Alterations are not allowed in press photography, but they are one of the tools used in contemporary art photography? Why?
We all know that alterations are not allowed or accepted in press photography, since alterations will hide the truth or the events that the press photographs are presenting. However, alterations can be one of the tools used in contemporary art photography for different effects and feelings. Art is a very pectoral matter; different people have different perspectives toward or against art which can be simple or abstract, colorful or black and white. Since contemporary art photography is created only for art purposes and it doesn’t have to portray the truth behind the story, therefore, alterations can be great tools to use. Comparing art photography to press photography, art photography has an important role of illustrating the feelings and creates the spaces for the audiences to think. Alternations on art photography can bring the art photographs to the next stage of expressing the feelings. For example, if the artist wants to express the sad feelings in the photograph, the black and white effect can help to emphasize the feelings more effectively. Also, alterations can contribute to creative art, for instance, it is often used in sardonicism. Many artists use the alteration as a technique on photographs to mock or demonstrate major social issues, which works very well most of the time on catching our attention. For example, we all know the brand, “Apple”. Its products such as iPhone, Ipad, IPod and MAC have been very successful in the market; Apple can even make advertising unnecessary. From the photograph below, we can see that the Steve Job, the chairman of Apple Inc, holding two Apple computers in his hands, and he dressed like Jesus, meaning that people follow his products irrationally and religiously, that is why many artists have been mocking Steve Job for being a god who has lots of followers in the technologies world.
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Moses (Steve Jobs) carrying the new Apple iPad tablets down from the Mountain By Unknown |
- Compare photographs of Sommer, Adams and Klett versus Parkeharrison, Muniz
and Crewdson. What happened to the photography? Is this its future?
Photographs of Sommer focus on the nature, especially death. One of his photograph, the chicken indicated the final stage of live- death. It might not be accepted by majority, but this is his role of taking photography. Adams’s photographs tell us how beautiful Colorado is, although all of the photographs are black and white, we can still feel the warmth and happiness in this place, making everyone to enjoy this place. Klett’s photographs are similar to Adams; he captured different cultures and landscapes. For example, from the photograph by Klett below, a temple is shown, it might be abandoned for a long time, but the connection of the temple and the nature is portrayed. This is how Klett connected human beings building and landscapes to the nature. These three photographers captured the history and nature that we might ignore most of the time. Although we are so busy with so many things nowadays, history and nature should not be ignored since history and nature demonstrate discipline, telling us the right direction. Those photographs do a very good job on recalling our memories and purify our souls.
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| Frederick Sommer, Anatomy of a Chicken, 1939 http://www.sauer-thompson.com/junkforcode/archives/2009/01/05/SommerFChicken.jpg |
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| Robert Adams, Redlands, Looking Toward Los Angeles, California 1983 http://i1.exhibit-e.com/matthewmarks/974a4658.jpg |
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| Klett Mark Andy Looking East...Winds, 1981 http://collections.mocp.org/media/Klett_M/2006_744.JPG |
On the other hand, Parkeharrison, Muniz and Crewdson use alternation as a tool on their photographs, in contrast to Sommer, Adams and Klett, who play the role in press photo, Parkeharrison, Muniz and Crewdson tend to have the intention toward art photographs. They demonstrate abstract, fantasy and of course, many colorful elements were added in the photographs. Alternations that used in those photographs also give us the illusion, thinking all those are paint drawing. We often put ourselves in the photographs to experience the objects and views in the photographs. It is hard to believe that is reality, but the creations also bring out a message, what is reality? How do we know if we are in the reality? We could still be lost even though we are in the reality.
The future of the photography should develop with the technologies used in alternation in order to create different art photographs, meanwhile, press and historical photographs should also be respected. It is because, there is no way to process to the future without going through the pass, history gives us discipline, as we mentioned before. We believe that photography is the most powerful tool to use in delivering the messages, as it can show the truth in front of our eyeballs.
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| Elegy (2007) Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison http://www.edelmangallery.com/parke102.jpg |
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| Nightwork (2007) Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison http://www.edelmangallery.com/parke106.jpg |
Group members list, By:
Wilson Wong (100670330)
Yi Ye (100588597)
Melissa Lee
Collen Kennedy
Angad Hanjra
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