artist?

[lynnb]

with talk elsewhere of rff being mostly a gear forum and not so much a photography forum got me thinking a bit...
who here considers themselves to be an artist?

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on why I'm photographing. Usually it's yes when I'm working on a project that I intend to be art. Sometimes art sort of happens regardless, and the artistic side of me jumps up and claims credit.

does being an artist impact your philosophy about gear? is gear just a means to an end or does it contribute to your art?

I've bought some gear for artistic projects, but I also use anything at hand. Whatever best fits the needs of the moment. I've probably bought more gear to facilitate non-artistic work, but in practice the division is arbitrary. There's lots of fun to be had putting gear to purposes for which it's not usually intended. Maybe one day I'll try street photography with a 10x8 🙂

what stops us, as a group, from discussing photography/art?

Many issues around photography have been more dissected than a lab rat. Threads can become repetitive. It's nice to come across different ideas but in my recollection a lot of pages have to be viewed to find them. I also tend to lose interest when disagreement turns to argument. That discourages participation, even though the mods usually do a good job in keeping things polite and on-topic. I guess I just lose patience. Life's too short to get bogged down in argument.

As to discussing art, it can take quite a lot of background knowledge to have an interesting/meaningful discussion, and even then it's often subjective. One has to have a meeting of minds about what art is. Blame Duchamp. Much easier to talk about the craft of picture and print-making.. and gear 🙂

 

[robert blu]

...
I also tend to lose interest when disagreement turns to argument. That discourages participation, even though the mods usually do a good job in keeping things polite and on-topic. I guess I just lose patience. Life's too short to get bogged down in argument....

yes, +1
robert

 

[PKR]

Arguing about art is, for me, a waste of time. Liking a piece of art or ART is about taste. There is a whole lot of art I wouldn't cross the street to see. It doesn't mean it's bad art, just not to my liking. It's like arguing about tomatoes. You either like them or you don't. No right or wrong.

I'm a fan of Jeff Koons but not of his work. He showed the "Gallery World / Auction Scene" for what it is. Koons can't draw. He has workers make his art. The ideas (I think) are his. He's highly successful. Hell, I don't even know if Koons likes his work. But, it sells. He has a formula for making art that sells for big money. He talks openly about it. It's why I like him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Koons

 

[Roger Hicks]

Really? I do not think so

robert

Dear Robert,

Perhaps your criteria for "a good photograph" are a bit higher than his.

Frances and I will miss you and Simonette at Arles!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ranchu]

Good god, how pitiful. The guy was obviously making a comparison between the ease of making a good picture with a camera as opposed to other means, and you guys start wailing and rending your garments that Photography Itself has been mortally insulted. What a bunch of pearl clutching. Then again, maybe the guy doesn't need to blow 10 grand on a camera to make a good photo, maybe he or she can crank them out regularly. That never happens, right?

🙄

I can just BE somewhere, and push a button, and i can get a good photograph. A painting of the same 'level' would take a day/days/weeks.

 

[reiki_]

Just not sure if Artist or Photographer first.

 

[PKR]

U

As much as i love photography, painting truly gobsmacks me. There's something in the degree of effort/expertise needed, maybe. I can just BE somewhere, and push a button, and i can get a good photograph. A painting of the same 'level' would take a day/days/weeks..'

Well, modern technology has come to your rescue.. or maybe modern technology and forced labor..child labor? I don't know.

https://www.instapainting.com/

When you sign up to do business with these people you "create an artist's account". This single action will make you an "official artist". For any in doubt of their standing in the artist's community, sign up and you're in.

Edit: Here's another one. The "Strobists" guy is somehow involved in this operation..

http://baltimorewashingtonoil.blogspot.com/

 

[ptpdprinter]

Adding to some other comments, there does seem to be a certain type of person who thinks that bashing art or artists makes them look more macho. For some reason I don't really understand.

I think it is more in the nature of anti-intellectualism.

 

[robert blu]

from post #1:
"what stops us, as a group, from discussing photography/art?"

The way this thread is going sometimes seems me the better answer to the OP question !

According to Mr. Ranchu I could not express my opinion when I do not agree with something told here? And in case I do I owe an apology?

robert

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Adding to some other comments, there does seem to be a certain type of person who thinks that bashing art or artists makes them look more macho. For some reason I don't really understand.

I think it is more in the nature of anti-intellectualism.

ptpdprinter, You and Tunalegs are both right. Anti-intellectualism often is justified by the belief that intellectual men are all a bunch of limp-wristed sissies. I've heard it a million times.

I even had a woman I was dating dump me after she saw how many books I had in my house. She wanted a 'real man.' Crazy, but true. Can't imagine what that woman would think of me now, as I've earned an MA in Literature since then and I own a lot more books!

 

[PKR]

ptpdprinter, You and Tunalegs are both right. Anti-intellectualism often is justified by the belief that intellectual men are all a bunch of limp-wristed sissies. I've heard it a million times.

I even had a woman I was dating dump me after she saw how many books I had in my house. She wanted a 'real man.' Crazy, but true. Can't imagine what that woman would think of me now, as I've earned an MA in Literature since then and I own a lot more books!

Geezze Chris; First time I've heard of that kind of thing. I sometimes live where bears break into houses and both men and women shoot things. Lot of mountain lions around, etc Folks chop wood and have tractors to clear the snow out of the dirt roads to their homes. Some of these people are well educated and have lots of books. Even the less educated read a lot. No cable TV and slow web traffic speeds. But, a great book store in the next town.

