Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A thought and a project.

I am thinking a lot on the topic of if photography is art lately.

What makes it art?  Or it a different craft that follows many of art and designs rules?

Is my photography art?  Or merely something pretty and interesting?

What am I trying to say with my photography?  Do I have to say anything at or can I put it out into the world and leave it to the viewer.

None of this really matters.  I decided it makes me happy and I need to do it.  The fact that it makes others happy is gravy I suppose.

Onto the project.  My friend Jackie runs a not- for- profit horsemanship school for kids.  Over this spring and summer I will be photographing he kids and horses during classes and camps.  It will give me a whole new subject to explore and Jackie will end up with what should be one good images for her website and marketing materials.  From time to time I will post some of the images I am working on for the project.

Keep Makin Art!
Carl

4 comments:

Dave King said...

Hi! Meaty thoughts, these. I've always gone along with Tolstoy's definition:-

He maintained that art must create a specific emotional link between the piece and it's audience, one that "affects" the viewer.

so communication is a vital ingredient -- the communication of an experienced feeling.

Against all these criteria, your photographs are most definitely art.

Carl said...

Thanks Dave. I am still struggling a bit with what I want my art to communicate. It just may be one of those periods where I want to photograph new stuff. Maybe people t work or something. Then am I doing art for art sake or am I trying to make this some ort of viable business...

JeannetteLS said...

Does art always have to "communicate" something in particular? I guess we can use that word broadly. To me you don't simply capture a moment. From your eye, through the piece of equipment through which you look, to the paper or the screen something else happens, Carl. The particular moment/time of day, the object or part of a place/event/bit of nature you choose to frame, and whatever you then do on the computer or, with traditional photography, in the dark room--these things transform the object in time or nature. We see what YOU wanted to show.

Or paint.

or write.

or sing.

They are all art, aren't they? What did Picasso SAY, really? He took a picture as his mind saw it, only in oils.

It's all art to me. And your work is art to me. You communicate. You show Carl.

Carl said...

Good thoughts Jeannette -

I may be trying to look at my art through too many lenses at once. Personal satisfaction / Commercial value / Etc Etc.

I guess it comes down to am I making it for me or for some other reason. I need to get my brain around all of that.

Carl