Assignment 008: If This is Art

In “If This is Art,” the different ideas in conceptual photography all piece together a cohesive story that explains how photography into an art form that is now recognized.  “The act of artistic creation begins long before the camera is actually held in position and an image fixed, starting instead with the planning of the idea.” (21) This idea stirred the way the viewer sees photography, and also how it is shot.  The idea of turning work into a more conceptual art form only began coming about in the 1960s when photography became a center of temporary art forms.  During this time, conceptual art wasn’t recognizing individuals as “masters” of the craft, and was in fact barely recognizing individuals. 

“It made an asset of photography’s unshakable and everyday capacity to depict things: it took on a distinctly ‘non art’, ‘deskilled’ and ‘unauthored’ look and emphasized that it was the act depicted in the photograph that was of artistic important” (21)

This time frame was all about making the craft and authorship of minimal importance.  During what was considered a more “loving” era, photojournalism tended to be more carefree.  Shooting from the hip was commonly accepted as the correct way of conducting a photojournalistic journey.  The idea of photographic action versus spontaneous forms of performance was great.

Marcel Duchamp’s urinal (1917) set a high standard for the conceptual artists of the 1960’s and 1970’s.  While his minimalistic approach was a shock to the art community, the piece itself is no longer in existence.  The photographs taken of the fountain by Alfred Steiglitz is the only way we are still capable of examining this important work.

Sophie Calle exemplified a main ideal in conceptual photography: daily life.  When she by chance ran into a stranger twice in one day, it began a journey of her following this man and photographing him.  She followed him to Venice, where she took a job as a maid in a hotel.  While working in the hotel she photographed the different guests belongings.  Calle’s work reflects the beauty and intrigue in daily life that often is looked over.

Conceptual artists make many of their own situations as well.  They photograph the real to make it seem imaginary, as well as photographing imaginary scenes they have created to make it reality.