This morning before sleeping I was reading a book on ancient Greek and Roman art. In the book the writer wrote of how compared to the Greeks the Roman art was derivative and second class. The Roman artists did not create create work that was original in anyway. They mostly just copied ancient Greek pieces that were then sold to Roman buyers. The Roman artists basically sold their artistic souls, they made art that people would buy, work that was pleasing and accepted but not challenging, unique or powerful in any new way.
Tonight I visited for the first time in a long time (18 months?) two photographers websites. I revisited the websites to update myself on their current photos. I was extremely disappointed, everything I saw was the same as before, pretty pictures of snow and gardens, mountains and trees etc, it all blends in my mind. Nothing had changed since my previous website visits and from the time I saw the work up close. Just like the writers critique of the Romans, the photos I saw were second class and derivative. The sad part in all is this is that these are two talented people who could do great work if they decided to take some chances and pushed themselves to see in new ways. Instead they stay on the same boring course, their path most traveled. Year in, year out they make the same trite, commonplace, unchanging sludge pictures. Millions of people around the world each and everyday do the same type stuff, maybe not quite as pretty or as well crafted but it is the same type meaningless visual crap. Why oh why spend your skills and talent making garbage?
What a waste of time and talent, it is so depressing. Veiwing the work, the same exact photographs again, again and yet again over the years is a form of torture, it is visual vomit, artistic poison!!
Whew! I needed to get that out, thanks for listening, it was boiling in me since I saw the work. I feel better now! :)
I need to strive to try and do original work, try to find new ways of saying what I want to say. I need to learn from the writings in this blog. It is easy to criticize but to learn and grow as a artist because of your awareness of what you do not like, of what you see as wrong is an entire other thing. I need to take my distaste for what these offensive second class derivative artists (the Romans of our time) are doing and force my own attempt at a unique ( or at least semi unique) vision forward. I need to learn from what I hate about their photographs!
Tonight I visited for the first time in a long time (18 months?) two photographers websites. I revisited the websites to update myself on their current photos. I was extremely disappointed, everything I saw was the same as before, pretty pictures of snow and gardens, mountains and trees etc, it all blends in my mind. Nothing had changed since my previous website visits and from the time I saw the work up close. Just like the writers critique of the Romans, the photos I saw were second class and derivative. The sad part in all is this is that these are two talented people who could do great work if they decided to take some chances and pushed themselves to see in new ways. Instead they stay on the same boring course, their path most traveled. Year in, year out they make the same trite, commonplace, unchanging sludge pictures. Millions of people around the world each and everyday do the same type stuff, maybe not quite as pretty or as well crafted but it is the same type meaningless visual crap. Why oh why spend your skills and talent making garbage?
What a waste of time and talent, it is so depressing. Veiwing the work, the same exact photographs again, again and yet again over the years is a form of torture, it is visual vomit, artistic poison!!
Whew! I needed to get that out, thanks for listening, it was boiling in me since I saw the work. I feel better now! :)
I need to strive to try and do original work, try to find new ways of saying what I want to say. I need to learn from the writings in this blog. It is easy to criticize but to learn and grow as a artist because of your awareness of what you do not like, of what you see as wrong is an entire other thing. I need to take my distaste for what these offensive second class derivative artists (the Romans of our time) are doing and force my own attempt at a unique ( or at least semi unique) vision forward. I need to learn from what I hate about their photographs!
