Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/15

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: RE: [Leica] art photography
From: AlastairF@bhs.grampianshealth.org.au
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 18:27:38 +1100

This is a wonderful topic which will take ages to die down, because it has
never been answered since the first photographic image was created. For me,
artists are often unrecognized in their time. Their art may appeal, it may
stimulate, it may nauseate. If it elicits a reaction, then it may well have
achieved its aim and good on the artist for doing that. Not all of us will
like the same things, food, wine, beer or whiskey --- that's what makes life
interesting. Remove competition and you die as a society. The drabness of
the East Germany I saw was testiment to that. I would hate to live in a
society where only "good" art, as decreed by some committee was available,
and so I choose to prefer being offended by some. I'm not one who feels
everyone should be exposed to everything, and I believe in "family"
censorship for children, but in general, I try very hard to "live and let
live". If an artist is really no good, or is unable to reach an audience, I
belive they will "starve". It is true however that the general leval of
"taste" falls to the lowest common denominator, but I think we can blame
ourselves for that --- every political power on earth prefers to keep it
that way, and the major financial players are behind them, so be thankful
that in general, we can have our own opinions, develop our own tastes, and
do not feel as threatened by individualism as some have through history and
still are today. 

Off soap box and back into the heat of the day

Cheers and here's luck

Alastair

- -----Original Message-----
From: Ted Grant [mailto:tedgrant@islandnet.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 2:12 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] art photography


Folks,

Not that I've read every one of the diatribes on "art/artist photography"
topics, but what I haven't seen addressed for some of these "photographer
artists" is:

Is it really photography by photographers? Or is it merely art "using the
medium of the photographic process to make art?"