[rollei_list] Re: Rolleisflex for Artists
- From: "Marvin Wallace" <Marvin0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 08:28:06 +0800
Hi Neil,
Let me clarify, I don't think that one could be a poor technician and be a
good artist-though mine is not the only view. I do think that one could
bypass technique altogether and focus on the concept, this may take the form
of displaying a pile of bricks in a gallery-in which case you wouldn't be a
good technician.
However, photography technique is inexorably linked to the photographic
process, where each process contributes to the quality of the end result.
It is possible that one could have a haphazard approach to any of the
processes involved in the chain, but would they arrive consistently at "good
results"; I think that it would be impossible to do so.
If anybody is able to provide examples of haphazard photography technique
that is viewed as art, or widely recognized as good photography I would be
happy to take a look.
If the aim of the photography is to collect and test cameras then so be it.
A photographer who has commercial interests will most likely have much more
experience in that area and have a set of concerns which focus on
reliability and good results (taking the market into account). Photographer
as artist is another genre where the highest quality usually at a snail
space is the norm.
Replying to an earlier post in which someone said artists need good computer
skills, I would posit that what the digital revolution has done is
democratized the poor image, no longer does one have to be a good
photographer to get a break, one can get by with being a great computer
technician, and yet have little of no compositional sense etc, so there are
in my opinion two sides to being a "artist".
-----Original Message-----
From: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Neil Gould
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 11:14 PM
To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: Rolleisflex for Artists
Hi Marvin,
> From: "Marvin Wallace" <Marvin0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 10:13:15 +0800
>
> I was considering the content of previous posts, and think
it obvious
> that photography at least with film, is not like being an
artist,"
> painter", since the artist can be solely conceptual. The
photographer
> on the other hand must at least be a great technician. He
or She is
> forced to master the technique, whereas the artist can
dispense with
> technique. This mastery of technique is what makes the
photographer
> an artist within the discipline. This high technique lends
itself to a
> quality camera such as the Rolleiflex.
>
>
> Examples of such photographer technicians are Cartier
Bresson, Ansel
> Adams, Joel Peter Witkin, Andre Serrano, Cindy Sherman and
so on.
>
> Marvin.
>
I disagree with a couple of your notions. First, the person
that doesn't master the medium is unlikely to rise to the
level of "artist". The painter that has no idea of whether
the paint will adhere to the substrate, or how the two will
interact is unlikely to produce work that will endure,
regardless of whether their knowledge of art history and
purpose puts them in a position to paint something
"art-worthy". The sculptor that doesn't understand the
qualities of the material being carved is unlikely to
achieve a work of art. Once competent in a medium, an artist
must be able to communicate through that medium. Those that
"dispense with technique" may or may not produce work that
communicates in some way, but the artist that is cognizant
of of technique is more likely to do so. In these regards,
photography is no different, there is simply a different
medium to master and different techniques to grasp in the
pursuit of communication. That may at least partially
explain why well-exposed and printed snapshots are seldom
found in art galleries. ;-)
Best,
Neil
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