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"Photography is not art"

12/13/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
I was doing a show. During one of the slow times an older man came into my booth. He was interested in my process so I explained to him how I do my art. We started having a conversation that quickly degenerated into one of those times where I kept wishing he would just go away.
 
Unfortunately, being in your booth at an art show, you can’t really leave. You’re stuck having to deal with whoever comes your way. This man proceeded to tell me that photography is not art. His reasoning was that anyone can do it because all you have to do is snap the photo.
 
Interesting logic. So, by his logic, all a painter does is puts paint on a canvas. Or, all a sculptor does is play with clay. And then there are the things that have been said to me like, “It’s just fabric, it’s not really art.”
 
It always amazes me the things that come out of people’s mouths. What I find so interesting is that they often say these things without recognizing that you are standing right there and you are listening to every word you say.
 
I have had people look at my work and proceed to explain to their friend how “it’s done automatically on one of those computerized machines.” So, I quietly point to my sewing machine and say, “This is the vintage machine that I create all of this artwork with. It’s not computerized.” It’s always gratifying to watch their faces when I say this.
 
So this man just kept talking about how easy it is to just point the lens and click the shutter. I tried to interject that there is so much more to photography than that. He didn’t hear me. He had this preconceived notion that would not change no matter what I said. He seemed to be of the opinion that if you didn’t create it with your hands, it was not art. (Side note: I wonder what he would have thought of digital art. I didn’t ask.)
 
It wasn’t long before I gave up trying to carry on a conversation with this man. After a couple of minutes, I just smiled and nodded. Eventually he went away.
 
As an introvert, I only have so much energy to offer. I don’t want to use it up on fools or energy suckers like him. So, my usual approach is to smile and nod and make appropriate sounds at the appropriate times. They walk away happy because someone paid attention to them, and I haven’t wasted too much energy on them.
 
My point is this: save your energy for your real customers.
 


3 Comments
Annie
12/15/2017 05:45:12 am

Coming from the psychological perspective, people who do this are generally looking for something beyond just making the comment. They feed on that energy you are talking about - the energy of trying to educate them. They really aren't listening to what you are saying. They are just there to feed off the energy you are giving off trying to carry on a conversation with them. It sounds like science fiction but that's really what they are looking for, that "negative" attention. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with your art itself or the quality of the art. That's just a cover. It's a negative attention loop they have learned growing up, probably from the people who raised them. If you were to follow them around for the day, you would see that it's something they use no matter where they are (the bank, the grocery store, the pizza place). If they are regular customers, people who work there become used to it and learn to ignore it. So the person has to go searching out for "fresh blood" so to speak to fill that void. I bet you anything, if you had a regular shop on "Main St." wherever this person lives, he would visit you every week. He might not buy anything (or he might), and he would give you the same speech each time he came in about photography not being an art, but he would still return each week, which is more telling of how he feels than what comes out of his mouth.

Reply
Loretta
12/15/2017 03:56:16 pm

Hi Annie!

Thank you for the thoughtful comment. That really explains a lot. I run into people like this at almost every show that I do. I also owned a brick & mortar art gallery for a while and had my share of them there as well. At least I have learned to spot them early on so I don't waste any more energy on them than necessary.

Thank you again for the insight.

Reply
Annie
12/15/2017 05:00:35 pm

I really feel they are lonely or looking for a way to connect with people but they've never learned how to have a conversation with someone without falling into that negative loop. That doesn't mean it's the other person's responsibility to try and correct that or to pick up on that, but I honestly don't feel it has anything at all to do with a critique of your art.




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    Loretta Alvarado, Fiber Artist

    About the Author

    Helping artists and crafters improve their sales, one word at a time.

    Loretta Alvarado is the author of several business for artists books. She spends most of her time in her studio making art and writing. But you can sometimes find her on Facebook.



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