I've come across a few really great artists lately who are not photographers. This got me thinking about a question Scott Chandler posed "what is the difference between an artist who uses photography as a medium and a photographer." I would like to believe that we are all artists and typecasting us to our chosen / current medium is a travesty. However I feel the real insult is how photography can be neglected as art. (just some food for thought)
In any case here is the work of Brian M. Viveros. Brian's work is dark and iconic. Though each image presents a heroine in various states of macabre, each are decorated with a flower, a cigarette, and various military garb. Although beautiful, the images seem to express a less glamorous side of life - to the point of being a presentation of a pauperized or war consumed society.
I believe it is all art and we are all artist as well. I just believe the work habits and mind set are a bit different, like an illustrator and a figurative painter, they can both use the same medium and similar techniques, but the visual result can differ greatly.
ReplyDeleteI know that I shoot a lot less and do more preliminary planning than everyone I go to school with. Sadly i'm also one of the only ones that has the ability to draw and paint. I use sketching as a step in my photo making process whereas some of my classmates rely on the camera as there only medium for conception and execution of their work, which I feels limits them as artist. I do agree that with you that photography can be neglected as an art, which is why I tell people yes, I am a photographer. Just not in the way they view a photographer. Then I explain that as an artist, photography is my medium of choice and that differs from the wedding photographer or their friend with the "expensive camera with the big lens". That is what I feel the difference between artist and photographers.
Just know I wasn't ragging on "photographers" or anyone in specific, I just feel that there is a separation between photographers like us and photographers like them.