Hi!
Background: I bought Bill Fortney's "Great Photography Workshop" book a while back. In the book, Bill recommended another one called "Developing The Creative Edge in Photography" by Bert Eifer. That book contains some interesting (to me at least) thoughts on what makes a photograph 'art.' These definitions are compiled by Mr. Eifer and are not necessarily his. These are some of the definitions:
art pleases the eye
My be, and then again may be not.
art brings order to chaos - it creates harmony
Sometimes.
art clarifies, intensifies or enlarges our experience of life
It might.
art has mystery, ambiguity and contradiction
We usually think this way. But not always.
I'm interested in hearing the thoughts of the group on these definitions. Do you disagree with any of them?
Neither agree nor disagree.
William Robb said: "Art tends to invoke an emotional response of some sort from the person it is inflicted on." which would be the closest of the opinions I would really agree with.
I think art (of any kind) is something that takes you out of your routine. If you watch a good movie (good in a sense of good art) you start thinking of something you never considered before. If you look at good photograph (again in a sense of art), you feel something you don't usually feel (beauty of model's eyes, pain of homeless, etc).
There is another definition that I'd like to bring to the consideration of honorable assembly.
Art is something you remember after being exposed to.
Let's say I've been looking at Frank's photos he made for the jazz band. I can readily recall one or two. So, Frank, for me you created some art. I can easily recall some photos Jostein showed in my camera club. So, Jostein, you win. I can easily recall some of Shel's work too. I can continue the list, but that's not the point.
The point being, if you're exposed to something that makes you think and/or feel different and you remember it some time after the "show" - it is definitely (good) art.
That would be my shot at the subject.
Boris.
P.S. Frank, Jostein, Shel - please don't thank me, will you? I brought you here merely as some examples...
