What is fine art photography?

[Bob._3483]

I see your point. Subtlety is not easy without the tone of voice to show one is tongue-in-cheek - easy to take things the wrong way. A :-) or ;-) goes a long way (but of course, some people hate them. Ho hum...).

Cheers,

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Now, here is the Troll :-))

Photography is a beautiful hobby or a craft (you decide) and one should not be ashamed to admit that through its many mechanical components it still can produce gorgeous, thought-evoking images, but Art not too often.

I cannot understand why it is so important to elevate photography to a higher status than it warrants and incessantly castigate others who don’t think your way. There have been previous discussions on this subject and in my estimation the opinions are more or less evenly divided between the two extremes.

Among the thoughtful responses I really liked Jim Galli’s healthy attitude towards his love of photography.

[Mike Troxell]

Or you could say:

"Painting is a beautiful hobby or a craft (you decide) and one should not be ashamed to admit that through its many mechanical components (the number of brush sizes, styles and types must number in the hundreds, not to mention all the different types, surfaces and finishes of painting canvas) it still can produce gorgeous, thought-evoking images, but Art not too often."

Actually, there is alot of truth to this statement also. Painting is not art because it is Painting. Just as Photography is not art because it is Photography. Any medium can product either art or trash. I've been a photographer for over 20 years but I've just begun to show my photographs to others (besides my family and a small circle of friends) this past year. So far I've had several gallery exhibits and just won an Emerging Artist scholorship to a major art show. Am I an artist then? Personally, I don't care. They can call me an Artist, a Photographer or even a Craftsperson as long as I'm allowed to create photographs. If others enjoy them and buy my photographs then that is an extra bonus. If I'm called an artist then that is an extra bonus (I guess). If I were ever able to make a living 100% from selling my photographs that would definitely be an extra bonus. Take away all the bonuses and leave me with photography and I'll still get by. The title doesn't really matter, although I will be the first to admit that like most photographers/painters/artist/craftspersons/etc., I have an ego and enjoy sharing my work with others.

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Mike, I guess your heart/mind is in the right place. I do think along similar lines you do…. at least I hope. Cheers!

[Graeme Hird]

Len,



Absolutely no offence taken and I actually smiled at the thought of another troll in the garden! There is indeed a fine line between a troll's needling words and an informed response designed to provoke thoughtful dialogue.



It's no good asking me what fine art is though. I find the term pretentious and a somewhat egocentric. If someone has to label their work "Fine Art" to get it noticed by the critics, I wonder if their work is really good enough to be called "art" in any sense. Are they calling it Fine Art so that people think all those technical errors in the print were done on purpose?



I let the people who see my work decide what to call it, though nobody has ever called it "Fine Art". I think a print can be called art if people appreciate it for what it is - not for a presumptuous label. How do they show appreciation for my prints? They buy them! Surely that's the ultimate determining factor as to whether a print is art or not - someone places value on it. Occasionally enough value to use their own money to buy it.



So, back to your original questions and my own answers to them:



What is art? Art is something created by a person which has value to that person or to others. That value might be purely intellectual or purely commercial, but it is of value.



What is Fine Art? An manifestation of a pompous nature and an over-sized ego.



What is an artist? A creative person.



And the one you left out: Who produces Fine Art? We have a term for them here in Australia which rhymes with Banker, but Jeff Dykehouse's daughter might be reading ....



Of course, you could be reading the words of another type of artist here: The BS Artist! I'll leave that opinion for you to decide on.



Cheers,
Graeme

[neil poulsen]

"If it works, it's art."

I like this phrase as a sort of definition of art.

In terms of "fine" art, perhaps "refined" art provides an insight. I've always thought of "fine" art as that to which added care has been taken, either in construction, composition, presentation, marketing, all of the above, etc.

For example, I infer from Ansel Adam's books that the "fine print" is a photographic image that has been brought to it's fullest potential through careful framing (on easel), exposure, dodging, burning, spotting, matting, and the like.

The week of Sept. 11th, this sub five-foot lady used a ladder to paint this HUGE American Flag on the side of a rather large metal building on her property. It covers the entire side, and it has a rural setting. It stands proud and makes a loud and clear statement. This is definately art, folk art. But, I'm not sure that I would call it "fine" art. It was a spontaneous expression of her feelings. It was not created for the purpose of being, "art".

Perhaps "art", "fine art", etc., are others that fall into the category, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it."

[Leonard Metcalf]

Fine art:

"Essentially the distinction between 'art', 'craft' and 'APPLIED ART'. The modern notion of 'fine art' can be traced back to the Renaissance when ther was a strong movement, led by Leonardo da Vinci, to demonstrate that the painter in particular was practicing an intellectual and not a manual skill. Included under this heading are drawing; music; painting; poetry; printmaking; sculpture; (photography ed) and other forms of art which do not fulfil a practical function."

Reynolds, K & Seddon, R 1981 'Illustrated dictionary of art terms; a handbook for the art lover'; Edbury Press, London

[David A. Goldfarb]

Leonard's last answer is the answer.

What is art?--This is a difficult question that involves much philosophical speculation.

What is fine art?--This is a simple question that is merely a matter of definition. Fine art is art that exists only for itself. Fine art is work for display only, as opposed to applied art, commercial art, illustration, where the art is a means to another end, such as functionality, advertising or profit, or to demonstrate some aspect of a written text.

[Leonard Metcalf]

Fine art photography

"...the term is taken to be a picture that is produced for sale or display rather than one that is produced in response to a commercial commission. It is assumed that most of the pictures that are covered by the fine art banner are personal images that meet self-imposed criteria, and that they are, as a result, very close to the heart of the photographer and are representative of his or her interpretation of the world."

Hope, T. 2003 Fine Art Photography, creating beautiful images for sale and display; RotoVision SA, Switzerland

[Graeme Hird]

Hey, waddya know? We are all fine art photographers!