Art and Documentary Photography
The fight to certify photography as a fine art has been among the medium's dominant philosophical preoccupations since its inception. Photography's legitimacy as an art form was challenged by artists and critics, who seized upon the mechanical and chemical aspects of the photographic process as proof that photography was, at best, a craft. Perhaps because so many painters came to rely so heavily on the photograph as a source of imagery, they insisted that photography could only be a handmaiden to the arts.
To prove that photography was indeed an art, photographers at first imitated the painting of the time. Enormous popularity was achieved by such photographers as O. J. Rejlander and Henry Peach Robinson, who created sentimental genre scenes by printing from multiple negatives. Julia Margaret Cameron blurred her images to achieve a painterly softness of line, creating a series of remarkably powerful soft-focus portraits of her celebrated friends.
In opposition to the painterly aesthetic in photography was P. H. Emerson and other early advocates of what has since become known as "straight" photography. According to this approach the photographic image should not be tampered with or subjected to handwork or other affectations lest it lose its integrity. Emerson proposed this philosophy in his controversial and influential book, Naturalistic Photography (1889). Appropriately, Emerson was the first to recognize the importance of the work of Alfred Stieglitz, who battled for photography's place among the arts during the first part of the 20th cent.
In revolt against the entrenched imitation of genre painting known as "salon" photography, Stieglitz founded a movement which he called the Photo-Secession, related to the radical secession movements in painting. He initiated publication of a magazine, Camera Work (1903-17), which was a forum for the Photo-Secession and for enlightened opinion and critical thought in all the arts. It remains the most sumptuously and meticulously produced photographic quarterly in the history of the medium. In New York City, Stieglitz opened three galleries, the first (1908-17) called "291" (from its address at 291 Fifth Ave.), then the Intimate Gallery (1925-30), and An American Place (1930-46), where photographic work was hung beside contemporary, often controversial, work in other media.
Stieglitz's own photographs and those of several other Photo-Secessionists-Edward Steichen, one of his early protégés; Frederick Evans, the British architectural photographer; and the portraitist Alvin L. Coburn-adhered with relative strictness to a "straight" aesthetic. The quality of their works, despite a pervasive self-consciousness, was consistently of the highest craftsmanship. Stieglitz's overriding concern with the concept "art for art's sake" kept him, and the audience he built for the medium, from an appreciation of an equally important branch of photography: the documentary.
The power of the photograph as record was demonstrated in the 19th cent., as when William H. Jackson's photographs of the Yellowstone area persuaded the U.S. Congress to set that territory aside as a national park. In the early 20th cent. photographers and journalists were beginning to use the medium to inform the public on crucial issues in order to generate social change.
Taking as their precedents the work of such men as Jackson and reporter Jacob Riis (whose photographs of New York City slums resulted in much-needed legislation), documentarians like Lewis Hine and James Van DerZee began to build a photographic tradition whose central concerns had little to do with the concept of art. The photojournalist sought to build, strengthen, or change public opinion by means of novel, often shocking images. The finished form of the documentary image was the inexpensive multiple, the magazine or newspaper reproduction. For a time the two traditions, art photography and documentary photography, appeared to be merged within the work of one man, Paul Strand. Strand's works combined a documentary concern with a lean, modernist vision related to the avant-garde art of Europe.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/photography#ixzz16KURPKZT
Photographic Art
The fine art of photography is a twentieth century medium enabling the artist to capture or create images on photographic film as an alternative to the traditional 2-D media of canvas, paper or board. New computer software graphics packages like Photoshop have freed the artist-photographer from the dark room, and have carved out new opportunities for editing, image manipulation and the creative use of light-sensitive photographic paper. With the advent of digital cameras, and the emergence of the specialist gallery of photography, the medium is well placed to expand further as an independent genre in its own right, or as part of mixed-media compositions in the area of Assemblage, Collage, Installation or even Performance art.
