Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Are Mixed Feelings a Bad Thing?

I'm not writing this to get a lot of responses, or even generate a dialog. If that happens, so be it, but this is one of those blogs where I just want to express some mixed feelings about a topic.

As you have read in a previous blog, my work has recently been accepted into TrunkT HERE

Recently, the administration of the site separated photography from underneath the umbrella of "Art" and made it it's own category. I understand why they did it. The respect for the work being exhibited is great and they felt like it needed better exposure, and by making "Photography" it's own category on the header it certainly does this. I appreciate the additions viewers. But what does it say about photography as a craft when it is pulled out from within the "Art" category and put on it's own right next to it. Here is ART and over there is Photography.

TrunkT also just put out a notification that they will be publishing and distributing some coffee table type books of the artisans on their site. Initially, there were to be three books; Jewelry, Art, and Photography. They have since ended up combining the "Art" and "Photography" books into one publication. I will be interested to see how they title it.

I'm perfectly secure with my own feelings about my own work, but I am looking at the big picture here. Are there bigger sociological implications at play here?

I've been arguing for years that photography IS art. I'm not the first, loudest, or most important to do so, but I've gotten into many a heated debates about the topic. While the move is certainly well intentioned, does it have some other more subtle psychological ramifications about the perception of photography as art?

Or am I really just a delusional paranoid artist sharpening my knife to remove my ear and mail it to the administration of the site? Ears are highly overrated anyway. I've never liked the shape of my lobes.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I can see your mixed feelings and I don't know how I would feel either. I hope it works out!

I really love your work. You have an amazing talent. I wish you the best of luck and hope that TrunkT brings you lots of sales !!

Fru said...

Hi!
I saw the photo of this post in the flickr gruop, and I felt something I couldn't explain until I read the post...gosh! the picture and your mixed feeling go together!
I don't know if you can or cannot call photography art, but whatever it is, is very powerful...I wouldn't mind where people puts you, until you can do what you like, and you do it so good!
All in all, it is just a head on a web page
fru

Urban Woodswalker said...

Add to the age old debate: Is Craft considered Art? Many say if its a usuful object with a purpose, its Craft and not Art. Is photograpy Art?


I have no answers to any of it. We that produce intelligent imagery, and objects....we are ALL creative, and of value. I hate the labels.