The author then goes on to quote Edward Steichen, the dean of U.S. photography in 1961. Steichen's quote, "There is, the photography which seeks to translate into pattern and design the magic of a detail of growth and deterioration. Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. In a word, photography has become, as only good art can, "a major force in explaining man to man." Secures my thoughts that were summed up in the beginning of the article. Photography has done just that to me. Certain artists have been able to show such a deep and raw form of humanity that they would not have been able to express in other mediums. In the modern age, photography is a medium utilized by more than just artists. Online social networking has taken photography to a whole new level. This makes me wonder, has fine art photography or the daily documentation of people's lives done on Facebook played a bigger part in "explaining man to man."
The article goes on to talk about Steichen's life and his impact on photography. Steichen is an example that photography can and does affect our culture.
In Robert Hughes' article Art: Images of America Before Its Fall, Hughes illustrates for the reader, the story of easily one of the most known and influential photographers in history, Ansel Adams.
Adams has, with his photography, brought the beauty of nature through his eyes to the eyes of the entire world. Ansel Adams has done more than just show beauty to the world though. He has used his photography as a way to spread awareness about the environment and why is should be preserved and protected.
Ansel Adams is another living breathing example of how photography can affect society and culture. His artwork has opened the eyes of the masses to the beauty of our world and why it should be kept safe.
These articles have both helped me shape my ideas on photography's affect on our culture, and raised many questions about how and in what ways it does this. I look forward to sharing more of my thoughts about this in my upcoming posts.
I like that you've linked the titles of the articles and avoided including the long web address. The one last piece of info you might add, though, is noting where the article is from. For example, "A 1999 Time magazine article by Jon Smith claims..."
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you saved your commentary and questions until the final paragraph. This is good in that it separates the article ideas from your ideas, but you might give us a little more narrative throughout, telling us what brought you to these sources.
I absolutely sgree that photos can affect and alter the way we view society and culture, especially those that are different from ours. I like the questions that you pose and the fact that you point out how much photography has changed especially now in the digital age.
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