Some people create art to keep to themselves. It has a singular purpose, and that is to connect with the creator. Then there are those who create art for themselves and to share with others, and that creates a whole new dialog. Now, from those people there are some who post to the internet via photo sharing websites, and those who print and share in a more tangible forum. No matter which way we share our art, we are inviting discussions and dialog to happen about the art. Out the window goes the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In many situations we as artists are expected to share our work through our words and not let the image stand alone. What are we really talking about when we talk about art?
“Rarely in the art business do people spontaneously buy art because they fall in love with it the moment they see it. They ask questions first, and whomever answers those questions has to answer them in ways that sell the art. Anyone in the art business will tell you that no art sells itself; someone has to sell it” (Bamberger 2010). This quote exemplifies the business side of art and one way in which art is not always artistic. It is often about selling your art so that you can create new art. It is about selling yourself in a way that makes people interested in you and your creative philosophy. It is about creating with intent and being able to speak about your motivation.
My artistic dialog began through the internet. It is, for a lot of people, infinitely easier to engage in conversation about just about anything, and especially their art, by writing out words rather than speaking them. You have as much time as you need to think about what you want to say and to say it correctly. But when you get into a more private, personal scenario, say at a gallery exhibition, where people want to hear from you on the spot about your art, there is a whole new set of rules to deal with.
Photo Credit: Christine Heidel
Any dialog about our art brings back that question of “isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?”. It is acceptable in any circumstance to suggest that your art should stand alone and that you would rather not have a discussion, but in all honesty that probably won’t engage people in the most effective way. Artists have to learn to be conversationalists as well as visually equipped pioneers. Even if you take photos of blades of grass, there is a reason behind doing that. I dare say that no one would be satisfied with taking 100 photos of grass if they did not have a personal reason behind doing it. These are the types of things that people want to hear about. The “why” is the most important question to answer.
I create art to begin a dialog. That is what I am most concerned with. My biggest horror would be for someone to walk away from seeing my art and have nothing at all to say. So with that logic, I should be well equipped to talk about my art as well. If someone were to ask me why I do something, whether that be self portraiture, texture work, square cropping or something else, I should be ready with an answer. My art becomes more valuable the more I have to say about it because that suggests that more time and thought went into it.
So, what do I talk about when someone asks me about self portraiture?
I tell people that it is not autobiographical for me, and that I create self portraits because it gives me full control. It is an unique way of placing the artist in the frame, and something that I think will have historical relevance especially with our generation. This is the first time that self portraiture is not only accepted by both women and men but is also widely practiced. I find that both art appreciators as well as art dealers are fascinated with self portraiture and think it is an interesting selling point.
What do I say when someone asks me why I square crop?
I love the square crop discussion, and I am always eager to explain that my process is often not a “crop” but an “expansion”, which leads into an interesting technical chat. I also let people know (and ask their opinion on the matter) that I think the square crop lends itself to another dimension, as though people are no longer looking at a photograph but instead at a new world.
What do I talk about when someone asks me about using texture?
I explain that texture gives images a timeless feeling, and that I love art that has no place in time. I want my photos to appear like paintings, and texture gives it that painterly feeling. I explain my process of layering textures and changing them subtly and creating my own brush strokes, and that printing on canvas gives it that painterly feeling.
I get asked at every exhibition “why canvas?”…
…and my answer is always just that, to make my images painterly. A lot of people dislike photos printed on canvas because they have no real point in being there, but if you can supply a good answer to a question it is suddenly accepted. In the same vein, if you show passion about your work others will fall in line and appreciate it as well.
What we say about our images can change someone’s perspective instantly, for better or worse. I think that it is very important to create art with intent. Notice I didn’t say “meaning” because I respect those who create art for beauty’s sake, or for any other reason. But “intent” is something altogether different. There has to be a point, or else no one else will care.
Do you know what you’re talking about when you talk about your art?
*resource (http://www.artbusiness.com/sellmyart.html)
{ 7 } Comments
Hi Brooke! I totally appreciate this essay and especially enjoyed your explanation for the square crop. But it did make me curious if you’ve ever been approached, asked about or criticized for making photographs look like paintings instead of emphasizing photo’s own specific qualities.
I guess you could argue that digital has made it easier/ grown to encompass the ability to mimic paintings through patience and skill, and that it’s a facet of photography now. Is it outdated to think that there is still a kind of classification that divides mediums? Sorry if it’s a silly question!
