Certainly interesting. And I thank you for ending with that joke. I just read it aloud to my better half to gift him the chuckle you gifted me. (But it also well makes your point.)
.. thought triggers shots - in my perspective - & music may easily influence ‘the matter at hand eh ! but perhaps I relate cinematically - or perhaps that’s ’projection - dunno - but can get by pretty easy ‘seein things that way .. these things are complicated !
- try running some 16mm - in you’re minds eye - with projection booth ambience & ideally some ‘soundtrack .. just a few seconds .. pull something outta pure personal memory .. I figure you can do it .. many people seem to have this innate ability & don’t even think about it ..
(hope you can explain it to me ! Adding music & ambience to visuals ..!.. for me is like heaven !)
More to your point though - am aware of a contradiction to your Title / Premise - Will let it rest for a day of two .. & attempt a very short n sweet ‘written example - of when ‘only words suffice .. not a photograph to be completely misunderstood or misinterpreted - but a seed of an idea ‘planted - for a future Shooter or Director with Talent & Camera plus my notes ‘to consider or ‘take in an entirely fresh direction. It might be astonishing to comprehend the amount of time spent - prepping something for others to take over ! Do I use reference imagery too ? Of course !
I knew the very same story, but it involved 3 coal miners from Copșa Mică, a former Romanian mining site. Funny and so true to what art really is about. In all honesty, if you ask me, the most useless profession (which I dearly hope will be 100% replaced by AI) is the art curator.
I agree with much of what you've written here - the importance of visual literacy and the need to allow pictures to do their own work. It reminds me of Philip Perkis' ideas about what gets rewarded in culture: words and numbers. There is no reward for a young person who is visually sensitive. However, I am troubled by the idea that words and photographs are (or should be) unconnected. I've noticed a tendency on Substack to present photographs as somehow beyond critique. A kind of common sense view of photos. What you see is what you get. There's a parallel tendency to see photographs as stories (narratives) that I also find problematic. And then also the idea of photographs as the outcome of certain craft-based techniques and processes. Whilst I'm all for celebrating visual intelligence or acuity and the notion of visual thinking (without words), I don't think this means rejecting the importance of interpretation. Photographs are wild and indeterminate, to borrow David Campany's language. Their radical openness means that they go on accumulating meanings over time. I am very grateful to the many excellent writers on and curators of photography that I have encountered over the years. They have helped me reflect on my own thoughts and feelings about photography. Words can help us think about images, and vice versa. Words aren't the "enemy", apart from the two words "Nigel Farage".
Who needs words when we can enjoy such great images? That first one is just wonderful. I wouldn’t mind to have it on my wall!😊. The photo from Koppitz made me think about a post I did from one of your images. If you have time, Andrew, check it out and let me know if you know how he had the nuns levitate. I’d like to hear your opinion.
Thanks Luz. I looked at that nun picture and at first thought it was AI. I think they are spinning slightly and the wide skirts hide the feet. I that Koppitz was a very good printer and has made the tones look more like a painting.
It is easy to miss the point entirely by trying to understand an image instead of just feeling it. Some over interpret as in your examples, the artists version of the 3 coal miner was a perfect example and so amusing. That image from Rudolph Koppitz is so visceral to me, the artist's stabs at interpretation are a letdown compared to the silent impression of the image
Great post! People are going to read and interpret however they want. For me, it is simple. Set it free. Let the viewer make of it what they will! Thank you. Nice one!!
Great article Andrew - I must admit I find a lot of interpretations of art and photographs made by 'knowledgeable' folk in galleries over my head and sometimes just that bit pretentious. I like to see an image and make my own interpretation...you've made the point really well here and thank you for rounding my day off with a giggle too!😊
when it comes to my photos i always say this: one can see what they want and understand what they can.
Certainly interesting. And I thank you for ending with that joke. I just read it aloud to my better half to gift him the chuckle you gifted me. (But it also well makes your point.)
