Happy 2015! Time to blog. In relation to the current assignment, I want you to consider the text and the image you see below. What does this image mean to you? Add comments and start a conversation.
This image/ article reminds me of a creative man who has so much going on in his mind and so much to do that he opts to express himself through art rather than doing necessary chores. In this room, seemingly his home, he has taken the time to assemble hundreds of bulbs, yet he leaves dishes undone in the sink.
This article and image represent how photography has evolved through the years into an entirely new art form, with installations, lightboxes, and other unconventional methods. Wall also challenged the idea of a "good photograph", and I agree with Avery that he expresses himself in a new creative way. Just like our current project, in which we have to convey an essay in an unconventional way and relate it to our body of photos, Wall used his own unconventional ideas to expand the boundaries of an ordinary 8 by 10 photograph and make it something more worthwhile and something that holds the attention of the viewer for a longer amount of time. The image above also gives one a sense of how intricate and elegant an unconventional idea can be.
Like Taylor said, photography had changed so much from what it original was. New technology and techniques are partly credited with this, but I think that it is also do to the changing ideas of people. New contemporary ideas emerge everyday out of artists' desire to do something that has never been done before and to create an artistic identity for themselves that does mirror that of artists before them. In this image, to me the lightbulbs represent ideas this artist has had and the ones that are out have been done before. The ones that are lite up are unique ideas that this artist can create. The busyness of the image reflects the busyness of the artist's life and mind and is an important component of the picture.
This image and article shows how much photography has changed, from once being elegant and using similar methods to being more personal and every artist using different methods to show their uniqueness. Technology has changed photography, but mainly artists changed it by challenging the ideas of good vs. bad photographer. Wall challenges this idea by expressing his photos more cluttered and a realistic theme such as the photo above where he takes what looks like his home and fills the roof with a beautiful display of light bulbs, but does not clean the mess in the sink or the laundry on the floor. This method of art is much like our current project because we must take an object, create a symbolistic meaning of the object, and then through our photograph try to show this symbolic meaning. Much like Walls photographs where he challenges the idea of a good photographer by making his photographs realistic and even cluttered, we must expand the boundaries of photography by taking a object and changing its entire meaning so the viewer only sees the symbolic meaning, not the object itself.
I agree with Avery in that the man rather express himself, as to me, it seems he has so much cluttering his mind he is not sure what to do but unleash it in anyway he can. I agree with Taylor in that is it also a statement about evolving art and that art has become more inclusive and interactive. Photography has evolved from a way to document events to a way of expressing your ideas and thoughts into something that can relate to a variety of people. I like how Wall looks to equalize photography with other arts. Elaborating that photography is not a simple click of a button but rather a collection of thoughts and movements incorporated into a single captured moment.
I agree with Katie in that both the image and the article demonstrate how photography has evolved in the past years. With technology evolving everyday, it only makes sense that photography would evolve with it. The technology allows for new types of images to be created however these images wouldn't be created if it weren't for the photographers mind an their own ideas. Artists constantly challenge the norms of photography and that is what makes new interesting images. Without people challenging the norms, photography would never evolve. In this particular image, I think it fully demonstrates the idea of challenging old ideas and also just coming up with new ideas. The lightbulbs to me are representative of having a "light bulb" in your head turn on and suddenly having an amazing idea. This man has so many ideas and the bulbs that are on are the especially good ideas or the ones he is currently working on. This photo pushes the boundaries in the photo composition itself and also just in the way it was shot.
As those above me have said, photography has evolved both technologically and thematically. Photography, while it is still done manually in some cases, has become much more popular digitally. This change from manual to digital is both obvious and expected as the world progresses around us. However, the change of theme in photography has been done through the artists, not by inventors. Photography used to idealize the world, showing beauty and perfection. While this is still a common theme today, many artists have started to portray the realities in the world. Poverty, disease, death, and evil have become popular subjects of photography. In the photo above, the cluttered papers represent reality. Nothing is perfect, and photography has progressed in order to reveal that. Just like in our current project, where we have to take something simple and create something symbolic, the photo above looks complicated but really all connects back to one simple theme.
I agree with what Avery said. I think that the light bulbs that are all over the ceiling and coming down the walls are symbolic of the ideas going on in the man's head. Also, he is shown as sitting and staring at a certain object, similarly to how we were given an object to form our own ideas, like the lightbulbs. It is as if all the chores and responsibilities disappear and it is as if he doesn't realize that the dishes haven't been cleaned, all of his clothes haven't been washed or hung up, and his whole room is a mess. He is solely focused on that one object. However all of the clutter probably represents the thoughts flowing through his brain. All of the symbolism surrounding the man in his room, which I feel represents his mind, show the symbolism forming from that one object.
