The camera records the image, but the photographer is the one capturing the emotion or beauty of the moment. Photography critic Sean O’Hagan hits back at Jonathan Jones’s damning claim that photographs cannot be considered fine art, • Jonathan Jones: why photography is not art, Last modified on Thu 26 Mar 2020 14.44 GMT. Is Photography science or is it art? Taking a picture of a beautiful field is just a picture - the art is the field. From presidential selfies to never-ending Instagram feeds, the world is now drowning in images. Three main positions emerged. With ‘art’ such as painting, sculpture, dancing music etc, the artist has physically created the piece. Art is talent first, skill second (nobody teaches you how to draw. Art is in the creation. Do we measure the health of contemporary art by the price paid for Hirst’s vulgar diamond skull? I recently bought a children's coloring book and colored it. The central question is how to determine whether craft is art. The ultimate debate in history: is photography art? I rest my argument with how many times do you see a photograph of something and say oh my god that is so pretty or I wish I was there enjoying that beauty. They were already there. Why damn photography because of the excesses of the auction houses and mega-rich collectors? Inexplicably enraged by this, I rush home and pen an article claiming that painting is dead and that it looks anachronistic, indeed stupid, on a gallery wall in the 21st century. But an painter (artist) could never hand a brush to anyone and have them recreate the scene. Art is valued more than gold. I think that’s what art does, right? How quaint. Art has "fans". In order to confidently talk about whether the photography is art, we need to figure out, what photography and art are. Arguably every image, whether a drawing painting or photograph is "art". Mangelsen, a wildlife photographer, was keying in on a long debate in that world: whether photography is fine art and, if it is, what type of photography is deemed as such. So strong that everything on the walls around them seemed muted. Art serves itself and serves people. It's an age-old question, one of the first any student of photography attending an art school will tackle, can photography be considered art? When I paint, it is MY hand which is capturing the photo. Open your minds, For those who say that art is made only by a person not a device, you're wrong. I pop into the National Gallery to view the 2014 BP National Portrait Award and look in bemusement at the exhibition, which is mostly comprised of rather old-fashioned paintings. Look at the politically charged conceptualism of Broomberg and Chanarin, the playful invention of a fictional series by Joan Fontcuberta, the wonderful artists books made by the likes of Cristina de Middel or Viviane Sassen. Photography has them too. Not only that, but I then extrapolate that all painting is dull and stupid – Caravaggio, Rubens, Picasso, Hockney, Richter, the lot. Is every image art?Is it not art just because it is a representation of something that already exists? Celebrated photographers debate the impact of this mass democratisation on their craft Just because you're taking a picture of the art, does not mean you're an artist. Yes there are cameras out there that you can just point and shoot but is really going to look right? A. photography is used for many different purposes. A craft may be defined as a skill at making useful items, whereas art is a symbolic expression of ideas, emotions and experiences. Or taste. And I think I'll take one at 45 degrees and change to sepia. Photography. Art is an opinion, photographers can be artist, art world is part BS, many photographers have read from the book of BS and studied intently 0 Kelly Myers - October 21, 2019 By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. You can paint over photos, and develop them. I don't dismiss photography as being a creative pursuit or something that does not require skill to do well (as is appropriate in any pursuit, at least to practice it and hone those skills) but I have trouble thinking of it as being 'art'. So is photography. As for the argument that a camera is not a living thing and it is creating the photograph, that is not true. If anything is anachronistic, it’s the “photography is not art” debate. Art is beauty, and photography is fully capable of being beautiful. And there are national and international associations /organizations of Art photography. So does photography. Commercial Art vs. Fine Art Commercial art, which is rarely showcased in a public setting outside of the context in which it was intended, is typically created specifically to sell something and it is used in everything from advertisements to packaging. The definition of art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. A piece of art is something that somehow sums up history and thought somehow, a painting for example needs so much thought and will ALWAYS have some sort of message and meaning behind it, its almost like a poem and the fact that art is so unique might be due to the fact that unlike photography, art usually requires time, and not just a click. that a given visual artist will intentionally or unintentionally involve in the progression and completion of a drawing. Warhol’s Polaroids and Ruscha’s deadpan photography books put it to bed years ago. If anything is anachronistic, it’s the “photography is not art” debate. It has made it easy for people to take – and disseminate – photographs, that’s all. People say that it is not because it's too easy, or the camera makes the image, or anyone can do it. Well photography is nothing more than a person standing there and taking a picture. magine, if you will, the following scene. Sean O’Hagan, writes a counter argument for photograph as an art form, within the same publication which does a good job of rebuking Mr. Jones’ article by citing multiple photographers whose work sell successfully through various galleries. Example, there is a black and white photo of an apple sitting on a table outside on a fall day. Art is beauty, and photography is fully capable of being beautiful. A great photograph by William Eggleston, though he claims to be influenced by abstract painting, occupies its own space, makes its own rules. I wish Jonathan had come with me to a group show I saw at Purdy Hicks this year called Natural Order. Warhol’s Polaroids and Ruscha’s deadpan photography books put it to bed years ago. Photography is skill first, talent second (one is taught about shutter speed or ISO...Etc then they take 17 pictures and hope one is good). Here are a few photographers, off the top