Origins
Photography evolved from the camera obscura, an instrument that projected an image through a small hole, allowing the artist to make an accurate tracing of an object or scene. The invention of light-sensitive emulsions in 1839 enabled cameras to take black and white photographs. Many painters began using the new medium as an addition/ alternative to models or plein-air painting, and photography became accepted as a minor art form. Victorian exponents included Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, and Oscar Rejlander
During the twentieth century, after the disappointment of Pictorialism, it gained higher status due to the efforts of photo-journalists as well as the landscape photography of Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. At the same time, experimental artists like Man Ray (1890-1976) took fine art photography to a new level of creativity, encouraged by museum and gallery curators like Hugh Edwards, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz and John Szarkowski. Other leading fine art photographers who have moved beyond the traditional genres of nudes, portraits, and landscapes, include the German Andreas Gursky (b.1955), Nan Goldin (b.1953), Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989), as well as the montage art photographers Anyes Galleani and John Goto (b.1949).
Interviews with gallery owners:
1) Mr. Sanjay Nanda – Indipix Gallery (Vasant Vihar)
a) Do you keep works of fine art photographers?
Yes, we do keep works of fine art photographers; in fact our gallery specializes in fine art photography work.
b) How often do you have exhibitions of fine art photography?
There is no set time period we have to put up our exhibitions; it completely depends on the collection of work to be displayed.
c) Do you consider it as a standalone exhibition or is it a part of photography as a whole.
yes certainly, we normally have group shows in which we usually exhibit works of various photographers but it is based on similar themes.
d) What is the foot fall that visiting the exhibitions, are people aware of this kind of genre.
There are two types of people who visit the exhibition i) photographers or people who love photography and ii) buyers , who just visits with business mindset.
There’s not a huge market presently in India for specifically this kind of photography, according to people whatever shown in the galleries is fine art. They do not look at it as a different genre.
e) General reviews of people on the exhibition.
According to me people do not have real knowledge about it, but generally talking the exhibitions usually get a good review.
f) What are the criteria on which you choose the photographers for the exhibition?
Usually when we keep getting proposals from various photographers, depending on the project and their work we decide what to display and what not to display. But usually we prefer to have a group exhibition displaying work of similar kind.
g) Name few photographers :
According to me there are quite a few out there namely:
DInesh Khanna
Sandeep Biswas (most promising)
Bandeep Singh
Raghu Rai (more of documentary work I would say)
Ms.Bithi – Art Alive Gallery ( Panscheel Park )
a) Do you keep works of fine art photographers?
Ours is a more of art display gallery, but we do have shows put up shows on photography too sometimes. We generally display something unique and different so yes you can call it fine art photography.
b) How often do you have exhibitions of fine art photography?
There’s nothing specific I can tell you about this we keep putting up exhibitions, sometimes we display few photographs along with the paintings.
c) Do you consider it as a standalone exhibition or is it a part of photography as a whole.
Yeah we sometimes we do have only photography, but won’t call it a standalone fine art photography exhibition.
d) What is the foot fall that visiting the exhibitions, are people aware of this kind of genre.
We do get quite a few visitors to such exhibitions; most of them who visit are already our clients, who have been informed about the exhibitions in the gallery. Apart from them we get people who are into photography as a career and hobby. According to me people are not really knowledgeable about this genre.
e) General reviews of people on the exhibition.
We usually get quite a good review on such exhibitions.
f) What are the criteria on which you choose the photographers for the exhibition?
There’s so such set criteria on basis of which we choose the photographers, select on basis of themes which are either set by us or we keep it after looking at the work of few.
g) Name of the photographers:
Prabir Purkayastha
Raghu Rai
Ms.Khushboo – Tasveer Gallery ( Friends colony )
a) Do you keep works of fine art photographers?
Since we only display only photographers, the theme is not really fine art photography. But yes, our gallery is counted as one of the galleries where you can find exhibitions on fine art photography.
b) How often do you have exhibitions of fine art photography?
There’s no specific set period to have exhibitions, it depends on collection of works of the photographers and finding it appropriately according to our set theme.
c) Do you consider it as a standalone exhibition or is it a part of photography as a whole.
Yeah we do consider as a standalone thing and also depends on the collection we get, so we decide accordingly.
d) What is the foot fall that visiting the exhibitions, are people aware of this kind of genre.
