Introduction
Humanity cannot live without art, just as art is impossible without humans. Frank et al. note that “the desire to draw is as natural as desire to talk” (99). It is safe to say that humankind’s technological development and social processes are inevitably reflected in all forms and works of art. A striking example of this is the emergence of photography as a category of art after the invention of the camera.
As a phenomenon of the Art Nouveau era, it met with fierce criticism from traditional artists but was eventually accepted as an art form. Nowadays, photography is one of the most thriving and lively arts, which digital technologies and editing software have dramatically advanced. The purpose of this paper is to explain that photography is not its conceptual adversary but a continuation of traditional drawing and that the former shares a common genesis with the latter, namely the artists’ motivation.
Photography Pioneers’ Motivation
Photography was an innovative and rapidly developing technology in the late 1800s and the first half of the 20th century. It was perceived by the public and representatives of the traditional arts as just a mechanism. However, public prejudice has not stopped enthusiastic artists from using new devices to create prints. One of the functions of fine art before the Industrial Revolution was the most accurate and authentic depiction of reality.
According to Frank et al., “in the Western world especially, drawing has often been a key medium for recording events and improving skills” (97). Photography allowed artists not only to capture moments of reality without developing the skill of printmaking but also to change and supplement it in the process of photographing through lighting, posing, and exposure. The pioneers of photography, such as Alfred Stieglitz, were excited by photo cameras and saw a new meaning beyond the mechanism. Costello notes that “Stieglitz clearly believed that enlightened opinion had moved beyond this caricature by the end of the nineteen century” (6). It is what attracted photography enthusiasts at the time.
Alfred Stieglitz’s Equivalent
Alfred Stieglitz was the flagship of photographic art. The things that have always inspired him were clouds (Stanley 185). One of his best-known prints on the subject of clouds is Equivalent (Stieglitz). Through this print, he tries to convey the emotions of the moment he experienced in all its details (Stieglitz). He skillfully uses light and shadow to embellish details and the magnitude of the texture. Another technique he applies is chiaroscuro; he also manipulates value.
Through them, the artist conveys the movement of the clouds and catches the beholders’ eyes or, simply put, focuses their attention. Although his work and contribution to art now have a generally recognized status, his contemporaries criticized him back then. According to Oden, “even some of the original members of the Photo-Secession group turned against Stieglitz.” One of the reasons why the pioneers of photography have been criticized is the simplicity of the photography process compared to traditional printmaking. Taking a picture does not require advanced skills, so conservative artists did not consider photographs as objects with artistic value.
My Print and Stieglitz’s Equivalent
The Alfred Stieglitz’s Equivalent mentioned above significantly inspired the print I made. Namely, the way he depicts the complexity of the texture, the grandiose movement, and the depth of the clouds. I decided to capture their massiveness, monotony, and heaviness of snowfall. I believe I have successfully conveyed these qualities of winter clouds that I felt while taking a photo. Chiaroscuro gives volume and massiveness to the print as well as a sense of immersion for the audience. The color and value create the monotony of the print, while the focus makes the snowfall heavy in the eyes of the beholder. It can be said that, in some sense, this is my response to Stieglitz’s Equivalent. It is my gratitude to him for his contribution to the world of fine arts and photography. It is also a continuation of the Equivalent’s minor theme.
The captured clouds rush up towards the sun, but snow begins to fall, and they are thrown down with it on the ground. As I write these lines, I see parallels between these two prints and the Icarus myth.
Conclusion
This work explores the history of photography as an art, one of its pioneers, namely Alfred Stieglitz, and describes the print that was made. The reality remains the most important source of inspiration for artists. The educational background that I have and the work of Stieglitz prompted me to decide to capture the force of nature. It is winter season, and depicting snowfall is the best way to convey the beauty and power of the world around us. It was this thought process that determined the elements of the art of the print made. I believe that the photo and the self-reflection described above will help me on my path to becoming a professional artist.
Works Cited
Costello, Diarmuid. On Photography: A Philosophical Inquiry. Routledge, 2017.
Frank, Patrick, et al. Prebles’ Artforms. Pearson, 2018.
Oden, Lori. “Alfred Stieglitz.” International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. Web.
Stanley, Kate. “Unrarified Air: Alfred Stieglitz and the Modernism of Equivalence.” Modernism/modernity, vol. 26, no. 1, 2019, pp. 185-212.
Stieglitz, Alfred. Equivalent. 1926. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Met. Web.