The Influence of Photography 3
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The camera continues to play a significant role in painting
today – not all of it positive. While the image of the artist
decked in floppy hat and painting smock painting ‘en plein air’
is an enduring one, the practical reality is that photographs
provide the raw material for many painters today. Although
this is perfectly valid, it is important to recognize the limitations
of this medium and adapt accordingly.
today – not all of it positive. While the image of the artist
decked in floppy hat and painting smock painting ‘en plein air’
is an enduring one, the practical reality is that photographs
provide the raw material for many painters today. Although
this is perfectly valid, it is important to recognize the limitations
of this medium and adapt accordingly.
One of the problems presented by photography is that we have
been programmed to think of photographs as representing
“reality”. We even have a genre of painting called ‘photorealism’
– as if the aim of the artist were to achieve the level of ‘realism’
contained in a photograph. But the ‘reality’ of the photographic
image is a mere accident of numerous variables – aperture and
shutter settings, type of film (or digital equivalent), lens angle
etc. Take a picture of a scene with a wide angle lens. Now zoom
in. Now over-expose, Now under-expose. Play with the aperture
and shutter settings. And so on. Now look at the results. See
how different they are? How can these all represent ‘reality’? Use
this exercise to kill the idea that a photograph somehow
represents ‘reality’. It is just one version of reality. Your painting
is just another.
been programmed to think of photographs as representing
“reality”. We even have a genre of painting called ‘photorealism’
– as if the aim of the artist were to achieve the level of ‘realism’
contained in a photograph. But the ‘reality’ of the photographic
image is a mere accident of numerous variables – aperture and
shutter settings, type of film (or digital equivalent), lens angle
etc. Take a picture of a scene with a wide angle lens. Now zoom
in. Now over-expose, Now under-expose. Play with the aperture
and shutter settings. And so on. Now look at the results. See
how different they are? How can these all represent ‘reality’? Use
this exercise to kill the idea that a photograph somehow
represents ‘reality’. It is just one version of reality. Your painting
is just another.
