Is Photography an Art?

[ctitanic]

This is a questions that I do not know how many times I see popping up. This time the question came in an article posted at The Photographer.

According to Google AI: "Art is a creative expression that can be a physical object, experience, or skill. It can be beautiful, thought-provoking, or emotional. Art can be created through a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, music, dance, and photography."

Google AI goes deeper by saying that photography is an art because:

• It's a creative endeavor that uses skill and imagination
• It can evoke feelings and memories
• It can be used to express thoughts and emotions
• It can be used to research the world and our place in it

According to Oxford Dictionary: "Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power."

Do I think that photography is an art?

Putting modesty aside, yes, I do.

What do you think?

 

[ACEkin]

The Google AI presents an oxymoron. Not all it listed are physical, like music. And some are transient such as music and dance. Interestingly photography and videography may give them "permanence." Clearly, not every painting, whistling, jumping around, or clicking the shutter is art. The medium offers the possibility and opportunity to create art. Photography CAN be art if the resulting work meets some criteria in my opinion. I expanded on that concept some years ago. These two articles, and several more on photography, on my site, will convey my thoughts on the subject:

What is fine art photography, what makes a photograph fine art

What is fine art photography? It means different things to different people; my perspective with my biases may be shared by others

www.keptlight.com

Fine art photography is elusive without knowing its language

Fine art photography needs intent, choice, technique, print; a robust communication process. Language to read and write photographs can be learned

www.keptlight.com

 

[ctitanic]

The Google AI presents an oxymoron. Not all it listed are physical, like music. And some are transient such as music and dance. Interestingly photography and videography may give them "permanence." Clearly, not every painting, whistling, jumping around, or clicking the shutter is art. The medium offers the possibility and opportunity to create art. Photography CAN be art if the resulting work meets some criteria in my opinion. I expanded on that concept some years ago. These two articles, and several more on photography, on my site, will convey my thoughts on the subject:

What is fine art photography, what makes a photograph fine art

What is fine art photography? It means different things to different people; my perspective with my biases may be shared by others

www.keptlight.com

Fine art photography is elusive without knowing its language

Fine art photography needs intent, choice, technique, print; a robust communication process. Language to read and write photographs can be learned

www.keptlight.com

Excellent articles Cemal!

 

[ctitanic]

Clearly, not every painting, whistling, jumping around, or clicking the shutter is art.

You see, I have seen a banana taped to a wall called an Art Expression. So that brings me to "relativity". May be a photograph or a painting can be seen as Art for certain population and it could be at the same time repulsive and nothing to do with Art for other population.

 

[MikeZ]

I think that virtually anything can be labeled as "art" and that it's the end product (and not the medium) that attains that moniker. The banana on the wall is a good example. I'm not sure what the medium was in that case, but someone, somewhere, thought that the banana emoted some feelings that were interpreted as art among other things.

So. I believe that a photograph can be art (some of the works by Adams, Weston, Lange for example), but photography is too general to be considered art in and of itself. I hope that makes sense.

 

[ACEkin]

I believe, I may be wrong, that in the case of the banana taped to the wall was a statement that we are too quick to label things as art. Conveying a message, albeit for a short period, was its art. Similar to some Banksy art that automatically shreds upon exposing or selling it. We can all make art through a camera by recording light on a sensitive medium, but will it be an accidental work or a body of work of art? With some hesitation, I will offer my Orchis series of photographs. From the beginning, I wanted to convey that death can be beautiful and unavoidable. It took me probably over 6-8 months to settle on a surreal, edgy, eerie, but appealing set of photographs that eventually inspired the ballet, Orchis.

Orchis is a ballet inspired by my dried orchid photographs

The Festival Ballet Providence will perform an original ballet piece, Orchis inspired by my Dance of the Orchids series of dried orchid blossom photographs.

www.keptlight.com

Orchis Exhibit contains 32 gorgeous prints that glow

Orchis Exhibit is still open at the RI Center of Photographic Arts. The digital viewing is no substitute for seeing the prints.

www.keptlight.com

 

[ctitanic]

Hi Cemal, there is "Art" and Art. Your Orchids Photos are ART. I can't stop celebrating them.

 

[ACEkin]

Hi Cemal, there is "Art" and Art. Your Orchids Photos are ART. I can't stop celebrating them.

Thank you, that means a lot to me.

 

[Dean Wilson]

Photography: the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor)

Definition of PHOTOGRAPHY

the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor)… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[ctitanic]

Do not forget to cast your vote in the poll, please!

 

[Bucolic Old Sir Henry]

Photography is art, and I am therefore an artist.

But just as painting is art, and painting a house isn't (usually), photography can be other things too. As indeed can I.

;-)

 

[Hali]

I believe, I may be wrong, that in the case of the banana taped to the wall was a statement that we are too quick to label things as art. Conveying a message, albeit for a short period, was its art. Similar to some Banksy art that automatically shreds upon exposing or selling it. We can all make art through a camera by recording light on a sensitive medium, but will it be an accidental work or a body of work of art? With some hesitation, I will offer my Orchis series of photographs. From the beginning, I wanted to convey that death can be beautiful and unavoidable. It took me probably over 6-8 months to settle on a surreal, edgy, eerie, but appealing set of photographs that eventually inspired the ballet, Orchis.

Orchis is a ballet inspired by my dried orchid photographs

The Festival Ballet Providence will perform an original ballet piece, Orchis inspired by my Dance of the Orchids series of dried orchid blossom photographs.

www.keptlight.com

Orchis Exhibit contains 32 gorgeous prints that glow

Orchis Exhibit is still open at the RI Center of Photographic Arts. The digital viewing is no substitute for seeing the prints.

www.keptlight.com

View attachment 35116

That is absolutely incredible, as is your entire series. I wish I had been going to the Ballet back then, It must have been an amazing performance. Festival Ballet never failed to enthrall.

 

[TwoWheeler]

Not the way I do it!

 

[Dean Wilson]

The Google AI presents an oxymoron.

Google: Moron, more than Oxy sometimes.

 

[ACEkin]

That is absolutely incredible, as is your entire series. I wish I had been going to the Ballet back then, It must have been an amazing performance. Festival Ballet never failed to enthrall.

Thank you, Hali. They did a fabulous job and it was one of the high points of my photographic endeavors. Maye I will have a special Zoom session and present the history of this work and the 30 minute Orchis performance!

 

[ctitanic]

Here are some examples of Art gone wrong

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/08/style/beer-can-artwork-trash-scli-intl/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/student-eats-maurizio-cattelan-banana-art-south-korea-intl-hnk/index.html