More Than a Rock, 2nd Edition. Guy Tal
proven wrong may never again be possible by artificial means. A generic image of a pretty place will not do. Only the deliberate explorations, revelations, and personal stories we tell in original work stand a chance of breaching the barricades of socialized indifference, built and fortified in the course of millennia of decadence, misplaced priorities, greed, and unsustainable practices.
I want others to have what I have, to know what I know, and to feel what I feel, even if they don’t yet know why it is important. I want to call to task all those who proclaim themselves artists yet limit their work to the purposeless pursuit of aesthetic trophies (and more so those pursuing trophies already shot, bagged, stuffed, and mounted by others). I want photography to be worthy of its rightful place as a creative, expressive, and important form of visual art, as valid and respectable as any other art, and I believe that such distinction has to be earned through investment of hard work and creative thinking and in adhering to the highest artistic morals. If that makes my standards too high and me politically incorrect, so be it.
What Is Real12
Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the seeking for ideal truth.
—John Ruskin
After teaching an image processing class, in which I articulated my thoughts on the validity of deviating from the reality of a scene in the name of creative expression, a fellow photographer commented that despite my acceptance of such techniques my images still appeared “natural.” Why wouldn’t they? I intended for them to appear natural.
I realized, however, that there was a greater issue at play. With so many easily applied computerized shortcuts to aesthetic appeal at our disposal, many people have come to associate their use with obvious, often egregious, visual effects and gimmickry.
I take no issue with any method of creating images, so long as the artist’s purpose is fulfilled. To me, an image should encapsulate a state of mind and a deeper meaning than just aesthetic appeal, and I use whatever tools I need in order to convey in my work the moods, sensations, or “stories” I am after. In so many other cases, it seems, the goal simply is to command visual interest by shock value—surprising or jarring the viewer, with no other intent or greater purpose than to satisfy the artist’s craving for attention and popularity. It would be futile for me to challenge anyone’s personal taste, methods, or motivations, but as one who is also a consumer of art I do make the distinction between images carefully crafted by an artist to express a personal visual message, and with the goal of enriching and inspiring their audience, and images created merely for popular appeal.
In my own work, I wish to reflect something of the mood, the romance, and the experience of discovery I felt at the time of creation. It therefore seems obvious to me that my images should look natural, regardless of any tool used or creative license I allowed myself. I create images in order to satisfy my desire for significant experiences, both immersive and expressive, and also with the purpose of sharing such experiences with others who may be similarly inspired by them.
Various methods and tools sometimes lumped under the term “manipulation” can be effective in overcoming limitations imposed by the capabilities of cameras and lenses, or by undesirable qualities of subject and light, that may obscure what an image is about—what I sought to express and the impression I hoped for my work to impart. In my work, I use various processing methods to enhance and sharpen the essence of what I want the viewer to feel, just as my own brain does when I experience such things as fascination, joy, peace, or any other emotion emerging out of a transcendent experience.
The source of my inspiration may at times be inherent and obvious, but it may also be implied or nuanced; it may be something common to many people or unique to my own way of thinking. As such, my work is rarely a simple objective representation of what was in front of the lens. My goal as an artist is to focus viewers’ attention and inspire certain emotions. In some situations, I may be able to accomplish these effects using visual composition alone, without the need for further adjustments, but not always.
Do not confuse what is visible with what is real: despite a degree of overlap, they are not the same. What’s real about an expressive image is never its objectivity, but how it is subjectively perceived.
The Educated Audience13
The more knowledge (including technical, psychological, historical, and personal) that a viewer brings to a photograph, the richer will be his experience.
—Minor White
Much writing about art describes the skills and creativity of artists, but the view in the other direction is often neglected. Appreciation of art—getting the most out of experiencing art as a viewer—also involves some skill and knowledge, an investment of time and attention, and an honest willingness to understand and to be moved by the work. While many photographers rely on easily digestible aesthetics, more complex, abstract, or nuanced work may not always accomplish its intended effect, as it often requires of an audience a degree of emotional maturity: the ability to set aside one’s own prejudices and preconceptions, perhaps even suspend disbelief, and to invest time, thought, and emotional engagement in order to fully appreciate what the artist wished to express.
Principally to blame for audiences’ general lack of willingness to invest time and effort in understanding art, in my opinion, is the culture of elitism and hype that often accompanies present-day art. Certainly, there is already more than enough ridicule for such things as “artspeak” to go around, and it is not my intention to further fan these particular flames here. Like most people outside the “art world,” incoherent jargon is of little interest to me. I do, however, find it lamentable that such attitudes, while perhaps beneficial in some commercial sense, also create barriers to appreciation of some art. When audiences believe that they must buy into obscure and meaningless vocabulary and keep up with the fashions of the art world in order to “understand” art, it is no wonder that so few even bother trying.
Current models for presenting art may also discourage viewers from investing attention and effort beyond momentary impressions. Great quantities of aesthetically pleasing but often creatively deficient images are rammed down the pipes of social media sites every day, most often with the goal of competing for eyeballs and popularity, rather than enriching their viewers’ experience. Consuming images in this manner ultimately desensitizes viewers and trains them to seek no further than whatever short-lived aesthetic appeal an image may have, before moving on to the next one, never consciously aware of the nuances and complexities an image may have that would require closer examination or contemplation.
Photographers, in particular, exhibit a strange paradox: many rarely take the time to experience other photographers’ work with the same patience, interest, and reverence they expect their own work to garner. This is not the case with many other disciplines. Practically all writers are also prolific readers, composers are usually well versed in the works of other musicians, painters rarely miss a chance to attend other painters’ exhibits, and so on. Certainly, there are exceptions, but my sense is that many photographers create and view art within very restricted “bubbles” of influence (often in the form of online communities exhibiting the same lamentable tribal qualities of allegiance, politics, and power struggles as nonvirtual communities) and possess but limited knowledge of the works and philosophies of others, even within their own genre. The point is not so much paying due respect to the accomplishments of other artists, but denying oneself those elevating rewards art may possess beyond those found in obvious and simplistic first impressions.
The challenge for artists creating complex work is that, no matter how skilled they are, such work requires that viewers be willing to go through the mental exercise of unraveling their complexity. Many viewers are reluctant to do so, and may even be unaware of the possible rewards for doing so, which can be immense.
If I have one suggestion to make in this regard, it is this: read! Get your hands on as many books about art and artists as you can, whether in your own discipline or in others. Learn what makes some works important to other people and why. This can be a rewarding and enriching life-long pursuit, celebrating more than just beauty but