Finding your voice in the midst of a revolution

**sanking** · 5-Sep-2015, 13:58

One of the obvious flaws in the reasoning of the article is that the link between photography and reality was lost a long time ago, in the early days of photography for that matter and long before digital. But that view does not appear to be held by some on this forum, at least from the comments here.

What got my interest in the article was the suggestion that the 2-D medium would be replaced with a new and more dynamic medium. I read the article shortly after watching a report on the action musical called "Terra Cotta Warrior 3-D" now being produced in Denver, which raises all sorts of issues about both the meaning of events, and how the events are told. If you have not heard of it, do a search on "terra cotta warriors 3D."

Sandy

**Tin Can** · 5-Sep-2015, 14:18

Yes, that is a beginning of change. 3D has been fascinating to some for a long time. Stereo image creation/viewing comes to mind. Virtual Reality (VR) has been improving. Holograms are old news. Ford Motor Co had Holographic full size 3d car modeling decades ago, which replaced clay modeling. It was top secret for a long time. The car was in the room, but you could not touch it.

I have seen interactive Live Dance performed in 2 locations and wall projected on 2 stage walls, 20 years ago.

We have computer aided surgery with 3d screens and Doctors running remote instruments. I think France is advanced in this.

I truly believe we soon will have images, sound transmitted or viewed inside our heads. No screen required.

Whenever I postulate the last thought, I lose my audience.

**John Kasaian** · 5-Sep-2015, 15:19

Originally Posted by Randy Moe

Yes, that is a beginning of change. 3D has been fascinating to some for a long time. Stereo image creation/viewing comes to mind. Virtual Reality (VR) has been improving. Holograms are old news. Ford Motor Co had Holographic full size 3d car modeling decades ago, which replaced clay modeling. It was top secret for a long time. The car was in the room, but you could not touch it.

I have seen interactive Live Dance performed in 2 locations and wall projected on 2 stage walls, 20 years ago.

We have computer aided surgery with 3d screens and Doctors running remote instruments. I think France is advanced in this.

I truly believe we soon will have images, sound transmitted or viewed inside our heads. No screen required.

Whenever I postulate the last thought, I lose my audience.

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Glinda says: "Keep tight the things inside your head. Their magic must be very powerful or technologists wouldn't want to mess with them so bad."

**Paul Metcalf** · 5-Sep-2015, 15:45

"It won’t be long before photographers are making images of what they know, rather than only what they see."

So I guess that's what is meant by "reality" nowadays.

I'm not sure how the 14 pictures at the end of the article relate. Of course I see and know nothing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzsWxPLIOo

**letchhausen** · 5-Sep-2015, 19:29

That article reminded me of the art critics in Artforum circa '99-'00 who were so sure that future of art was going to be web pages and all that physical mumbo jumbo would be done in ten years. It also reminds me of the "photography is dead" art crit obsessing in '08-'09 that sounded the death knell from digital. Funny that the Getty has a huge alt-process show up right now and paintings and sculptures still are being produced in abundance. Typical critics with their heads you know where. The truth of that matter is that, as several people here have pointed out, the change is in technology and I feel that digital imaging is a new medium and in some ways is being held back by the idea and structures of photography. The idea that this is the death of straight photography is ridiculous but tech nerds are the same guys that were positing that the internet circa 1999 was going to usher a new utopia of connectedness and understanding. Right. I saw Tacita Dean at Paris Photo LA this year and she discussed how as a film maker that her medium is 16mm film and that digital is no replacement because to her it's a different medium. She doesn't have a problem with people shooting digital video just is trying to save film so she can continue to work as an artist. See her web site: http://www.savefilm.org/

I think some of what's happening with digital imaging is interesting and like any medium most of it is utter rot. Same with painting, sculpture etc. Every medium has a specific meaning to the ideas that it is used to express. But I get tired of these guys decrying the death of something for sheer headline hyperbole. But then when photography came around it was supposed to be the death of painting so there is a long history of this sort of rant. Apparently the only thing that is unable to evolve is man. But hey, we're good at improving the prosthetic of technology.

jp · 6-Sep-2015, 06:32

Originally Posted by letchhausen

But I get tired of these guys decrying the death of something for sheer headline hyperbole.

That is an art form in itself. aka clickbaiting.

**Kirk Gittings** · 6-Sep-2015, 10:18

yep.

**Heroique** · 6-Sep-2015, 11:00

C'mon guys.

Let's not be too hard on the Time.com journalist.

After all, less extravagant claims and less fuzziness with big words ("reality") mean less ad revenue.

;^)

**Tin Can** · 6-Sep-2015, 12:36

Originally Posted by John Kasaian

Glinda says: "Keep tight the things inside your head. Their magic must be very powerful or technologists wouldn't want to mess with them so bad."

Sci-Fi has been a good predictor of our future.

If we can imagine it, we can do it. Magical thinking...

To Infinity and Beyond!

I have never seen the movie which posited this paradox.