I have been reading this book throughout the course of People and Place. As I started I was hoping to understand contemporary photography, as often I look at something and think "this mean nothing to me" and "how can this be art". Charlotte Cotton's book provides a framework to understand various categories in contemporary photographic art. This book suggests that contemporary art photography is less concerned with the form and more with the content, and that viewers are meant to decode what a photograph stands for. It shows that contemporary photographic might not be pleasing to the eye, but that we have to be able to put it into context and try to explore what the artist might have meant.
I feel that my own photography is quite detached from this way of thinking, so reading this book has opened my eyes for different directions in which my photography can develop. I would love to create images which are meaningful, and express and explore my thoughts and feelings deeper. The book group photographers who share common motivations, practices and ideas. I have summarised the various chapters below:
I feel that my own photography is quite detached from this way of thinking, so reading this book has opened my eyes for different directions in which my photography can develop. I would love to create images which are meaningful, and express and explore my thoughts and feelings deeper. The book group photographers who share common motivations, practices and ideas. I have summarised the various chapters below:
Chapter 1 - If this is art
Concerns the idea that modern art photography is the outcome of the artists pre-conceived ideas, as opposed to the traditional artist's production which would be based on objects presented in front of them. The technical skills seem less important than the idea of the work of art. The photograph becomes the device or tool for documenting a performance or a happening. An early example of conceptual art is the water fountain by Marcel Duchamps, who basically submitted a ready made object to an exhibition. Alfred Stieglitz then photographed the piece.
Concerns the idea that modern art photography is the outcome of the artists pre-conceived ideas, as opposed to the traditional artist's production which would be based on objects presented in front of them. The technical skills seem less important than the idea of the work of art. The photograph becomes the device or tool for documenting a performance or a happening. An early example of conceptual art is the water fountain by Marcel Duchamps, who basically submitted a ready made object to an exhibition. Alfred Stieglitz then photographed the piece.
A modern example of preplanned artistic strategy is the "Heads" series by Philp Lorca di Corcia. It combines the preplanned with the uncontrollable, which creates unexpected results. (p46)
Chapter 2 - Once upon a time
This chapters talks about how photography has been used a medium for story telling in modern art. This contemporary tableau photography is narrative concentrated to one single image. This has links to 18th and 19th century painting. It consists of a choreographed, constructed scene, which often has an allegorical message. It requires extended viewing to read the allegory. Jeff Wall's photography falls into this category.
This chapters talks about how photography has been used a medium for story telling in modern art. This contemporary tableau photography is narrative concentrated to one single image. This has links to 18th and 19th century painting. It consists of a choreographed, constructed scene, which often has an allegorical message. It requires extended viewing to read the allegory. Jeff Wall's photography falls into this category.
The photographer can be seen as a film director, using assistants to set the scene. Cinematic lighting is often used. Gregory Crewdson also creates tableau photography: His references are the bizarre, disturbing, paranormal, sci-fi films, fables, modern myths, theatre. This I find very facsinating.
There are also tableau photography without human presence. This could be seen as a stage before or after a performance.
Chapter 3 - Deadpan
I have written more notes about deadpan photography here.
Chapter 4 - Something or nothing
Everyday objects can be made interesting by photographing them. Things we normally ignore or fragile/abstract objects can become art and poeticby putting them into a new context. Nothing becomes something, conceptually altered. This kind of photography is less about technical skills, more about making us think "How did this object come to be here?". One example is Wim Wenders (p125) whose photography creates something poetic from abandoned and deterioated buildings and architectual spaces. "Decaying fields of emotional emptiness". Finding a twist in "normal" imagaes gives it intellectual substance.
Chapter 3 - Deadpan
I have written more notes about deadpan photography here.