We have few set clients who cater to our gallery and apart from them we do get different people visiting the exhibitions, mostly they include of students, photographers, etc.
e) General reviews of people on the exhibition.
Generally talking people do like the work, putting it in their words the work is very unique and different, and also mostly we make it a point to display something unique each time.
f) What are the criteria on which you choose the photographers for the exhibition?
For choosing the photographers, we either send out few proposals looking at their previous work or we get proposals from photographers to display their work in our gallery, and sometimes we have themes so looking at that we choose the photographers.
g) Names the few photographers :
Raghu rai
Prabuddha Das Gupta
Sandeep Biswas
Findings
Interview of the gallery owners:
a) Do you keep works of fine art photographers?
Yes, gallery owners do keep works of fine art photographers.
How often do you have exhibitions of fine art photography?
Most of their exhibitions they display do include a bit of fine art photography.
b) Do you consider it as a standalone exhibition or is it a part of photography as a whole.
They do consider it as a standalone exhibition, as well as it can be displayed as a part of some other kind of exhibition.
c) What is the foot fall that visiting the exhibitions, are people aware of this kind of genre.
According to them people do visit the exhibition but the market is not too big, and people do not really have any special knowledge about this comparing to other genres.
d) General reviews of people on the exhibition.
They generally get a good review for the exhibitions , but they also feel people will like whatever is displayed in the galleries.
e) What are the criteria on which you choose the photographers for the exhibition?
They do not have any specific criteria to choose the photographers, these days galleries give photographers a chance to send in their work and in turn galleries contact them, or they decide a theme and then collect work according to the theme.
f) Names the few photographers :
After the interviews, the two names most prominent names were Sandeep Biswas and Raghu Rai.
Interview of the photographers:
a) What according to you is fine art photography, or how would you define fine art photography?
Fine art photography is all about creativity, which unaffected by someone else’s thought process.
b) What is the current scenario and knowledge about this genre in India?
The present scenario is not too strong, and people and even few budding photographers do not have real knowledge about this genre. One will not preferably, take it up as a full time thing to do.
c) What potential do you see in this genre?
There is a lot potential in this style of photography, but taking it up as a standalone profession is not preferred.
d) Name few photographers in this field.
Prominent names which came out are: Sandeep Biswas and Dinesh Khanna.
Interview of the budding photographers:
a) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’?
They do not understand the meaning of the term fine art photography, but on general basis they think it’s a photograph of one’s creative expression.
b) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
They mentioned such as Amit Mehra, Tarun Chabbra, Ragu Rai but they were very confused on whether to define them fine art photographers or not .
c) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
They would definitely want to know more about this genre since according to them this it will add to their knowledge base; yeah they will take up this style because it gives them a lot of creative freedom.
d) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
Again mentioning the same point here, comparing to all the other fields of photography this will give a photographer creative independence.
Interviews of the photographers
1) Name : Mr. Sanjay Nanda
e) What according to you is fine art photography, or how would you define fine art photography?
I would define fine art photography in which a photographer shows his own creativity , it is not assignment based and hence, is not influenced by someone else thought process.
f) What is the current scenario and knowledge about this genre in India?
Being a fine art photographer myself, I would say that it cannot be taken up as a standalone profession, which can be pursued as along with a concrete career in some other field or genre. In India people do not have much knowledge about it for them whatever is displayed in the gallery is supposedly fine art, and in abroad it is considered decorative art or wall art. In present scenario, I do not see it as such as big thing and do not see such a bright future as a standalone thing.
g) What potential do you see in this genre?
Definitely there is a lot potential in this because the work produced is very different and unique and such things are any day liked by the people but I do not see it as full time thing to pursue.
h) Name few photographers in this field.
Sandeep Biswas
Dinesh Khanna
Bandeep Singh
a) What according to you is fine art photography, or how would you define fine art photography?
For me fine art photography is all clicking pictures which showcase the creative side of a photographer and the pictures represent art.
b) What is the current scenario and knowledge about this genre in India?
I think people do value art, they are getting interested in this kind of work and value of art has been on rise. But I do not see any in depth knowledge about this specifically.
c) What potential do you see in this genre?
