The impact of photography on art
Photography has dramatically changed the idea and function of what art is and its purposes. The idea and concept of art has changed the most in the last two hundred years. Some may say that the difference between people of modern day and their counterparts from two hundred years ago would be technology. My view of technology is that it changes the way that we live and look at the world, and the art world. Such is the case with the invention of photography, which took place in 1895. However, the art form only became popular towards the end of the century. There are many reasons for this, one reason that the original process ( The daguerreotype process) was extremely expensive and difficult. The invention of easier processes enabled the easy use for commercial and personal use.
While it took a certain amount of time for photography to become an art form, the medium did have an influential impact on the artists using others mediums of the century. I believe the invention of the new technology influenced artists, and this influence can be seen in the realist movements of the nineteenth century.
The two developers of the modern techniques of photography were William Henry Fox Talbot and Louis J.M Daguerre. In 1835, Talbot invented the negative-positive process that enabled several prints to be developed from a single exposure. Daguerre used a light sensitive metal plate method that developed a single exposure, and could not be reproduced.
Many early photographers captured real life at the time with gritty, unforgiving photographs of society. In capturing this aspect of life, they made bold social statements about the inequality and social issues of the time period.
The beginning of compiling art and photography was present in the works of Honore Daumier. Daumier had a growing interest in technology, not only was he interested in photography, he used the process of lithography in his work.
While some of these artists did not directly incorporate photography into the creation of their works, I found its influence to be present nonetheless. It can be seen in the choice of subjects used by this group of painters, which gravitates towards ordinary daily life and is very similar to the subjects of the burgeoning art of photography. This factor combined with the unromantic portrayals, and the complete absence of sentimentality evidenced in the realism movement effectively demonstrates photography's influence on this group of nineteenth century artists.
In 1888 the first Kodak camera was invented. This camera contained a 20-foot roll of paper, enough for 100 2.5 inch circular pictures. For the first time, non-artists could purchase the camera and use it for personal use. This was a revolutionary part of the photography as an art movement as it enabled art to be created by non artists. This was the first step in developing the modern camera, and the start of the lens based media trend.
Throughout the last 200 years, photography has constantly been developing and changing to produce better quality and improve the art form. The medium of photography is the fastest growing art medium, with trends and technology developing every decade. Because of this fast development, Photography and the technology involved in photography has evolved its own language and professional terms. Photography developed its language from some of the art terms already used. These terms include exposure, aperture and focus. Aperture means a hole which light travels. The term originates from the use of a telescope, one of the first lens based appliances. Exposure, which means the total amount of light allowed to fall on the image sensor. Exposure refers to a single shutter cycle. Focus means the center of interest or activity. This is a term which already existed in every day english, meaning the same. However it is regularly used in photography for the same meaning.
As said above, technology involving photography is constantly changing in order to improve quality and produce different post production effects. The impact on technology involving photography is present when reviewing the down fall of companies such as Polaroid and Kodak. These companies were some of the first who developed and inspired the camera's which we use today, however changing technology has forced these businesses to come out of business and have reduced sales.
Cultural and social contexts have effected art and photography dramatically though out the last 200 years.
Before photography, often the paintings and other art forms created were revolved around creating a world which forgot the everyday struggles of life. They hardly ever showed the grittiness of periods such as the industrial revolution, war, economy , etc. However, photography broke the barriers of what art should communicate; photographers such as Lewis Hine showed the dangers and life of the industrial revolution, specializing on child labour. This showed viewers, especially the higher classes, that art was changing and showing how life really was. Before art was seem as a form of escapism, were as photography introduced a new genre, focusing on realism and social contexts.
Photography has dramatically changed the idea and function of what art is and its purposes. The idea and concept of art has changed the most in the last two hundred years. Some may say that the difference between people of modern day and their counterparts from two hundred years ago would be technology. My view of technology is that it changes the way that we live and look at the world, and the art world. Such is the case with the invention of photography, which took place in 1895. However, the art form only became popular towards the end of the century. There are many reasons for this, one reason that the original process ( The daguerreotype process) was extremely expensive and difficult. The invention of easier processes enabled the easy use for commercial and personal use.
While it took a certain amount of time for photography to become an art form, the medium did have an influential impact on the artists using others mediums of the century. I believe the invention of the new technology influenced artists, and this influence can be seen in the realist movements of the nineteenth century.
The two developers of the modern techniques of photography were William Henry Fox Talbot and Louis J.M Daguerre. In 1835, Talbot invented the negative-positive process that enabled several prints to be developed from a single exposure. Daguerre used a light sensitive metal plate method that developed a single exposure, and could not be reproduced.
Many early photographers captured real life at the time with gritty, unforgiving photographs of society. In capturing this aspect of life, they made bold social statements about the inequality and social issues of the time period.
The beginning of compiling art and photography was present in the works of Honore Daumier. Daumier had a growing interest in technology, not only was he interested in photography, he used the process of lithography in his work.
While some of these artists did not directly incorporate photography into the creation of their works, I found its influence to be present nonetheless. It can be seen in the choice of subjects used by this group of painters, which gravitates towards ordinary daily life and is very similar to the subjects of the burgeoning art of photography. This factor combined with the unromantic portrayals, and the complete absence of sentimentality evidenced in the realism movement effectively demonstrates photography's influence on this group of nineteenth century artists.
In 1888 the first Kodak camera was invented. This camera contained a 20-foot roll of paper, enough for 100 2.5 inch circular pictures. For the first time, non-artists could purchase the camera and use it for personal use. This was a revolutionary part of the photography as an art movement as it enabled art to be created by non artists. This was the first step in developing the modern camera, and the start of the lens based media trend.
Throughout the last 200 years, photography has constantly been developing and changing to produce better quality and improve the art form. The medium of photography is the fastest growing art medium, with trends and technology developing every decade. Because of this fast development, Photography and the technology involved in photography has evolved its own language and professional terms. Photography developed its language from some of the art terms already used. These terms include exposure, aperture and focus. Aperture means a hole which light travels. The term originates from the use of a telescope, one of the first lens based appliances. Exposure, which means the total amount of light allowed to fall on the image sensor. Exposure refers to a single shutter cycle. Focus means the center of interest or activity. This is a term which already existed in every day english, meaning the same. However it is regularly used in photography for the same meaning.
As said above, technology involving photography is constantly changing in order to improve quality and produce different post production effects. The impact on technology involving photography is present when reviewing the down fall of companies such as Polaroid and Kodak. These companies were some of the first who developed and inspired the camera's which we use today, however changing technology has forced these businesses to come out of business and have reduced sales.
Cultural and social contexts have effected art and photography dramatically though out the last 200 years.
Before photography, often the paintings and other art forms created were revolved around creating a world which forgot the everyday struggles of life. They hardly ever showed the grittiness of periods such as the industrial revolution, war, economy , etc. However, photography broke the barriers of what art should communicate; photographers such as Lewis Hine showed the dangers and life of the industrial revolution, specializing on child labour. This showed viewers, especially the higher classes, that art was changing and showing how life really was. Before art was seem as a form of escapism, were as photography introduced a new genre, focusing on realism and social contexts.
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