Holiday time - reflection time

[mfogiel]

I've discovered recently a blog that I enjoy quite a bit.
"Conscientious Photography Magazine".
Lately, an article "Photography and Criticism" has been posted, which you can reed in its entirety by following the link below.
http://cphmag.com
The author, Jorg M. Colberg, states the following:

"Good photographs are those that raise questions, that open up new ways of thinking or feeling – not those that confirm something. My main question when approaching a body of work, any body of work really, is: what does this tell me that I don’t already know? Am I learning something? Am I made to confront established ways of thinking or feeling with what is placed in front of me? That’s the toughest challenge for photography, given that the moment you place your camera in front of something it’s all right there. How do you get something in there that’s somehow not in the picture? How do you photograph a feeling?

This might not surprise anyone, but the photography that I dislike the most is the one that tells me very specifically what to think. That’s the pest. For a start, I don’t like to be told what to think in the first place. You tell me to think this and that, and I will think of anything but this and that. But more importantly, you don’t gain anything by prescribing your audience’s reactions."

I've found it to be a concise and convincing indication about what should motivate my photographic pursuits. Given that it's holiday time, perhaps you might enjoy reflecting on this as well.

 

[kxl]

"Good photographs are those that raise questions, that open up new ways of thinking or feeling – not those that confirm something.

Not only should good photos open up new ways of thinking or feeling for those who view the photos but also for those who take them.

 

[Lauffray]

I'll probably be told again not to comment if I disagree, but I find this fellow to be a little too pontificating sometimes. Too many self-appointed critics, or perhaps it's my own lack of art education and ignorance talking.

How does a photograph tell you what to think ? And what obligation does a photograph have to "tell" anything at all ? Art had always had a utilitarian side to it, but that doesn't mean it always makes sense to take photographs for a certain function. Shouldn't one always question everything and established ways of thinking in particular ? Perhaps good art should aim for that sort of upending, especially in these homogenizing times, but it's certainly rare and not the mark of most work.