the art of definition
December 3rd, 2007
While at the launch of the first solo exhibition of the excellent local artist Alice McCullough at the Safehouse Gallery on Monday 26th November I was asked whether I consider myself an ‘artist’. This got me thinking…
According to the Dictionary.com:
pho·tog·ra·phy – n.
1. The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces.
2. The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs.
3. A body of photographs.
To me, photography is, by default, an art, though many photographers do not consider themselves ‘artists’. I guess it’s a frame of mind. Many people don’t like the idea of wanting to be part of that crowd of ‘artists’, often seen as being “extremely pretentious”, spending their days and nights with praising each other and their work, as well as rude, arrogant, demanding etc etc. Do I want to be associated with that?
Well, my first hand impression of artists, at least those in Belfast, is that of my own friends, all of whom are great people, whose talents range from musicianship, poetry, painting, acting, writing, singing, comed and of course photography. Each one is truly dedicated to their medium, to the art that they create. Each one is honest, true, loving, and make me happy to be involved in what they are doing. According to Wikipedia:
“Art refers to a diverse range of human activities and artifacts, and may be used to cover all or any of the arts, including music, literature and other forms. It is most often used to refer specifically to the visual arts, including mediums such as painting, sculpture, and printmaking. However it can also be applied to forms of art that stimulate the other senses, such as music, an auditory art.”
Shelley Esaak at About.com states that:
“Art is form and content” means: All art consists of these two things. Form means (1) the elements of art, (2) the principles of design and (3) the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily described – no matter which piece of art is under scrutiny.
Though there is a general consensus that there is no single definition to sum up art. From the University of British Columbia:
- the product of conscious intention,
- a self rewarding activity,
- a tendency to unite dissimilar things,
- a concern with change and variety,
- the aesthetic exploitation of familiarity vs. surprise,
- the aesthetic exploitation of tension vs. release,
- the imposition of order on disorder,
- the creation of illusions,
- an indulgence in sensuousness,
- the exhibition of skill,
- a desire to convey meanings,
- an indulgence in fantasy,
- the aggrandizement of self or others,
- illustration,
- the heightening of existence,
- revelation,
- personal adornment or embellishment,
- therapy,
- the giving of meaning to life,
- the generation of unselfconscious experience,
- the provision of paradigms of order and/or disorder,
- training in the perception of reality,
- and so on.
As a photographer I do not consider myself a ’snapper’ or one who simply takes photographs, then trundles home again. I photograph that which I have great interest in, that which I love. I take care over each photograph, the end result and what happens to that photograph.
Art is a state of mind.
I am a photographer.
In the words of Marilyn Manson “I’m not an artist, I’m a fucking work of art” – (s)AINT
Alice’s Exhibition runs until 12th December 2007
