embodies aspects of theater, sculpture, painting, and photography-creating a mythical world that mirrors our world, where nature is barely domesticated or controlled."

Well, I guess that if I have to have an "earwork for the eyes", a least it wasn't one of these images.

My Best Christmas Present

(other than having my daughter and her fiance up for the weekend)
was a book that my brother (the guy with the turkey in the photo below) gave me, entitled Art Photography Now.

The soft-cover book covers some of the most innovative, creative work being done by contemporary photographers. Surprisingly, the text that accompanies each chapter is equally brilliantly written, and I'll explore some of the themes over the next few days.

After all, how can one not love a book that opens:

"Photography is consistently changing and hard to define. Its discursive and someone promiscuous nature has tended to confuse many people as to its status and value as an art form.... the fact that photography lacks any kind of unity and seems to have no intrinsic character makes the insistent cry of 'but is it art?' a constant refrain throughout its relatively short but complex history."

Another Christmas Snapshot

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

As threatened, the first of many Christmas snapshots:

A Poor Craftsman Blames His Tools

... and the same can be said for artists. After bemoaning the fact that I didn't have the proper lens to get the results I wanted when doing some recent "up-close-and personal" photographic studies, I realized that I only have myself to blame for trying to exceed the limitations of my current equipment. Since I want my work to be limited only by my imagination, I think it's time to go lens shopping again.

Here's hoping for some great end-of-the-year clearance sales at my nearby Canon distributor.. and far less Photoshopping next year!

Merry Christmas to you and yours..... I'll be spending Christmas Day with my family (and likely posting some snapshots here within a few days).

Happy Holidays

I had the opportunity to take some pictures this afternoon. The weather up here in New Hampshire has been unseasonably warm, so I enjoyed venturing out wearing nothing heavier than a fleece jacket.

Here's one of the few images that I particularly like:

New Articles on Fine Art Photography

I just completed a series of three articles on being a fine art photographer and posted them to my main web site. Click on any of the following titles to access the article:

• "What is a Fine Art Photographer?"

  
  

• "Does a Fine Art Photographer Do?"

  
  

• "So You Want to Become a Fine Art Photographer... Now What?"
  

On Synesthesia

Seed Magazine's "The Most Beautiful Painting You've Ever Heard"discusses synesthesia, which the publication describes as "the neurological mixing of the senses". (One common example is "seeing" images when they listening to music.) This condition reportedly affects one to four percent of people worldwide and is noted to run in families. It's believed that no two synesthetes have exactly the same perceptual experiences. Some feel that synesthesia might be a result of some kind of "cross wiring" in the brain.

Interestingly, says the magazine, scientists estimate that synesthesia is about seven times more common in poets, novelists, and artists than in the rest of the population. And several studies are examining the phenomenon, "with hopes of answering even bigger questions about how every brain perceives art".

As an fine artist, it's fascinating to consider how genes might correspond to how people actually see the world. And it's making me wonder if perhaps video, with its ability to create a synesthetic experience for non-synesthetes, may actually be the most powerful of visual art forms.

On Stock Photography

A million or two years ago, when I was a magazine art director, stock photography was an expensive proposition. Today, "thanks" to services like iStockPhoto, a print-quality full-page photograph can be had for as little as $5. This paradigm shift is a mixed blessing for full-timephotographers, forcing them to adopt the Walmart strategy of making money through selling/licensing in volume. At the same time, though, it exposes their work to a global audience, expanding their potential customer base much larger than could be accomplished through individual marketing efforts.

Many photographers I know are resigned to occasionally shooting stock work on common themes (such as money, business, family, lifestyles, etc.), but certainly don't consider any of the resultant work "fine art".

It's their personal work that are labors of love. These fine art images are more creative and imaginative than stock images. What's more, their commercial value is far lower a consideration in their creators' minds. In these cases, personal expression is paramount.

As a photographer, I hate how falling prices have commoditized the art form to the point where a Starbuck coffee costs more (and is often perceived as having greater value). But as a graphic designer, I love the ability to purchase usage rights for all photos for a 12-page brochure for only $40 (then repurpose them for my company's web site at no extra cost). Yes, I'm now my own worst enemy.

I can only hope that the ubiquity of decent-quality photography will raise awareness of how the right photo can effectively communicate with its viewer.

Don't Apologize For Being Ambitious

"Ambition is not a dirty word", says Barney Davey in this well-articulated blog entry.

"There is no scientific method measuring talent or ambition. Yet, even casual observers have no trouble recognizing either attribute. When you find ample quantities of both in the same person, likely only bad luck or adversity keeps that person from enjoying great success. Find someone lacking in either, especially ambition and they may be living the life of the starving artist, or hobbyist artist."

Want a One-of-a-Kind Holiday Gift Giving and Decorating Idea? Try Photographs

Photographs are gifts have special meaning to both the giver and recipient. I recently updated an article where I share a number of ideas for using your existing snapshots and favorite photographs to create unique, and affordable gift and decorations that can last for generations. (Read it here)

Tripod

I upgraded my tripod a new months ago, but didn't get the bushing to join the head and body until yesterday. (After not being able to find one at any local camera shops, I finally ordered one from B&H Photo.)


Here's the image I'll be using for my Christmas e-mail:

A New Way to Look at Arts Grants

Today's Chicago Tribune published a story about a new report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy(Cambridge, MA) which suggests that grantors and grantees might better discuss the amount and duration of grants, rather than focusing on whether they are for operating or program support. Read more here.

NAAA Holiday Party

Last night, the Nashua (NH) Area Artists Association hosted its annual holiday party at Gallery One. The function was particularly well-attended by members of the Wednesday Breakfast Group, including Marilene Sawaf, Nita Casey Leger, Bob Stegmaier, and Ellis Merrill. The Breakfast Group is comprised of a number of established atists who meet weekly at the Nashua Borders to share advice and showcase their new work. (I'm usually able to attend only when in between full-time jobs.)

Today, I'm finishing framing a new photo for submission to the NH Art Association's annual exhibition. The event is usually held at the Currier Art Museum in Manchester, NH, but the mueum is currently closed for renovations. So this year, it will be held at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Here's my submission, which was taken at Star Island, on the Isle of Shoals (off Rye, NH):

Digital Photography Guides

Peter Randall of the N.H. Society of Photographic Artists recently e-mailed me about new Digital Photography Guides authored by industry heavy-hitters and presented by Adobe.

Do also check out the N.H. Society of Photographic Artists web site: I'm their humble web lackey!

Welcome!

Yesterday, I confirmed for a solo show at the Nashua (NH) Public Library for this coming January and February. Details to come on my Web site: www.freewebs.com/lgfindlay

A new article in Discovery Magazine claims that "night owls" are more creative than "morning larks. Scientists quoted by the magazine suggest that it could be "an adaptation to living outside the norm."

In "The Not So Dismal Science", Slate discusses how economists measure whether you're happy.