The potential is definitely growing , as I mentioned earlier the value of art is on rise.
d) Name few photographers in this field.
Sandeep Biswas
Raghu Rai
Dinesh Khanna
3) Name : Mr. Varun Sikka
a) What according to you is fine art photography, or how would you define fine art photography?
Fine art photography for me would be meaningful photography.
b) What is the current scenario and knowledge about this genre in India?
I think people do not really know about this as a separate genre, it will take a lot of time to stand out on its own.
c) What potential do you see in this genre?
According to me, I really don’t think many new photographers are inclined towards this particular genre of photography. Fashion and Glamour rather allure them. Fine Art photography should not be forgotten. One should always keep doing a meaningful project of their own.
d) Name few photographers in this field.
Photographer’s I really like are Prabhudda Dasgupta, Bharat Sikka
Interviews of the amateurs /budding photographers.
1) Name : Shilpi Saluja
e) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’?
It is a form of conceptual photography which is non-commercial.
f) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
Not really but, I think Amit Mehra and Anshika Varma does some fine art photography work.
g) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
No really, I think this is something which more of personal, and would definitely take this up combined with another genre.
h) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
It’s more of a personal form of photography and less influenced by others view unlike fashion photography for example is pre-planned by someone else and you are taking their ideas ahead.
2) Name : Ankita Singh
a) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’?
According to me, it’s clicking something abstract and different. I do not see it a different genre.
b) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
I do not know about any specific fine art photographers, but I think Prabuddha das Gupta does work in this field.
c) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
Yeah, I would take up this genre, but not as a full time thing but as side thing.
d) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
It’s more of a personal form of photography and less influenced by others view unlike fashion photography for example is pre-planned by someone else and you are taking their ideas ahead.
3) Name : Ankita Jain
a) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’?
I do not know anything about this field specifically, but I from the word ‘fine art photography’ I interpret it as capturing and photographing fine art work like paintings, installations, sculptures. So, then now would you like to know more about it , yes definitely, I would want to know more about it since, I am pursuing photography, it will introduce me to a different unknown genre.
b) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
No, since I am not aware of this as a separate genre, that’s why I do not know about any specific photographer.
c) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
If there is more knowledge provided to me , and then I further develop interest in it, I would give it a shot.
d) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
Since I do not really know anything about this genre, I would comment on this aspect.
4) Name : Trisha Singhvi
a) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’? If, no do you want to know more about it.
I do not recognize it as a separate genre; I think its part of documentary or street photography. Yes, I would want to know if there all together a separate field , I should be aware of different existing genres.
b) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
I think Amit Mehra who does a lot street photography and Tarun Chabbra, I find his work very different.
c) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
Yes, I would like to explore and see my potential in this field.
d) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
Like difference in Art and design, I think its more about creative satisfaction, since it would show one’s style and thought process and its not bounded by any outside source.
Interviews of the buyers
1) Name : Snigdha Parakh
a) Are you aware of different genres of photography? If yes , are you aware of the term fine art photography and what is it.
Yes of course I am aware of different genres of photography namely: fashion, street, documentary, etc. Yes, I am aware of the term fine art photography,
b) Name few fine art photographers:
I relate it to photographers like Amit Mehra, Dinesh Khanna, and Ajay Rajgarhia.
c) On what basis do you decide to buy a photograph?
There are numerous pictures displayed in an exhibition, I usually buy a photograph relating it to my own persona and liking.
d) How much money would prefer to shell out for a photograph?
Well, it depends on the place you are buying it from, usually fine art photography work is expensive because its considered unique and different.
2) Name : Shobha Singhvi
a) Are you aware of different genres of photography? If yes, are you aware of the term fine art photography and what is it.
Yes, I am aware of few of them like editorial, fashion, and product. I am aware of the term fine art photography, according to me it’s a mixture of street, documentary photography.
b) Name few fine art photographers:
Sandeep Biswas , Dinesh Khanna
c) On what basis do you decide to buy a photograph?
I do not have a huge collection, but whatever I have collected I have bought them only they created interest in me, I prefer something unique.
d) How much money would prefer to shell out for a photograph?