of my head, whose work is art: Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Steichen, William Eggleston, Nan Goldin, Robert Frank, Stephen Shore, Diane Arbus, Paul Graham, Hiroshi Sugimoto. Photographic societies—made up of both professionals and amateurs enticed by the popularity of the collodion process—began to form in the mid-19th century, giving rise to the consideration of photography as an aesthetic medium. Is poetry art? 28. In November, our art critic Jonathan Jones went to see the wildlife photographer of the year show at the National History Museum and the Taylor Wessing prize at the National Portrait Gallery – an open submission award known for its eccentric shortlist, usually featuring people with their pets. Courtesy of The Wilson Centre for Photography, Jonathan Jones: why photography is not art, it looks anachronistic, indeed stupid, on a gallery wall in the 21st century, discussing a rather boring photograph by Peter Lik, which sold for £4.1m, becoming the most expensive photograph in the world. You just made it instantly more beautiful and people gain more understanding of what the picture is. I’ll explain this in a minute. A great photographer can make a great photograph whatever the camera. Most photographers capture whatever is already there - very view design the content of their photos. Photography shows beauty therefore it is art. If so then what is the form? Has he never stood in wonder in front of a Julia Margaret Cameron portrait? If taking a picture is not art because its from a machine, then music is not an art because of the machines they use to enhance the sound. No, and you start an equally difficult argument as to what must ‘go in to’ a photograph to become art. If I were a painter, I could wake up in the morning and paint my vision or any vision I have. Some do, but most do not. Anyone can do it. The photographer is creating the photograph. It is still his story which he had thought up. What public view … Photography is something from something; a picture of a person, landscape, bridge, building, sunset...Etc. This will run and run……. They know that instead of a tasty snack, t… Photography is art. There are photographers who recreate masterpieces using models, cameras, lights, props, etc. Just because you don't like it as much as, say, a painting, doesn't automatically make it not an art form. And to those who say it takes no skill to take a photograph YOUR WRONG you have to know what type of lighting you have to have and at what angle you have to be at in order to take a good picture. The painting and drawing process, even if you're working with subject matter that is firmly grounded in reality (as opposed to high fantasy or science-fiction), is going to be 'coloured' by the tastes, visual skills and often dumb luck (fate?) A bad one will still make a bad photograph on a two grand digital camera that does everything for you. Taking a picture of a beautiful field is just a picture - the art is the field. Its oration? Photography is a diverse profession/hobby, and as such there will always be debates around some of its more controversial topics. The writing of the poem? Or a Jack Vettriano? You can draw a picture with a cheap pencil and sheet paper and if you know what you're doing still be able to crank out something impressive; it's something entirely different to claim your skill in positioning and lighting and owning a good camera (DSLR or otherwise) that set you back several thousand dollars, let alone whatever costs are involved in getting where you need to be to attempt a given individual picture. This debate has been a topic of argument for many years. As a photographer, I have to have the actual event as a basis. Quite why he chose to visit these two shows eludes me. In art class at school I took a class on just photography and I learned so much from that! It is my hand which is creating the indelible mark and capturing emotion, light perspective, etc. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some people don't like that medium. In the ongoing debate about whether photographyshould be seen as a type of lens-based fine art, some critics consider that a photograph is produced by the application of a scientific technique rather than by genuinely creative camera work. Would you class my example above as art. You can change the tints and colors. This is plainly not so. The camera has come to substitute paintings.. Culture > Art > Features What is art? How many paintings are of something that does not exist? Art, I believe is enhancing someone else's perspective on things. Is all we mean by art that it is something liked by the majority? He castigated both, as I, a photography critic, would probably have done had I the energy to kick a few dead horses. So, where does it sit in terms of the art world? Perhaps if someone has worked on setting up a scene, putting together props and characters, and arranging them in a unique way that maybe conveys a message and takes a picture, maybe.I can really appreciate photographers that travel to all corners of the world and take unique pictures of a culture that is completely alien to me. Although photography quickly became popular after its invention, it was mainly considered to be a craft and not an art form at all. ... they haven't yet mastered the art of photography. Ah I see, I think I'll add that one. It’s an uninspiring show, a hotchpotch, as are most exhibitions drawn from open submissions. I doubt it. We will discern formation of photography and aspects of photography, on which we can consider it as an art in essay about photography. But to me that is still just photography.Taking a picture of scenery or a building is not art. So do photography. Art cannot be duplicated plus it's a view into a person's soul. Let’s be clear—I’m aware of how unpopular my position is, especially among my design peers. Photography is a form of art and if you say else then you are wrong Yes, you can augment it with photoshop and other software. Imagine, if you will, the following scene. It’s global capitalism – obscenely rich people with more money than sense. Art is expression, and photography is fully capable of being a medium of expression. It’s an uninspiring show, a hotchpotch, as are most exhibitions drawn from open submissions. A photograph can look artistic because you have the compositional skills but the talent is in the painter who can create from nothing. Let's explore a few long-standing photography debates so you can decide which side of the fence you're on. ‘Oh no it isn’t,’ said an art critic. I consider photography a knowledge, you are taught to use a machine to reproduce something already