Photography as Art
Since the beginning of photography, the medium's position as art has been questioned. Much of this skepticism resides in the belief that anyone can make a photograph, whereas a painting takes talent to create. However, the photographer knows better than this. The Photographer's Eye is a collection of photographs from an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in which John Szarkowski articulates the elements intrinsic to photography that qualify the medium as an important part of art history.
Szarkowski emphasizes the word `make' when describing the process of creating a photograph. While the traditional and most common phrase to describe this process has always been "to take a picture" Szarkowski's change in vocabulary reflects his belief that decision-making is the core of the photographic act.
Photography has many similarities with traditional fine art. Photography is only different in the way it addresses these components. Working with a process that has a physical relationship with reality means that instead of simply synthesizing a cohesive composition as with a painting or drawing, a photographer selects what is visible as well as what is excluded from the frame. Both processes are based on artistic decisions.
Photographers active participation in the creation of their art is something that connects their medium to other fine art. The Photographer's Eye examines a selection of work that embodies and clarifies John Szarkowski's understanding of this participation.
An Interesting Read
This book is instructive by way of example. It has not a lot of text but many interesting photographs in categories. The categories reflect the photographic or artistic value of the chapter.
Just pictures, little text
This book is a collection of photographs from the MOMA collection, nothing more. For those (like me) who were expecting insights, comments, knowledge, this is not the book. It's dissapointing.
Disappointing
I was expecting a book of photographs with accompanying essays on their artistic merit. According to the write up and the first review. I received the book only to find its a collection of mainly classic photographs but mainly well-known photographers, with virtaually no notes, this was quite disappointing. I might also add there are better compilation type photography books on the market.
Smart to have but not A MUST to ...
Once it's not a deep study about B&W pictures - only an abridge of a few very known photos - it is very smart to have in your photography' shelf(ves), but not A MUST to have it.
Definely it's a very good work material for professionals/teachers because there is no explanations why the picture became famous, so, beginners just will fall in love about them by intuition, leaving the technical aspects to be explained/understood later.
Could be 4 stars if it'd more pictures.
(11 reviews)
