mark said:What do you mean Donald?
The main objection seems to be that it is primarily a mechanical process that handles most of the workthat the photographer has nothing further to do with it, other than some manipulation in the printing of the picture
Donald Miller said:I was simply asking a question based upon Steve's viewpoint in which he seemed to apparently indicate that a system has no validity in the creation of art.
jimgalli said:There are a lot of technicians.......few artists.
photomc said:Donald,
You raise some very interesting thoughts and questions. My own thoughts are that we are in some ways, in the Western world, trained to think within limits...thus the Western style or view of Art (not as in old west). It is not a bad thing, because we should learn from some starting point, most of us are not gifted to the point we can just start with a medium and produce work that is off the beaten path. I have commented before that I find today's architecture dull and uninspired compared to the work at in the US at the turn of the last century. These are the same buildings we find a need to photograph, perhaps not because we think they make beautiful photographs or works of art, but because we feel the need to preserve them somehow, before they are torn down and replaced with less inspired work. The same thing with automobiles, many have become dull and boring. Mass produced work, art or otherwise has become the norm and I do see why you feel left empty by what you see. It is my opinion that the digital age will only add to that mass of work.
It is my own hope that by learning to produce the very best work, while still not as inspired as I hope, that I can develope the knowledge to forget about the technical part of photography and pull what is inside out and produce work that is indeed art. Spent some time this weekend playing with some ortho film, contact printed a negative and then exposed paper with the sandwich...results are interesting, but nothing worth showing. More work to do before I think I will have anything and may end up with nothing..but an attempt to take the ordinary and make it new...
Where does that leave us...honestly I don't have a clue. I do think we should move forward, accept the fact that most of us will never produce anything near the potential we have to produce, we will not set the world on it's ear...yet I am so happy that there are those that will....and very happy to hang the work of others on my own walls that while maybe not new and to some not art, but their work speaks to me and in the end that is all that really matters. There isn't a critic around that can change my mind about what I like, this is what really matters. So with that thought the original post - if the individual is please with their work, then that is all the justification that is needed. Only, do not place blame or lament about how someone held you back..the only person that can keep you from doing the work the way you want is you.
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