Chapter 4 - Something or nothing
Everyday objects can be made interesting by photographing them. Things we normally ignore or fragile/abstract objects can become art and poeticby putting them into a new context. Nothing becomes something, conceptually altered. This kind of photography is less about technical skills, more about making us think "How did this object come to be here?". One example is Wim Wenders (p125) whose photography creates something poetic from abandoned and deterioated buildings and architectual spaces. "Decaying fields of emotional emptiness". Finding a twist in "normal" imagaes gives it intellectual substance.
Chapter 5 - Intimate life
This genre of photograpy as contemporary art captures emotional and personal relationships. It can resemble family snaps but differs because they capture moments an average person wouldn't think of photographing. It can contain subjects/feelings like the mundane, taboo, sadness, illness, abuse. Nan Goldin is perhaps one of the most known photographer's in this genre. She combines a sense of the emotionally charged and spontanious observations.
This genre of photograpy as contemporary art captures emotional and personal relationships. It can resemble family snaps but differs because they capture moments an average person wouldn't think of photographing. It can contain subjects/feelings like the mundane, taboo, sadness, illness, abuse. Nan Goldin is perhaps one of the most known photographer's in this genre. She combines a sense of the emotionally charged and spontanious observations.
Chapter 6 - Moments in history
In contemporary art, photographers avoid reportage documentary. Instead of documenting the action, they arrive afterwards - aftermath photography - and capture the traces and residue of the consequences of human activity, such as wars, social or ecological disaster. An example is Luc Delahaye (p184). He takes subjects from photojournalism and presents them as art. In him image "Kabul Road" a haunting subject is captured, but contains beautiful colour tones, a considered composition and presented a large panoramic format.
In contemporary art, photographers avoid reportage documentary. Instead of documenting the action, they arrive afterwards - aftermath photography - and capture the traces and residue of the consequences of human activity, such as wars, social or ecological disaster. An example is Luc Delahaye (p184). He takes subjects from photojournalism and presents them as art. In him image "Kabul Road" a haunting subject is captured, but contains beautiful colour tones, a considered composition and presented a large panoramic format.
Chapter 7 - Revived and remade
This chapter deals with the postmodernist idea that photographs can be apreciated through symbols and coding as opposed to the modernist emphasis on authorship and technical ability. Since the 1970s photos in comporary art, this particular genre relates to a larger system of cultural coding. Some artists rephotograph or reuse previous images, emphasising the relationship between now/then or different generations.
Cindy Sherman is an important example of this genre. By dressing up and taking the role as the female model in different situations she points to the idea that femininity is constructed and not innate to women per se. Because we - the viewers - recognise the codings of the images we can read the meaning of the image.
Below is an example of Sherman's images, where we can instantly recognise the codes: a lone vulnerable woman waiting for a lift. This reminds me of the beginning of one of David Lynch's film, maybe Lost highways (?).
This chapter deals with the postmodernist idea that photographs can be apreciated through symbols and coding as opposed to the modernist emphasis on authorship and technical ability. Since the 1970s photos in comporary art, this particular genre relates to a larger system of cultural coding. Some artists rephotograph or reuse previous images, emphasising the relationship between now/then or different generations.
Cindy Sherman is an important example of this genre. By dressing up and taking the role as the female model in different situations she points to the idea that femininity is constructed and not innate to women per se. Because we - the viewers - recognise the codings of the images we can read the meaning of the image.
Below is an example of Sherman's images, where we can instantly recognise the codes: a lone vulnerable woman waiting for a lift. This reminds me of the beginning of one of David Lynch's film, maybe Lost highways (?).
Chapter 8 - Physical and material
Some comtemporary artists use photographs as just one component in their art. It could be mixed with other media, such as sculpture or installations. A photograph could be rephotographed and presented in a new context. The viewer is invited to break the code between the contexts in which the images appear.
Some comtemporary artists use photographs as just one component in their art. It could be mixed with other media, such as sculpture or installations. A photograph could be rephotographed and presented in a new context. The viewer is invited to break the code between the contexts in which the images appear.