I was curious to find out what were some questions that are on peoples minds about photography. I have found that, “is photography really art,” is one of the most commonly asked questions. Is there a yes or no answer to this commonly asked question?
One widely accepted definition of art is the expression of creativity, imagination or both.
Isn’t everything you can see, hear and touch art? Music, furniture, landscapes, homes, toilets, people? Someone must have used their imagination to create those things right? Why is a colorful painting considered art but dried spilled paint may not be? The Mona Lisa, she is considered to be art by so many people but how about this picture of my grandmother. Is she considered art to you? She is to me.
Almost anything or anyone can be photographed. If you were to take a picture of a plain old pencil just lying on your desk would that be considered art too? You would have been creative enough to snap a picture of that pencil, who is to say it is not art?
As you can read there is no real answers in this article about this commonly asked question, just more questions.I can only ask you to think about what art really is to you. You are the only one who can define what art is in your eyes.
To me art is everything, even the very first thing I see when I wake up each morning. My perfectly white ceiling is simple and bright. The hardwood floor that I walk on to go and get my breakfast on has so much personality in each plank of wood that I step on. Our refrigerator is black and shiny which matches so well with the black, shiny microwave that is in our kitchen. These things please my eyes so they must be considered art to me.
My daughter Lily’s is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen, Is she art? I created her with my body I think she is. She is the worlds best piece of art in my eyes. Is your child, mother or best friend yours?
On thing is certain, photography is a photographers tool to capture things that they see as art. Photography can display visions that are beautiful, interesting, creative, colorful, happy, sad, frustrating, big, small, pretty or ugly, perfect or weird, funny or serious, important or useless.
So is photography really art? There is no yes or no answer only the right answer for you.
