A great photograph has the ability to evoke a timeless personal connection, to steal a frame of life and hold it eternally still. Photographic artists aim to render feelings and experiences that often escape the capacity of words to describe them, using a medium which many carry in their pockets. This medium requires the art of observation, where photographers connect and respond to varying landscapes and forms. In a time of Instagram filters and ‘selfies’, photography has exploded into modern culture, as technology allows any phone-equipped pedestrian to create ‘art’. This increased prevalence may also be responsible for the increasing acceptance of photography as an artistic medium. As its accessibility widens, it seems the distinction between humble photos and ‘photographic artworks’ narrows. In this age of instant photographic sharing and digital manipulation, how does photographic art stand against the traditional art mediums? More importantly, when does a photographic image become art? In its beginnings, as the camera obscura, photography functioned as a supplementary tool of the artist. Its primary use was as a form of documentation; proof of the existence of reality at a particular instant. Historically, photography has been criticised by those who saw it as a danger to other fine art mediums, deemed a refuge for failed traditional artists. In an age of digital manipulation and instantaneous social network capabilities, photography has become a record of personal interest and perhaps the dominant contemporary medium. This accessibility and global visual connection has produced a generation which sees photography as an aspect of identity, an extension of moments and experiences. A quick scroll through any iPhone photo album reveals a collection of family photos, loved pets, memorable cuisines and sunsets... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline
Carl Warner, The Surface 22, 2004. C-type photograph, 60 x 60cm. Edition of 6. Courtesy of the artist and Jan Menton Art.
Carl Warner, The Surface 72, 2004. C-type photograph, 60 x 60cm. Edition of 6. Courtesy of the artist and Jan Menton Art.