The first thing that came to mind when I saw the image was "organized chaos". Everything in the room has special significance and meaning to the man in it, even if it just looks like junk to everyone else. The influence of Henri Cartier-Bresson is evident in Wall's photographs. Wall waited at the same bus stop for weeks until all the chaos came together for that fraction of a second and made something truly wonderful and unique.The posture of the man in the image and the fact that he's sitting down make me think he's waiting for something, just like Wall waited for weeks on end for the perfect circumstances to come about to make his photo something extraordinary. An artist strives to do this whenever they made a piece of art, or in this case take a photograph. They find meaning in the small things and put them on display for the rest of the world to see. That's what we are trying to do with our project, taking things as trivial as a bandaid or piece of paper and connecting it with something much more meaningful and bigger than itself. I love what Taylor said about how intricate and elegant an unconventional idea can be and what Meg said about the lightbulbs being ideas. Living life under a roof of lightbulbs can be dangerous. They could fall and shatter or catch fire. Or they could glow and inspire you every day. There's a fine line between what's new and innovative and what's downright ridiculous but it's an artist's job to walk that line and see what they discover.
This image reminds me of a cool, hipster guy that collects different things and keeps a lot of junk. He uses his resources to create things in his house instead of wasting more money of things he already has. It is a super artsy and cool room. It is a little messy, but I like it. Each person will look at this picture in different perspectives, but I look at it in a positive perspective. I feel like this room would be a later "museum" for people to come look at and see how people "back in the day" lived.
It looks to me like this guy is in need of inspiration, with some light bulbs shining bright yet others provide no light at all. His house is a mess but it seems to work somehow. I agree with what Caroline said about it being "organized chaos." It' s a bit of a disastrous mess, but he's still managed to make it feel like his home. You can see how comfortable he is in his own environment and he doesn't seem phased by the mess.
The atmosphere of this picture has an air of sweetness to it. This photo gives the feeling of night time, because the man in the photo seems to have had a long day working, having taken off his shirt and sat down. Despite his hard day at work, he is still working; he isn’t indulging himself in the comfortable chair yet, having taken his seat in the foldable metal chair instead. It looks like he is cleaning a metal pot or shining his shoes, however tired he may be. This air of determinedness and precision reflects throughout the whole photo. This living space he has created may look messy and unorganized from a glance, but after observing it one may realize how much effort he must have put into it. All of the lightbulbs are placed specifically, and he seems to have a way of messily organizing his belongings. It is almost sweet how he has put so much time and effort into this personal space, not for anyone else’s satisfaction but his own.I also find it interesting how in the article, photography is compared to hunting. As mentioned in other comments, this article describes the evolution of photography. In comparing hunting to taking photographs, or “shooting”, one has to assume guns are the tool that is being compared to the camera. As photography has evolved and cameras have become more advanced, the same has happened with guns. Cameras have become quick moving machines, ready to act immediately with the press of a button and capture a split second.
Although most ideas have already been said about this, I also agree that photography throughout the years has changed in meaning. Cameras used to be for taking a simple photo of a family or landscape can now portray a person's life story in a simple take. I also like Caroline's idea that there is a fine line between being artistic and ridiculous. I feel that Jeff Wall is riding that line closely. I don't think everyone has the appreciation for organized chaos. Personally, I like it, however, I would've liked to see it conceptually so I could appreciate it more.
I agree with the comments above, saying that photography has developed and changed over the years. I think the evolution of photography occurs because of new ideas and the fact that artists are trying to be different, and make there images stand out. There is so much out there to be inspired by, and this generates new ideas and forms of photography. This image illustrates this idea of evolution in photography and the thought process behind. I think the clutter in the image shows how much inspiration there is and the light bulbs show the good ideas that the man is inspired by. I think the dark lightbulbs show the ideas he isn't interested by and that many artists have already done. I really like the feel of this image because the clutter and the mess in this room gives off a home-y, comfortable atmosphere. There is a lot to look at in the image and the lightbulbs hanging at the top of the room make the image a lot more meaningful.
I think this image can show that it's ok for a photograph to make its viewers feel uncomfortable. In fact, that is oftentimes its purpose. A lot of people in this class have mentioned something about how this image represents the evolution of photography, and to an extent, I believe this is true.Years ago, many of the discomforting photographs that are seen today would not have been considered as art, but now, the ability to of an image to provoke thought is what makes an image even more artful. Toward the end of the article however, Wall makes a bold statement: "The more you think about it, there are fewer differences [in photography then and photography now] than you might think. It’s all photography." The techniques that are used today may be different from the techniques used yesterday, but they all exist to achieve the same thing: the perfect photograph. Photographers in the present are still striving to capture the same thing Henri Cartier-Bresson captured in the past. Every photographer will wait for all eternity to capture "the decisive moment."
