Photography and Painting
I've started reading Susan Sontag's "On Photography" - a bit late coming to this one I admit. No comment so far but it got me back thinking about photography and it's uneasy relationship with "art".
It also coincided with me having a look at images from Critical Mass - a sort of competition that for better or worse sets the scene for some of the trends in the Art Market when it comes to photography.
Here is one of the finalists for example.
Now to my way of thinking, irrespective of the message whatever that is, this first image could have been done equally well as a painting. The link with what I would call photography is tenuous because it is not necessary.
In this famous photo by Dorothea Lange - which is not without some controversy of it's own according to Sontag - the opposite applies. If you created this as a painting you would be laughed out of the salon, though it might find it's way onto a chocolate box.
These sort of thoughts are one way I approach some photographs, especially if I find it difficult to understand them.
I should hurry to add that this second photograph is NOT part of the Critical Mass submissions - at least I assume not.
Taking a photo like Dorothea Lange's captured a moment of true feeling in the subject.
A painting like her photo could be just as good as the photo, only if the feeling and context of the subject ( but not necessarily representation ) could be accurately and psychologically conveyed.
Trends in art/photography are relatively poor places to find work that is strong outside of medium.
So, I would prefer it if works where the connection with the unique reproductive aspect of photography is missing, tenuous or unnecessary are labeled as Art and not as Photography. Might seem a bit obsessive, but there you go.
I think I have to disagree however about the possibility of the Dorothea Lange image as a painting. Bear in mind that I am talking about the exact representation in another form - not merely the depiction of subject/emotions.
So I play a game with fine art photography where I look at something and ask "could it have been represented exactly the same (more or less) as a painting or drawing without losing anything" - if the answer is "yes" then I mentally de-label it.