Thank you (do I call you Kewtie?).
There has always been slop. Even before AI. Thank you for this, and for the good laugh.
Thanks Marcello.
.. thought triggers shots - in my perspective - & music may easily influence ‘the matter at hand eh ! but perhaps I relate cinematically - or perhaps that’s ’projection - dunno - but can get by pretty easy ‘seein things that way .. these things are complicated !
- try running some 16mm - in you’re minds eye - with projection booth ambience & ideally some ‘soundtrack .. just a few seconds .. pull something outta pure personal memory .. I figure you can do it .. many people seem to have this innate ability & don’t even think about it ..
(hope you can explain it to me ! Adding music & ambience to visuals ..!.. for me is like heaven !)
Thanks Thomas.
More to your point though - am aware of a contradiction to your Title / Premise - Will let it rest for a day of two .. & attempt a very short n sweet ‘written example - of when ‘only words suffice .. not a photograph to be completely misunderstood or misinterpreted - but a seed of an idea ‘planted - for a future Shooter or Director with Talent & Camera plus my notes ‘to consider or ‘take in an entirely fresh direction. It might be astonishing to comprehend the amount of time spent - prepping something for others to take over ! Do I use reference imagery too ? Of course !
I knew the very same story, but it involved 3 coal miners from Copșa Mică, a former Romanian mining site. Funny and so true to what art really is about. In all honesty, if you ask me, the most useless profession (which I dearly hope will be 100% replaced by AI) is the art curator.
I agree with much of what you've written here - the importance of visual literacy and the need to allow pictures to do their own work. It reminds me of Philip Perkis' ideas about what gets rewarded in culture: words and numbers. There is no reward for a young person who is visually sensitive. However, I am troubled by the idea that words and photographs are (or should be) unconnected. I've noticed a tendency on Substack to present photographs as somehow beyond critique. A kind of common sense view of photos. What you see is what you get. There's a parallel tendency to see photographs as stories (narratives) that I also find problematic. And then also the idea of photographs as the outcome of certain craft-based techniques and processes. Whilst I'm all for celebrating visual intelligence or acuity and the notion of visual thinking (without words), I don't think this means rejecting the importance of interpretation. Photographs are wild and indeterminate, to borrow David Campany's language. Their radical openness means that they go on accumulating meanings over time. I am very grateful to the many excellent writers on and curators of photography that I have encountered over the years. They have helped me reflect on my own thoughts and feelings about photography. Words can help us think about images, and vice versa. Words aren't the "enemy", apart from the two words "Nigel Farage".
Who needs words when we can enjoy such great images? That first one is just wonderful. I wouldn’t mind to have it on my wall!😊. The photo from Koppitz made me think about a post I did from one of your images. If you have time, Andrew, check it out and let me know if you know how he had the nuns levitate. I’d like to hear your opinion.
https://mslux.substack.com/p/levitate-with-beauty?r=2a2gw7&utm_medium=ios
Thanks Luz. I looked at that nun picture and at first thought it was AI. I think they are spinning slightly and the wide skirts hide the feet. I that Koppitz was a very good printer and has made the tones look more like a painting.
No, it’s not AI indeed. This kind of perfection only by human hands.
It is easy to miss the point entirely by trying to understand an image instead of just feeling it. Some over interpret as in your examples, the artists version of the 3 coal miner was a perfect example and so amusing. That image from Rudolph Koppitz is so visceral to me, the artist's stabs at interpretation are a letdown compared to the silent impression of the image
Thanks Paul.
Great post! People are going to read and interpret however they want. For me, it is simple. Set it free. Let the viewer make of it what they will! Thank you. Nice one!!
Thanks Søren.
Great article Andrew - I must admit I find a lot of interpretations of art and photographs made by 'knowledgeable' folk in galleries over my head and sometimes just that bit pretentious. I like to see an image and make my own interpretation...you've made the point really well here and thank you for rounding my day off with a giggle too!😊