Member Discussions

Home / Community / Member Discussions / Post

26 February, 2021

Brian Wolfgang Becker
142 Views
10 Comments

Is Photography Art?

Being a new member of ArtWanted.com who works in different creative mediums and ways these days, I feel that excluding photography as art is actually belittling a process that in its conventional form was over 175 years in the making. A highly skilled profession that some people came to master as both technicians and as visual artists. Those in the fiield of traditional painting on canvas, digital platforms or in mixed media seem to be considered as providing Art here on Artwanted.com.

The digital revolution has changed the process of image capture and presentation but not really the medium in terms of its creative applications. There have been many photographs taken that would not or should not be considered as Art but there are also many that should be. The same applies for digital capture , painting and mixed media or motion film and video production. Some is art and some is not.

What are your thoughts on this subject and issue of exclusion when it comes to defining art and what it should be or actually is?

Brian Wolfgang Becker

10 Comments

Rick Corbett 26 Feb 2021

Great discussion. I personally do feel that photography is art, especially when it's dramatic and emotional. Personally, I love black and white photos. There's something about the lights and darks that just pop for me. I find them more intriguing and exciting than color photographs, but that is my personal taste. I personally only take photos for myself as reference photos for drawings, I don't consider myself a photographer, but I love photography and those who do whatever it takes to get THAT one shot. Whether one creates art with a pencil, a brush, or a camera, the artist is still using their heart and mind to create that masterpiece or capture that perfect shot. This is just my humble opinion.

Mark A. Lembo 28 Feb 2021

Is not 'art' also in the 'eye of the beholder?'

Cave art, da Vinci, DuChamp, Dali, Warhol ... the breadth and depth of artistic expression is nearly limitless.

Lucia Stewart 01 Mar 2021

I feel that art is so subjective, and truly is based on personal opinions and feelings rather than on agreed techniques and or facts.

Mark Peterson 05 Mar 2021

Yes it is art... to say it is not is a person with a closed mind. I am a digital artist and not traditional so often I hear my work is not real... I enjoy what I do and am good at what I do so critics bother me not a bit. When you are creative that is your art. Don't ever let anyone say that your creative soul is less than their Art... no matter the media is yours!

Joanie Holliday 01 Apr 2021

I love to paint and take photos. Which is truly an art also. As an artist sees so much on canvas or paper so a photographer sees differently behind the lens.

Cheryl Garman-Andrade 07 Apr 2021

The way I see it, the person behind the lens is "creating" a visual image and photographs are protected by intellectual property law. So yes, photography is art.

Vincent von Frese 16 Apr 2021

Photography is a graphic art form. Just like painting and drawing a photograph involves many steps of composition. And like with other art forms there are a number of really great photographers both in filming movies as well as still photography. I admire photographers for their ability to handle all that technical stuff it takes to produce a work of art.

Not always subjective, photography can be completely abstract. Like any art and craft the work is the result of the artist’s mind, heart and level of intensity of spirit.

Fred Rousseau 03 May 2021

Brian.Anything done or undertaken by human beings are art providing it is done with excellence and passion. Cooking could be art,so photography etc.Not everyone behind a camera or smartphone is a photographer.A real photographer could take better photo's with an old silverfilm camera than most modernday so-called photographers with state-of-the art equipment.I could go on and explain what art is forever.....but the essence of the matter is passion,devotion and perseverance to reach something of excellence. In the days of silverfilm I went on daytrips with colourslide film 36 images to a roll of film.Spent all day doing 36 shots out of which I only kept the best one.The other 35 images went into the waste basket.That is what I refer to as art.Hard work and perseverance and the desire to create art.Many blessings.

Don Hawkins 20 Sep 2021

Excluding something as art assumes one knows what art will become, what will be accepted as art. After Warhol's Brillo Boxes, one should be careful about making categorical statements about art. I'm curious on what basis one would excude photographs from art?

Dale Newman 21 Sep 2021

We have to remember that art is the final result of what ones sees with their eyes or with their minds eye, regardless of the medium used. As far as the skill, that's not important. Why? because art is an expression of one's heart regardless of abilities. I fancy myself as a Sketch artist and a Photographer, I feel both express the beauty I see in the world, both mediums of art.