Art and the Snapshot
What is the meaning of a piece of art? This is an often asked question when someone stares at some abstract painting that other people have come to say in a great masterpiece. Why is it great? What does it mean? All art takes time, resources and skill to create. The very fact that a piece of art exists, must prove that it had meaning to someone, even if that someone is only the artist. Most people should know something about this since we all have created such pieces of art ourselves.
People snap photos of those that they care for and the places that are important to them without asking what does the photo mean? What is the meaning of an image of your child sitting in a high chair or a family dog sunning itself in the doorway? These are expressions of art made at the touch of a button by almost every American. These images of artistic expression are chances for each of us to express to others what we hold in our hearts. Moments reflected on 4x6 glossy paper become a road map to the events of our lives. What do these pictures mean? To the picture taker they are frozen examples of what is precious and important.
Years ago I worked as a photo processor at a drug store. I would view a hundred rolls of film in a typical day without it being busy. The day after Christmas was always one of the busiest and dullest days to make prints from negatives. Each frame looked the same as all those that came before it. A person sits in a cozy living room with an overly enthusiastic smile on their face, for some object recently rescued from its wrapping paper. If I made a mistake and a print needed to be remade it became a trial to discern one smiling face from another. Viewing thousands of images in this way left each picture meaningless to me, but that is not to say that these pictures had no meaning.
How often have we looked at another persons photo album while they gushed and fussed over the story behind each photo? This picture was taken then and that’s a photo of so and so. Meanwhile, we politely smile and fight the glaze that is building over our eyes. Most snap shots convey meaning only to the person that opened the shutter of the camera. I can look through my numerous photo albums and relive my life, full of thoughts of nostalgia and importance. I also pull my pictures out if I want to stop a party cold in its tracks. Snapshots are the art of the common man. The only difference between those personal visions of Christmas we take every year and the paintings that hang in the grand galleries and museums of the world is the size and scope of the audience. However, even these great masterworks are never universal in their conveyance of meaning. All forms of art no matter how brilliant can only speak to some of the people some of the time. This is due to the complex variation we find in the human condition.
So the next time you find yourself baffled by some great painting or poet, think of your favorite Christmas snap shot or the picture you keep of your dog sunning itself in the doorway. Then, at the very least, you share in the experience of meaning and value in life with the artist even if you can’t share understanding or interest. This point of view works great when touring a museum. It also works wonders when looking at someone else's picture albums.
People snap photos of those that they care for and the places that are important to them without asking what does the photo mean? What is the meaning of an image of your child sitting in a high chair or a family dog sunning itself in the doorway? These are expressions of art made at the touch of a button by almost every American. These images of artistic expression are chances for each of us to express to others what we hold in our hearts. Moments reflected on 4x6 glossy paper become a road map to the events of our lives. What do these pictures mean? To the picture taker they are frozen examples of what is precious and important.
Years ago I worked as a photo processor at a drug store. I would view a hundred rolls of film in a typical day without it being busy. The day after Christmas was always one of the busiest and dullest days to make prints from negatives. Each frame looked the same as all those that came before it. A person sits in a cozy living room with an overly enthusiastic smile on their face, for some object recently rescued from its wrapping paper. If I made a mistake and a print needed to be remade it became a trial to discern one smiling face from another. Viewing thousands of images in this way left each picture meaningless to me, but that is not to say that these pictures had no meaning.
How often have we looked at another persons photo album while they gushed and fussed over the story behind each photo? This picture was taken then and that’s a photo of so and so. Meanwhile, we politely smile and fight the glaze that is building over our eyes. Most snap shots convey meaning only to the person that opened the shutter of the camera. I can look through my numerous photo albums and relive my life, full of thoughts of nostalgia and importance. I also pull my pictures out if I want to stop a party cold in its tracks. Snapshots are the art of the common man. The only difference between those personal visions of Christmas we take every year and the paintings that hang in the grand galleries and museums of the world is the size and scope of the audience. However, even these great masterworks are never universal in their conveyance of meaning. All forms of art no matter how brilliant can only speak to some of the people some of the time. This is due to the complex variation we find in the human condition.
So the next time you find yourself baffled by some great painting or poet, think of your favorite Christmas snap shot or the picture you keep of your dog sunning itself in the doorway. Then, at the very least, you share in the experience of meaning and value in life with the artist even if you can’t share understanding or interest. This point of view works great when touring a museum. It also works wonders when looking at someone else's picture albums.
posted by kamuizot at 4:06 PM
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