Frame & Composition: Activity 2

Q. What does John Szarkowski mean when he says that photographers are quoting ‘out of context’ when they make photographic pictures? 

A: I think Szarkowski means that photographers start with their art differently than an artist, such as a painter, would. To quote, "While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame." Photographers see art differently, although they are still creating pieces of artwort. 

Q. The frame often ‘dissects familiar forms’. At the end of the last century photography was having a major impact on Art. Impressionist artists such as Degas were influenced by what they saw. Look at these examples of Degas work, which clearly shows the influence of Photography, and explain why the public might have been shocked to see such paintings.

A. The public may have been shocked to see such paintings because some of them look so realistic, almost like a photograph. These paintings even look like they could come to life, and even jump off of the canvas. Although you can clearly see the individual brushstrokes in some of his work, he was a very talented artist. 

(Painting by Vladimir Volegov)

At first glance, without even taking the time to look at the painting in depth, this image looks like a photograph. Then, once you take the time to examine this piece of work, it is clearly a painting. You can tell by the way that the artist tried fabricating her dress to make it look like it is real and flowing. You can see the sunlight glistening off of the water, and how her skin looks like it is smooth. Lastly, this painting has so many intricate details like the way you can see the strands of straw in her hat. It wouldn't be hard to tell that this photo was inspired by photography.