This image/ article reminds me of a creative man who has so much going on in his mind and so much to do that he opts to express himself through art rather than doing necessary chores. In this room, seemingly his home, he has taken the time to assemble hundreds of bulbs, yet he leaves dishes undone in the sink.
ReplyDeleteThis article and image represent how photography has evolved through the years into an entirely new art form, with installations, lightboxes, and other unconventional methods. Wall also challenged the idea of a "good photograph", and I agree with Avery that he expresses himself in a new creative way. Just like our current project, in which we have to convey an essay in an unconventional way and relate it to our body of photos, Wall used his own unconventional ideas to expand the boundaries of an ordinary 8 by 10 photograph and make it something more worthwhile and something that holds the attention of the viewer for a longer amount of time. The image above also gives one a sense of how intricate and elegant an unconventional idea can be.
ReplyDeleteLike Taylor said, photography had changed so much from what it original was. New technology and techniques are partly credited with this, but I think that it is also do to the changing ideas of people. New contemporary ideas emerge everyday out of artists' desire to do something that has never been done before and to create an artistic identity for themselves that does mirror that of artists before them. In this image, to me the lightbulbs represent ideas this artist has had and the ones that are out have been done before. The ones that are lite up are unique ideas that this artist can create. The busyness of the image reflects the busyness of the artist's life and mind and is an important component of the picture.
ReplyDeleteThis image and article shows how much photography has changed, from once being elegant and using similar methods to being more personal and every artist using different methods to show their uniqueness. Technology has changed photography, but mainly artists changed it by challenging the ideas of good vs. bad photographer. Wall challenges this idea by expressing his photos more cluttered and a realistic theme such as the photo above where he takes what looks like his home and fills the roof with a beautiful display of light bulbs, but does not clean the mess in the sink or the laundry on the floor. This method of art is much like our current project because we must take an object, create a symbolistic meaning of the object, and then through our photograph try to show this symbolic meaning. Much like Walls photographs where he challenges the idea of a good photographer by making his photographs realistic and even cluttered, we must expand the boundaries of photography by taking a object and changing its entire meaning so the viewer only sees the symbolic meaning, not the object itself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Avery in that the man rather express himself, as to me, it seems he has so much cluttering his mind he is not sure what to do but unleash it in anyway he can. I agree with Taylor in that is it also a statement about evolving art and that art has become more inclusive and interactive. Photography has evolved from a way to document events to a way of expressing your ideas and thoughts into something that can relate to a variety of people. I like how Wall looks to equalize photography with other arts. Elaborating that photography is not a simple click of a button but rather a collection of thoughts and movements incorporated into a single captured moment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie in that both the image and the article demonstrate how photography has evolved in the past years. With technology evolving everyday, it only makes sense that photography would evolve with it. The technology allows for new types of images to be created however these images wouldn't be created if it weren't for the photographers mind an their own ideas. Artists constantly challenge the norms of photography and that is what makes new interesting images. Without people challenging the norms, photography would never evolve. In this particular image, I think it fully demonstrates the idea of challenging old ideas and also just coming up with new ideas. The lightbulbs to me are representative of having a "light bulb" in your head turn on and suddenly having an amazing idea. This man has so many ideas and the bulbs that are on are the especially good ideas or the ones he is currently working on. This photo pushes the boundaries in the photo composition itself and also just in the way it was shot.
ReplyDeleteAs those above me have said, photography has evolved both technologically and thematically. Photography, while it is still done manually in some cases, has become much more popular digitally. This change from manual to digital is both obvious and expected as the world progresses around us. However, the change of theme in photography has been done through the artists, not by inventors. Photography used to idealize the world, showing beauty and perfection. While this is still a common theme today, many artists have started to portray the realities in the world. Poverty, disease, death, and evil have become popular subjects of photography. In the photo above, the cluttered papers represent reality. Nothing is perfect, and photography has progressed in order to reveal that. Just like in our current project, where we have to take something simple and create something symbolic, the photo above looks complicated but really all connects back to one simple theme.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Avery said. I think that the light bulbs that are all over the ceiling and coming down the walls are symbolic of the ideas going on in the man's head. Also, he is shown as sitting and staring at a certain object, similarly to how we were given an object to form our own ideas, like the lightbulbs. It is as if all the chores and responsibilities disappear and it is as if he doesn't realize that the dishes haven't been cleaned, all of his clothes haven't been washed or hung up, and his whole room is a mess. He is solely focused on that one object. However all of the clutter probably represents the thoughts flowing through his brain. All of the symbolism surrounding the man in his room, which I feel represents his mind, show the symbolism forming from that one object.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that came to mind when I saw the image was "organized chaos". Everything in the room has special significance and meaning to the man in it, even if it just looks like junk to everyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe influence of Henri Cartier-Bresson is evident in Wall's photographs. Wall waited at the same bus stop for weeks until all the chaos came together for that fraction of a second and made something truly wonderful and unique.The posture of the man in the image and the fact that he's sitting down make me think he's waiting for something, just like Wall waited for weeks on end for the perfect circumstances to come about to make his photo something extraordinary. An artist strives to do this whenever they made a piece of art, or in this case take a photograph. They find meaning in the small things and put them on display for the rest of the world to see. That's what we are trying to do with our project, taking things as trivial as a bandaid or piece of paper and connecting it with something much more meaningful and bigger than itself. I love what Taylor said about how intricate and elegant an unconventional idea can be and what Meg said about the lightbulbs being ideas. Living life under a roof of lightbulbs can be dangerous. They could fall and shatter or catch fire. Or they could glow and inspire you every day. There's a fine line between what's new and innovative and what's downright ridiculous but it's an artist's job to walk that line and see what they discover.