It’s just something that comes up in critique and my art history classes a lot; that paintings (at least academic style) was created on a strong foundation for being photo-realistic. Painting styles once exalted and praised for being a “window” transitioned into the looser more painterly style (morphing dozens and dozens of times in the process) that is so appreciated today because it embraced the *paint* and the *canvas* and didn’t try to be something that it was not. I guess my real question is: what draws you to make a photograph look like a painting? Is it partially because photo is so incredibly versatile? Ah, digging myself a worm hole..
Regardless, love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you! Shannon
Thanks for writing in Shannon!
I do indeed get approached about this very subject. A question that I have been asked about is why I seem to not go after photography’s intrinsic style, and have even been asked why I consider myself a photographer if I disregard the properties of the photographic medium. My answer is founded in my taste for a timeless image. I think that being positioned where we are in time, photography represents a new image. It is something that is certainly dated to an extend and is becoming more so with the expanding digital age, but when I think of a timeless image I think of a painting. Even the early portraits, to me, have a painterly quality which is probably enhanced based on the texture they have obtained over the years.
I have personally seen very, very few photographs that actually resemble paintings, and I think that it is an area that has not been fully explored yet so it excites me. I have never actually been terribly interested in looking at photography…I am interested in all of the different ways in which photography can be manipulated, hence my love for photo manipulations.
I like how you bring up the topic of a divide between mediums, and if there even is one anymore. I think that now more than ever there is a stigma attached to photography, one that cheapens and lessens the work as art which is sad to me. I like to blur the lines between mediums because I don’t want the viewer to be trapped in the mindset of “how” but instead “why”. When someone sees a trick image of mine, whether that be myself cloned into a photo seven times or of someone levitating, I would rather that they focus on why all of the elements are happening in the frame rather than how it was done, and when you steer the viewing away from “photography” they are less likely to ask “how”. To me there is a a beautiful, timeless element to painting that a lot of photography lacks and I try to capture that through a lens.
Hope that helps, I’ve probably just veered off into another direction but I really enjoyed reading and responding to your comment!
Brooke
Brooke, the amount of thought, care, and passion you put into each element of your work is simply awe inspiring. It time we shoot together, it’s an honor and a privilege for you allow me space in your frame. If only all artists had your skill and conviction… Keep fighting the good fight, girl.
Hi Brooke, I have really enjoyed your blog entries lately, also your photography is very inspiring to me.
I too see the reason behind making your photographs seem more like a painting, its something I am wanting to bring into my own work, its far more interesting to me and your images always stand out to me as a result.
My question to you is this: You always seem very knowlegeable about the world of Art and did you start creating these images with the intent of exibiting? Also at what point did you decide that the Ophelia images were going to become a set, before the first photograph? or After?
I have so many images in my mind that I want to create myself and would be very interested to hear where your ideas begin and how they unfold into such fantastic sets.
Hope I made myself clear there as I have a tendancy to ramble.
I look forward to more blogs to come.
Best wishes
Cat. x
@Cat – I loved everything you had to say and I was eager to answer those questions :-)
I began exhibiting my images in February 2010, and I began creating them in December 2008. I knew absolutely nothing about the art world when I began. It wasn’t until around July 2009 that I began looking at photography as a potential career. I asked myself what I wanted to do with it (commercial or art) and that answer was obvious to me, it was what I had in my heart. I wanted to pursue this as an artistic medium. So I began doing research into galleries and shortly after, in about August 2009, I had my first meeting with a gallery and booked my first solo show (which opened in February 2010). I now create works with the knowledge that there is a good chance they will land in a gallery, but the style of my work has not changed at all…I still do what speaks to me.
I’m really honored to hear you say that I seem knowledgeable, as I am just figuring my way through this mess of an art world and sharing what I learn along the way.
As far as the Ophelia images go…I created “The Aftermath” with the intent of portraying a “typical” Ophelia image in a new light, exploring what happens *after* Ophelia is discovered instead of focusing on her death. It was after creating that image that I felt the pull of a series…I wanted so badly to recreate the Ophelia character. I did a LOT of research, beginning with different stereotypes associated with Ophelia. I decided that I would focus on her sexual frustration and subsequent awakening, and in order to do that I wanted to show both a death sequence as well as a freedom sequence. The images in the series are aimed at finally giving Ophelia the chance to open up and really live, even if only in the last moments of her life.
These images will now be the center of the book I am creating (along with behind the scenes information about creating it) and it will be exhibited in a gallery in the fall.
I hope that answers your questions!
x
Brooke
Thank you Brooke and yes it does, I dare say I will have more questions for you in the future. I do wish I could attend your gallery but I live in the U.K, although I would very much be interested in the book. Best of luck with everything Brooke. X
Why don’t you paint?
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