existing. Anyone can just hold a camera and snap a picture, but you won't get a truly great photograph that way. There were some good paintings and uncannily detailed drawings, but Awoiska van der Molen’s nightscapes made on long exposures in the volcanic islands of La Gomera and La Graciosa were breathtaking in their stillness and sense of mystery. Some will say “photography isn't art” and others will defend this until they're blue in the face! A photo records only what is there, but an artist creates a painting by design by removing as well as adding things. If you made something out of nothing, congradulations you made art. The important thing is that there is no right or wrong answer, just differences of opinion and ways of working. Insect predators categorically learn that when they see yellow and black stripes, it’s time to stay away. It's the same sort of arrogance that comes with rating yourself in terms of the technical specs of your computer (so common in certain PC gaming circles); there is certainly a series of skills both learned and improved upon, but there's a big difference between putting paint on a canvas and Xeroxing (digitally or with film) a chunk of reality you're looking at. But, alas, he has repeated his claims this week, discussing a rather boring photograph by Peter Lik, which sold for £4.1m, becoming the most expensive photograph in the world. Granted this requires technical input, but the bottom line is that the physical creation was not done by you. Anything is art. Of course, I could photoshop it and change it. Because it’s less of a title, and more of a psychological test. Photograph: William Eggleston. Truth of Fiction? Even by the 1960s and 70s, art photography – the idea that photographs could capture more than just surface appearances – was, ... the debate was effectively over. I expressed myself with the colors i used, would that be considered art? Pictures can look amazing and beautiful at times, but you're taking a picture of something that is already there. Their work makes you look at the world differently. I don’t think an answer to this question can derived from stating what art is or isn’t, so my argument is going to go down the route that others above have discussed; process.I follow art and art history, and you could make similar comparisons. Oh yes, the great debate of whether an image is a photograph or digital art erupted in our house last night.. Well it started by me reading a blog post by Glen Hannah about the Toolwiz Pic App and me downloading it and trying it on some of our photographs. Is photography art? The difference between a painting of someone and a picture of them is profound. Lastly, there's the 'needs to be perfect' syndrome in photography. It doesn't matter if you made something out of nothing, or something out of something. Debates over the role of photography in art Edit. After I processed a couple of photographs and showed him… he came up with a comment, along the lines… Let me take painting as an example to focus the debate. One which philosophers have pondered over for ages. There is no denying the fact that photography is art, regardless of one's definition. Photography is as vibrant as it has ever been - more so in response to the digital world, which Jonathan mistakenly thinks has made everyone a great photographer. B. photographers and artists have the same principal aims. If you made something out of something, congratulations, you added on to the art and created more art to it. D. photographers today are more creative than those of the past. Edit it, leave the grass and sky black and white, and make the apple a deep red, and the leaves golden and brown. Indeed a difficult question. Their work sings on the gallery wall. Conversely, give a professional photographer an old, used camera and lens, and they can create some gorgeously epic photos. Photographers capture art, they are not artists. I’ve been to talks, read books, spoken with colleagues, and taken classes determined to establish the irreconcilable differences between art and design. C. Photography has not always been a readily accepted art form. Thus, it follows that ‘I want a fast car so I can drive very very far’ can be poetry. This analogy can be thrown out as the presentation of an authors work bears no resemblance on the meaning of the work. For nearly one hundred years it had no place in art shows or art galleries, and photographers were only seen as technicians, not artists. Artists and critics debated for many decades whether photography is art. Has he ever seen a painting or drawing of Samuel Beckett that possesses the stillness and intensity of the great photographic portrait of Samuel Beckett by John Minihan or Jane Bown? Photos on a wall are considered art and I think that it is just totally wrong to say that photography is not art! It also happens to be the most accessible and democratic way of making art that has ever been invented. Did he think they were art photography exhibitions? In graphite & paper or acrylic on canvas, there is rarely a need to 'be perfect' (with the possible exception of technical drawing or architectural plans, and it's more about 'accuracy' than 'perfection'); there is no internal requirement that defines a picture other than what the hand creates with its stylus or brush. First, many people believed that photography could not be art, because it was made by a machine rather than by human creativity. Photography is a less pure art form than painting and sculpture. Art requires technology and skills. It is impossible to answer the question posed until agreement is reached as to a definition as to what art is. Or maybe sometimes you will-- but that's part of the fun, human, subjective nature of art! Do Jane Bown, William Eggleston and Diane Arbus not sing on a gallery wall? Art is in the creation. If you add on color, make it black and white, change the tints, you make it more appealing. Photography as art Early developments. Photography is most definitely art! What's that I saw on your linked in profile under interests? Photographers capture art, they are not artists. It's artificial construction of something else. Art is beautiful. He also seems to think that all photography is derivative of painting. The reason i say it is art is due to the soul fact that art is a way for one to espress themself and photography is a way to espress yourself so in the way. Gregory Crewdson, designs every inch of his frame, total intentionality. I would say mostly not. A debate for our times ... For example, a lifelike painting, or photograph, is representational craft, but not art. 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