ku # 704 ~ form the meaningless world into photographs ....
Friday, April 2, 2010 at 08:58AM 
Spring ice and dormant flora • click to embiggenI came across an interesting article, The Unreasonable Apple (by Paul Graham) that is a must read for those who are interested in the medium of photography and all its possibilities.
The article starts with a simple premise:
... there remains a sizeable part of the art world that simply does not get photography. They get artists who use photography to illustrate their ideas, installations, performances and concepts .... [B]ut photography for and of itself -photographs taken from the world as it is– are misunderstood as a collection of random observations and lucky moments ..."
Graham goes on to define what he sees as "the problem" and asks an interesting and challenging question:
... whilst you can discuss what Jeff Wall did in an elaborately staged street tableaux, how do you explain what Garry Winogrand did on a real New York street when he ‘just’ took the picture? ... [A]nyone with an ounce of sensitivity knows (he) did something there, and something utterly remarkable at that, but... what? How do we articulate this uniquely photographic creative act, and express what it amounts to in terms such that the art world, highly attuned to synthetic creation - the making of something by the artist - can appreciate serious photography that engages with the world as it is?
The article, which is of the short and sweet variety - easy to read and refreshingly devoid of artspeak, makes a number of interesting points ...
... we need the smart, erudite and eloquent people in the art world, the clever curators and writers, those who do get it, to take the time to speak seriously about the nature of such photography, and articulate something of its dazzlingly unique qualities, to help the greater art world, and the public itself understand the nature of the creative act when you dance with life itself - when you form the meaningless world into photographs, then form those photographs into a meaningful world.
Now, not only have I've read lots and lots and lots of stuff about the medium of photography but I have also viewed lots and lots and lots of pictures and I must confess that I have read or seen very little that comes as close to expressing my concept of what the medium's all about than those bold and underlined words in the preceding quote ...
A creative act wherein you dance with life itself - wherein you form the meaningless world into photographs, then form those photographs into a meaningful world.
As always, comments and opinions are encouraged and appreciated.
Reader Comments (4)
Great essay. I liked the conclusion:
"So, what is it we are discussing here - how do we describe the nature of this photographic creativity? My modest skills are insufficient for such things. However let me make an opening offer: perhaps we can agree that through force of vision these artists strive to pierce the opaque threshold of the now, to express something of the thus and so of life at the point they recognised it. They struggle through photography to define these moments and bring them forward in time to us, to the here and now, so that with the clarity of hindsight, we may glimpse something of what it was they perceived. Perhaps here we have stumbled upon a partial, but nonetheless astonishing description of the creative act at the heart of serious photography: nothing less than the measuring and folding of the cloth of time itself."
I liked the article very much when I read it a couple of days ago. I found the article when I was reading this post:
http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/2010/03/apples_and_oranges/
which has a somewhat different take on Graham's article. All together more food for thought. I'm not quite sure I get what Colberg is saying viz Graham.
I really like this shot, when I first saw it I saw a cross, I know but it is what I saw maybe the Good Friday thing is getting to me.
I am still waiting for someone to do some car wash images, I posted four more today. I would really like to see others.
Dennis - I followed the link you provided and read Colberg's article (which seems unfinished somehow?).
Graham is saying the "art world" doesn't understand photography and they should wise up. Colberg is saying that the "photography world" hasn't decided what photography is either, so how can Graham criticise the art world for not understanding it.