Photography in drawing and painting can be a polarizing issue
an incredibly valuable tool
the danger lies in:
the tool shaping your work
verses
you shaping the work with the tool
I am not condemning the partial, or even full use, of photos to create
When it comes to final image construction there should only be one rule
ANY MEANS POSSIBLE
What I am discussing is visual knowledge and understanding
From what library does a person pull information from to form. opinions, ideas, theories, and motivations?
The world of symbols
OR
the world?
Human engineered technology has a unique characteristic
that which was made to help
also
has the capacity to bind
take for example these three images:
outside of opinion
What can be said about them?
they are images viewed on a screen
the subject is of yours truly
they are all symbolic representations of reality
The difference between them lies in the
complexity and design
of the
SYMBOLS
not
in their perceived level of
reality
Images are always communicating information
As visual artists we work in the deliberate transmission of information
Understanding the mechanics of complex symbol construction
aka
making an image look real
is a noble pursuit
but it is
not
an ARTISTIC pursuit
Complex symbol construction
does not equal
Artistic skill
Once we identify what we are looking at
we stop studying it.
we would never get through our day
lost in wonder and the
infinite beauty
of the
universe
we only stop to truly
SEE
something if we believe it holds an inherent value to us.
PHOTOGRAPHY
PRESENTS
only a finite amount of information
in its replication of reality
When we set out to
PAINT or DRAW
we are asking questions
whether we know it or not
Asking questions from a
PHOTOGRAPH
WILL LEAVE YOU
APART
from the world you are studying
Asking questions from
LIFE
WILL LEAVE YOU
A
PART
OF THIS WORLD
The world, life, and we are in
flux
valuable information is packed in the milliseconds of
movement
If we actively wish to study or represent something that is constantly
changing
when operating from a place that is
stagnate
so
The question becomes:
WHAT INFORMATION ARE WE MISSING?
How much more do we register visually at a subconscious level? What role do the other senses play in a drawing or painting? Run the tests, collect the data…let me know