Certainly. But the discussion here is always whether there was a third intent, an artistic pretension. Or whether he was ‘only’ a craftsman doing his self-appointed task tastefully. And in the latter case, is art then an emergent quality?
Quite often great artistry is a by-product of great craftsmanship. You'll never be able to tell when artistry was intentional and when it was accidental, so to speak.
This doesn't only apply to Atget. Nor just to photography.
Certainly. But the discussion here is always whether there was a third intent, an artistic pretension. Or whether he was ‘only’ a craftsman doing his self-appointed task tastefully. And in the latter case, is art then an emergent quality?
Don_ih's comment "Atget's photo is a view of the knocker and not the knocker itself. So, while it does allow for an appreciation of the knocker (since that is the actual subject), the photo has its own characteristics which set it apart as something in-itself to be appreciated. And, frankly, Atget's photo brings a more vibrant life to the knocker than the other two. His angle of view and the light when he took the photo bring out a certain expression that isn't visible on either of the other images. He didn't have to choose that angle. But he did."
Is exactly what I think. My inclination would be to shoot the knocker head-on. At least I can admire Atget's work even if I am unable to duplicate it.
Certainly. But the discussion here is always whether there was a third intent, an artistic pretension. Or whether he was ‘only’ a craftsman doing his self-appointed task tastefully. And in the latter case, is art then an emergent quality?
Art isn't as mystical as that implies, anyway. Art is the norm, not the exception. That doesn't mean it's always good. Art and craft are hand-in-hand - along with technique and style. You can think of it like this: tapestry weaving is a craft - a skilled application of a practice - but it may result in something that is considered art. It never stops being a craft to become art. And the maker never stops being a craftsperson to become an artist. The craftsperson may never be aware they are making something that will be considered art. They don't need to be.
I've seen enough original Atget prints to know that they don't look anything like snappy "f/64" "fine art" prints at all.
Almost looked antiquated even in their own time; understated contrast. The point is, that's the look he wanted and knew how to do. It worked for him; but it might not work at all for a wannabee. There were a number of Atget wannabees in the 70's - more pretentious than convincing. An exception was the architectural photographer Philip Trager; he successfully rekindled some of the same vibe.