This image reminds me of a cool, hipster guy that collects different things and keeps a lot of junk. He uses his resources to create things in his house instead of wasting more money of things he already has. It is a super artsy and cool room. It is a little messy, but I like it. Each person will look at this picture in different perspectives, but I look at it in a positive perspective. I feel like this room would be a later "museum" for people to come look at and see how people "back in the day" lived.
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me like this guy is in need of inspiration, with some light bulbs shining bright yet others provide no light at all. His house is a mess but it seems to work somehow. I agree with what Caroline said about it being "organized chaos." It' s a bit of a disastrous mess, but he's still managed to make it feel like his home. You can see how comfortable he is in his own environment and he doesn't seem phased by the mess.
ReplyDeleteThe atmosphere of this picture has an air of sweetness to it. This photo gives the feeling of night time, because the man in the photo seems to have had a long day working, having taken off his shirt and sat down. Despite his hard day at work, he is still working; he isn’t indulging himself in the comfortable chair yet, having taken his seat in the foldable metal chair instead. It looks like he is cleaning a metal pot or shining his shoes, however tired he may be. This air of determinedness and precision reflects throughout the whole photo. This living space he has created may look messy and unorganized from a glance, but after observing it one may realize how much effort he must have put into it. All of the lightbulbs are placed specifically, and he seems to have a way of messily organizing his belongings. It is almost sweet how he has put so much time and effort into this personal space, not for anyone else’s satisfaction but his own.I also find it interesting how in the article, photography is compared to hunting. As mentioned in other comments, this article describes the evolution of photography. In comparing hunting to taking photographs, or “shooting”, one has to assume guns are the tool that is being compared to the camera. As photography has evolved and cameras have become more advanced, the same has happened with guns. Cameras have become quick moving machines, ready to act immediately with the press of a button and capture a split second.
ReplyDeleteAlthough most ideas have already been said about this, I also agree that photography throughout the years has changed in meaning. Cameras used to be for taking a simple photo of a family or landscape can now portray a person's life story in a simple take. I also like Caroline's idea that there is a fine line between being artistic and ridiculous. I feel that Jeff Wall is riding that line closely. I don't think everyone has the appreciation for organized chaos. Personally, I like it, however, I would've liked to see it conceptually so I could appreciate it more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments above, saying that photography has developed and changed over the years. I think the evolution of photography occurs because of new ideas and the fact that artists are trying to be different, and make there images stand out. There is so much out there to be inspired by, and this generates new ideas and forms of photography. This image illustrates this idea of evolution in photography and the thought process behind. I think the clutter in the image shows how much inspiration there is and the light bulbs show the good ideas that the man is inspired by. I think the dark lightbulbs show the ideas he isn't interested by and that many artists have already done. I really like the feel of this image because the clutter and the mess in this room gives off a home-y, comfortable atmosphere. There is a lot to look at in the image and the lightbulbs hanging at the top of the room make the image a lot more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI think this image can show that it's ok for a photograph to make its viewers feel uncomfortable. In fact, that is oftentimes its purpose. A lot of people in this class have mentioned something about how this image represents the evolution of photography, and to an extent, I believe this is true.Years ago, many of the discomforting photographs that are seen today would not have been considered as art, but now, the ability to of an image to provoke thought is what makes an image even more artful. Toward the end of the article however, Wall makes a bold statement: "The more you think about it, there are fewer differences [in photography then and photography now] than you might think. It’s all photography." The techniques that are used today may be different from the techniques used yesterday, but they all exist to achieve the same thing: the perfect photograph. Photographers in the present are still striving to capture the same thing Henri Cartier-Bresson captured in the past. Every photographer will wait for all eternity to capture "the decisive moment."
ReplyDelete