When I got the call to send in a list of articles that I would like to write for this site, it caught me in such a choked space but I just had to pick up my pen to list out titles. It wasn’t until days later that I realized that my experience and knowledge in photography and art is 50% average of what is required but my strong desire to accomplish this great and inspiring piece stood firm.
Everything has its source, that is, where it draws its inspiration and wheel power from. As photography and art are concerned, they both draw their inspiration from the mind of an imaginative artist, and the ability to imagine determines the outcome or result of the piece produced.
Photography Influence on Art-ists
While some artists lost commissions to paint convoluted or intricate portraits in favor of people preferring to photograph studio sessions, for others it became an inspiration for new ways of not only composing their artworks but also painting using more experimental techniques. Portrait photographs also help in influencing portraiture painting procedures. Many artists found that they could avoid the tedious sittings of models and instead use photographs, to paint portraits.
Photography not only opened up new fields for painting to explore by removing the responsibility for slavishly realistic reproduction but, especially with the invention of films. It also profoundly changed our way of viewing things. Since the invention of photography, painting has taken different genres such as surrealism, impressionism, cubism, expressionism, etc. which led to a new artistic movement.
I will highlight three major areas in this article on the influence of photography in art; but first, a little background on photography.
Photography as history has it, changes the way most artists see photography because it captures reality in still form which helps artists perceive the world and paint in different ranges and techniques.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART
The relationship between painters and photographers was complex and they often fed off one another for creative inspiration, Ms. Jacobi said. I know of a friend who draws inspiration from photographs whenever he wants to paint; they call it referencing. Also, photographers use painting to suggest ideas and vise versa.
HOW PHOTOGRAPHY SHAPED ART
With artist’s unique vision of scenes, they spark reactions from everyone who sees their piece including the photographers. Their works bring you to a standpoint of reasoning. The skill lies in being able to translate an idea to a finished product in the medium of the artist’s choice. As photographers, it’s not easy to see anything other than what is in front of our lenses – we can only photograph what physically exists, or what we can make physically exist as such, it’s not hard to see why some people can be very dismissive of photography as an art form.
IS PHOTOGRAPHY ART OR IS ART PHOTOGRAPHY
I can’t compare my work with that of a painter or any other form of art, because I don’t know how to sketch a small ant not to talk of having the same skills. That’s why it’s difficult for people to see the artistic value in photography mostly when the images can be replicated in different copies. A photograph can never be compared with a painted piece except it can be replicated and erase all traces of the replicated piece. And of course, since digital photography became the norm, there’s a certain belief that anyone can take a photograph.
Lastly, virtually everybody doesn’t see the magic style in the piece of a photographer especially when shared on social media.
