Greetings!

I’ve been off exploring the new features in Photoshop CS5, revising my workflow to optimize the wonderful changes in this upgrade, and preparing to teach some new techniques. I’ll blog about CS5 down the line, but let me say that if you are a photographer or a visual artist, this is a must-have upgrade.

While away, I had a chance to discuss the definition of “Fine Art” with experts in the Fine Arts, a frequent subject of this blog, and one I find deeply interesting. I was surprised to learn that my definition, “when the viewer and creator can collectively synthesize ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ Fine Art Photography,” is as strong or as weak any expert definitions. Some characterizations: “Fine Art tells us more about what we see by what is not seen;” “Aesthetic truth;” “Creative vision of the photographer as artist;” “Vision beyond Documentation;” “an art form developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application;” “to elucidate or decorate textual information,” and  “It’s like porn, I’ll know it when I see it.”  OK the last definition came from my plumber— a great guy, an expert in drains, but… Fine Art, not so much.

Deferring, Contrasting, and Branding…

I also heard from several sharp minds that defining Fine Art is also a matter of language through linguistic devices such as deferring, contrasting, and branding.

Deferring is the method most artists use. The artist’s value definition for his work occurs by deferring to times past. For example Monet, questioned if artists were copying reality, and then created works to represent his impression of reality. Marcel Duchamp claimed that art is no more than the very gesture of calling something art and renamed a urinal ‘the fountain.’ Andy Warhol went further by rejecting and reversing every symbol of traditional art. Whether famous or unknown, every artist defines his art by deferring in time and responding to what came before him.

Another method is contrasting. For example, the term “Fine Art” opposes the term “commercial art.”  Contrasting suggests that Fine Arts are awe-inspiring, inspirational and intellectually weighty, whereas commercial arts are earthy, routine and well… commercial. So, by contrast, one may think that to be a Fine Art Photographer you cannot be a commercial photographer. The fact is, most photographers work in both disciplines.

The marketplace brands ‘Fine Art’ with contrast comparison language too. Fine Art Photographers often call themselves “Fine Art Photographer,” to differentiate the definition of “photographer.” The term “Fine Art Photographer”, leverages the value associated with the term “Fine Art.”

Branding is often more a matter of association than substance. Fine Art Photographers benefit by associating themselves with the term “Fine Arts.” But, to be a successful “Fine Art Photographer,” you have to recognize that if the work looks and ‘feels’ like commercial photography, then it’s tough to associate your work with the symbolic value of “Fine Arts.”

What is to come?

Language delineators and definitions for Fine Art have and will change with time and technology. The digital revolution of today is already obsolescing the term “Fine Art Photographer” in some circles with “visual artist.”   It will be interesting to see if term “Fine Art” still has meaning in 2020.