Looking at the ones I have already I would say about 10,000 to 20,000.
3) Name : Urvashi jain
a) Are you aware of different genres of photography? If yes, are you aware of the term fine art photography and what is it.
Oh yes of course I am aware of different genres, like fashion, food , product, editorial, etc. Yes, since I am interested in photography as a hobby, and for me fine art photography is something which is very unique and distinctive.
b) Name few fine art photographers:
Ajay Rajgarhia, Sandeep Biswas and there are quite a few doing unique work.
c) On what basis do you decide to buy a photograph?
Because I have little knowledge about photography , I look at it both aesthetically appealing as well as looking at little bit of technicalities in it.
d) How much money would prefer to shell out for a photograph?
It completely depends on whose photograph are you buying for example someone like Sandeep Biswas his work will be for like 30,000- 40,000 but I would buy it because they are good images.
Interview of the gallery owners:
a) Do you keep works of fine art photographers?
Yes, gallery owners do keep works of fine art photographers.
How often do you have exhibitions of fine art photography?
Most of their exhibitions they display do include a bit of fine art photography.
b) Do you consider it as a standalone exhibition or is it a part of photography as a whole.
They do consider it as a standalone exhibition, as well as it can be displayed as a part of some other kind of exhibition.
c) What is the foot fall that visiting the exhibitions, are people aware of this kind of genre.
According to them people do visit the exhibition but the market is not too big, and people do not really have any special knowledge about this comparing to other genres.
d) General reviews of people on the exhibition.
They generally get a good review for the exhibitions , but they also feel people will like whatever is displayed in the galleries.
e) What are the criteria on which you choose the photographers for the exhibition?
They do not have any specific criteria to choose the photographers, these days galleries give photographers a chance to send in their work and in turn galleries contact them, or they decide a theme and then collect work according to the theme.
f) Names the few photographers :
After the interviews, the two names most prominent names were Sandeep Biswas and Raghu Rai
Interview of the photographers:
a) What according to you is fine art photography, or how would you define fine art photography?
Fine art photography is all about creativity, which unaffected by someone else’s thought process.
b) What is the current scenario and knowledge about this genre in India?
The present scenario is not too strong, and people and even few budding photographers do not have real knowledge about this genre. One will not preferably, take it up as a full time thing to do.
c) What potential do you see in this genre?
There is a lot potential in this style of photography, but taking it up as a standalone profession is not preferred.
d) Name few photographers in this field.
Prominent names which came out are: Sandeep Biswas and Dinesh Khanna.
Interview of the budding photographers:
a) How much do you know about the term ‘fine art photography’?
They do not understand the meaning of the term fine art photography, but on general basis they think it’s a photograph of one’s creative expression.
b) Do you know about any photographer specific to this field?
They mentioned such as Amit Mehra, Tarun Chabbra, Ragu Rai but they were very confused on whether to define them fine art photographers or not .
c) If given a chance, would take this up as your style of photography.
They would definitely want to know more about this genre since according to them this it will add to their knowledge base; yeah they will take up this style because it gives them a lot of creative freedom.
d) How do you think it’s different from other genres of photography?
Again mentioning the same point here, comparing to all the other fields of photography this will give a photographer creative independence.
a) Are you aware of different genres of photography? If yes , are you aware of the term fine art photography and what is it.
The buyers do recognize it as a different genre of photography but still at some point they mix it up similar genres like documentary photography, street photography.
b) Name few fine art photographers:
Two prominent names came out: Sandeep Biswas, Ajay Rajgarhia
c) On what basis do you decide to buy a photograph?
They buy a photograph which they relate to, and the aesthetically appealing ones.
d) How much money would prefer to shell out for a photograph?
They are ready to shell out about Rs. 10,000- 20,000 per photograph.
Focused group discussion
I conducted a focused group discussion among the 5 budding photographers, since they are the future photographer. This gave me insight to their thought process about fine art photography.
Questions I asked them:
What is fine art photography?
Would you pursue it your style of photography.
Name few phototgraphers who according to are fine art photographers.