I guess if it comes to a local book burning, you will know where your former friend can be found..

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Geezze Chris; First time I've heard of that kind of thing. I sometimes live where bears break into houses and both men and women shoot things. Lot of mountain lions around, etc Folks chop wood and have tractors to clear the snow out of the dirt roads to their homes. Some of these people are well educated and have lots of books. Even the less educated read a lot. No cable TV and slow web traffic speeds. But, a great book store in the next town.

I guess if it comes to a local book burning, you will know where your former friend can be found..

Oh its common where I live. I know its different in other parts of the country. After I moved back to Indiana from New Mexico to be closer to my son, I went back to school and earned my masters degree in literature so I could be a high school literature teacher. I needed a good job and my fine arts degree was worthless here.

Despite the fact that I made a good income during my short teaching career, I was constantly asked by people who knew I had the MA that I was an idiot for going to school for that. "What are you going to do with that? flip burgers?" I was a teacher for Christ's sake; that 'worthless degree' got me a middle class income in a city where most jobs pay less than $10 an hour.

As for women, the one I have been dating for the last year is the opposite of the one in my previous post <3

 

[PKR]

Oh its common where I live. I know its different in other parts of the country. After I moved back to Indiana from New Mexico to be closer to my son, I went back to school and earned my masters degree in literature so I could be a high school literature teacher. I needed a good job and my fine arts degree was worthless here.

Despite the fact that I made a good income during my short teaching career, I was constantly asked by people who knew I had the MA that I was an idiot for going to school for that. "What are you going to do with that? flip burgers?" I was a teacher for Christ's sake; that 'worthless degree' got me a middle class income in a city where most jobs pay less than $10 an hour.

As for women, the one I have been dating for the last year is the opposite of the one in my previous post <3[/QUOTE

It's a crazy world. I think a big problem is education. Poor education as a social problem has become worse in the last 20-30 years in the US. I first noticed this when college entrance requirements changed. When I was in HS if you were planning on college, 2 years of 2 languages or 3 years of one, math at least to geometry and Chemistry were required for a liberal arts school. If engineering or science were planned, German and math to single variable calculus + physics were required. Now the state has or plans to drop algebra as a requirement.

A HS teacher told me the most often missed question on the yearly teachers exam is 2X -5 = 15, solve for X.

I once saw a HS finals exam from the 1930s. I doubt many current college grads could pass it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

True, but you referred to the term as useless, you could have defined it as 'some peers' if that suits you better. . . .

Presuming that everyone on RFF is a "peer" is missing the point. There's also a difference between "a bit meaningless" (which is what wrote) and "useless" (which was your paraphrase). This is a more subtle distinction, I admit, but then, it would be surprising if everyone on a forum such as this had the same experiences, the same abilities, the same command of English.

We choose our peers. We respect some opinions, not others. You choose your peers: I'll choose mine.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Also, consider Picasso's Bull's Head (1942). That took minutes or perhaps seconds to assemble.

Art is independent of the time it takes to create it. Vision is what matters, regardless of the medium.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Contarama]

I don't understand all of the fuss over a gear centric photography forum. When I came here I didn't no my @ss from my aperture. I have learned more about cameras and photography from this one forum than all others combined. All of you guys taught me. Thanks you hammerheads! Heck I even read some of you in magazines and books.

Carry on...let's make some art and take some pictures of the gear we used doing it!

Whatever anyone does lets just please not have a phone section...please...pretty please...unless it is a rangefinder phone of course. lol

Now that is an idea for the Leica boys...Leica RF phone. It could be their new niche. Now that would be art.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I don't understand all of the fuss over a gear centric photography forum. When I came here I didn't no my @ss from my aperture. I have learned more about cameras and photography from this one forum than all others combined. . . .

YES!

This is (as you say) a gear-centric forum. Fine. The problem arises when the gear-heads who are are of their depth (as they would be in a shallow puddle) start pontificating on art or worse still Art.

Cheers,

R.

 

[PKR]

YES!

This is (as you say) a gear-centric forum. Fine. The problem arises when the gear-heads who are are of their depth (as they would be in a shallow puddle) start pontificating on art or worse still Art.

Cheers,

R.

I got curious and counted sub-forums. I don't know how accurate my count is as some sub-forums might drift into the other camp.

I counted 15 that might be photography related..meaning pictures. And, 68 that deal specifically with a type/brand of camera or tests, optics, repair of cameras and camera accessories. You know what the fashion magazines say.. "It pays to accessorize!".

This doesn't account for popularity of a given form, etc. As, the whole of RFF, in theory, could be on one forum. As in 911 photos the day it happened..

Very gear heavy.

 

[f16sunshine]

YES!

This is (as you say) a gear-centric forum. Fine. The problem arises when the gear-heads who are are of their depth (as they would be in a shallow puddle) start pontificating on art or worse still Art.

Cheers,

R.

The Puddle comment shows you may wish to stay away from this thread a while.


In fact maybe everyone should take the afternoon off from the subject.

 

[back alley]

i found this elsewhere on the net (see, it's not just us)...it's one answer to the question...which version of the fuji lens folks preferred?...

...F2 for photographers and 1.4 for artist...