I'm sad about photography. Yesterday I went to see one of the best photo exhibitions that has come to this land, it came directly from the Deutsche Bank and showed work from some of the greatest german photographers since 1950's up to date. The exhibition included Bern and Hilla Becher, Thomas Struth and in general the Düsseldorf School: Thomas Ruff, Andreas Gursky, Candida Hoffer, etc. Although I loved it, and I very much appreciated all of the work I went out the exhibition with both a happy and a sad impression. Today I realized that my sadness was due because I felt for the first time that photography ran out as a medium, as a vessel that is no longer able to hold higher spiritual growth. I believe that it is not a matter of creativity per se, neither solely a question of representation, but about something more mystical; a new path the human spirit needs to take -and which is in fact taking-, where photography will not play a major role. Photography already did its amazing job but I feel it was over. It is very sad and i think we will have to overcome it soonner or later in order to find the new horizon our soul seeks. Maybe photography will come back again in the future, maybe transformed into something else, i feel.
by Alejandro Tamayo (former photographer)
Bogotá, Colombia
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5 comments:
i find your arguement interesting and i can identify with what your saying, however i see photography almost as a process or as a means to finding clarity. the real has become the surreal, walking outside can be stranger than sitting in front of a computer screen and for many it is. Do we take pictures to prove we're actually there? i'm spinning my wheels a bit in this but on some level photography is shifting into something much bigger than ever intended. Has something like flickr contributed in creating a vast educated audience that is demanding more from an image to make it brilliant? i'm not sure if it has but i think the more people are looking the better the situation.
I agree with your views. The state of photography is in a holding pattern. Much of the blame can be attributed to technological advances, digital cameras, the Internet, etc. Digital cameras have taken away the discipline previously needed to capture images. Many photographers haven't a clue what D-76, Rodinal, etc., are. It's not their fault. Just a product of the times. Not to say there aren't serious photographers out there, in fact there are plenty. What is missing is the dedication to the creation of the art. These views come from spending years in the dark(room). On the topic of the Internet, I feel that the shear mass of images on the Internet has desensitized the public to the art of photography. I thought that auto-focus would only cater to a niche' sector of consumers, looks like I was wrong on that. Never saw digital replacing film in <10 years either...Market analyst I'm not, just hope photography as a serious art medium can continue to exist.
~rick
i disagree with you rick. photography is evolving. having a strong understanding of photoshop has replaced the dark room. the dark room is nostaglic and should always be remembered as something revolutionary but it's no longer necessary. something is always lost moving into a new technology. For example: hearing music live to listening to vinyl. vinyl to cd. Cd to Mp3. film to digital. but the same was said when photography replaced portrait painting. something again was lost but at the same time so much gained. an interesting thought by someone when they first heard vinyl was, "as if i were listening to the voices of the dead and couldn’t think of anything being more dreadful". i doubt he’d say that now.
i've really liked your view in this entry, alexander. good thing, what emerges transforms and dies has always been the medium, not what it strives to and can at precious moments capture. thank you for your view as a reminder of what really counts. -- wenchuan
I could not agree with Alex more. The technology of today has replaced the wonderful cameras of the past. We live in an ever evolving world where the technology of today is replaced as fast as it was purchased. Photoshop has replaced the darkroom, and people have become masters of the software just as individuals mastered the darkroom, This new mastery comes with little to no cost to your pocket or more importantly the environment.
That being said, digital photography standards, more importantly digital file formats are plaguing an industry in ways film never could. The multitude of file formats, specifically proprietary file formats leave photographers hopeless to convert entire catalogs of imagery overnight. Camera companies discontinue proprietary file formats (versions of raw and tiff) on a yearly basis. New formats replace old and most users are unaware of these changes. How will our files function 25 years from today?
It is typical that the least suspicious part of an industry could be the most damaging.
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