Prerequisites and Post Modernity

Dunes Oceano, 1936
Edward Weston

Below is a comment by UL in her blog's post on Defining Art and Erotica. What Dr. L says about the "prerequisite" pretty much summarizes one of the core philosophies of the Post Modern movement.

I am going to say something that will be very dangerous because it will affront some - but we should just assume technical greatness as a PREREQUISITE for great photographic art. The technical cannot in and of itself create great art. The great art comes from what you talk about, Joe - the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts.

I learned some interesting things from my photography teacher this summer. We were looking at photos in SF MOMA of the contrast between life in southern Spain and just across the Straits of Gibraltar in northern Africa. She asked me what I thought of them. Having spent time in that part of Spain, I appreciated seeing the life of it again. She then asked, "How about the technical aspects?"

I hemmed and hawed because I did not want to say, "Overexposed, poorly printed and the colors are kind of flat. They look like snapshots." I thought that if it was in a museum, it must be good and my impressions must be wrong. I told her a mild version, something like, "I don't get why he overexposed the photos and printed them like this."

"Because his technique is bad." was her reply.

"Maybe the message of the photos is more important than the quality of the print." I said.

She looked at the photo once more and nodded. "He does convey the message well. That is what makes it post modern." she responded before we went to the next photo.

Beth, my instructor, is an amazing woman. She is a brilliant photographer with an amazing artistic sense of capturing the quietness of scenes so that you can feel it. Her photos are post-modern. She also knows art and art history. I guess that is why she is teaching Art and Photography.

I learned two key things from her that day. First, one of the major philosophical differences between modern and post modern art. Second, it is OK to be critical of work in a museum.

Wall Street, 1915
Paul Strand

Through Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Ruth Bernhard, and many other masters of the photographic Modern movement, we learned of the true art of technical greatness to create amazing beauty. Look at their works. The technical aspects of contrast, composition, print quality and many other areas defined what an art print should strive for. They created art to capture the beauty of the subject without using the painting art techniques of the earlier Pictorialist photographers. These men and women pioneered the fine art print.

Drug Store, Detroit
Photo by Robert Frank

The post modernists though felt the subject of the photo is more important than the print. Robert Frank's prints were very good, but a bit rough compared to those before him. He cared about the people he photographed and wanted to tell their story as art. His book, The Americans, is considered by some to be the last Modern Art book, by others as the first major Post-Modern Art book, and by yet others as the bridge between the two. Follow this link for my in-depth look into Frank's work.

Andy Warhol believed there were enough photos out there. Why create more? Take an existing one and make it say something new about the subject.

Unknown Warhol Piece at the New York Museum of Modern Art
Photo by SB

In every lower-level photography class or workshop I've attended, there is always one of them. The student that has a beat up simple camera, usually with a light leak. They can barely afford paper to print on so they do not make many test strips or trial prints. When they are done and present their photos for critique, you can easily see the haste and thriftiness of their technique is evident. That doesn't matter. The photo they took is art and speaks to your soul. As Dr. L said, "the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts." They did that.

I agree with Dr. L that in today's art world, mastery of technique is expected. I strive for print quality and try to implement good composition, appropriate contrast, and other artistic components to my photos. I feel for my art technical quality is a mandatory part or its success.

On the other hand, sometimes technical quality is not needed. It is "the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something..." that makes it art. It is the soul of the image that makes it art, not necessarily the technique.

"... the ability to evoke a reaction, an emotion, to SAY something, to resonate, to stay in minds and hearts." I think that is one of the things that separates erotic art photos from porn. I will write more on that another time.

PHOTO NOTES - Paul Strand's Wall Street gives me goose bumps when I see it. It is amazingly beautiful and powerful to me. Edward Weston's Dunes Oceano shows his mastery of finding human contours in nature. Have you ever seen as sexy and sumptuous sand in your life??