Thursday, November 18, 2010

Conceptual Photography

Conceptual Photography
Untitled

Conceptual Photography is a genre of photography that emphasizes on a specific concept or an idea. Artists tend to take a picture, edit it thoroughly on the computer, and place different objects where they think they should go in the photograph. The artists placement of the images build the concept or general idea that is represented through the photograph. Ideas can often be generated through symbols in conceptual photography.There is no reality to conceptual photography because it is heavily computer edited. The use of the computer allows to change placement of different objects as well as emphasize the abstraction of the photograph. 

There are two types of conceptual photography which include minimalist, and those who distinguish business within their photographs. Minimal conceptual photography focuses on a single object or concept within the picture whereas pictures who distinguish business within their photographs emphasize dozens of concepts within the photograph.


TIPSandTRICKSforCONCEPTUALPHOTOGRAPHY:
  1. create the concept
  2. symbols and props
  3. composition
  4. aesthetics: the pretty factor
  5. technical requirements

Conceptual Photography Example: Artist Ronen Goldmen photographer
Ronen Goldmen Video

Ivan Minic, Untitled.



Cited Work:


Conceptual Art
        "In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work . . . all planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes the machine that makes the art."
Sol LeWitt (American, 1928-2007), in "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art," in Artforum, summer issue, 1967.

  Conceptual art and conceptual photography are similar to one another because they both aim to represent and concept or an idea. This concept or idea become superior to materialism and material concerns. Marcel Duchamp, a Dada artist, pushed the boundaries of traditional art and showed the conceptualists a new way of looking at art. Duchamp, famous for his readymade titled Fountain, was recognized for taking found objects and claiming them as his own work of art. Conceptualists saw this break from tradition, and followed in his lead. The term "concept art" was coined in 1961 by artist Henry Flynt.
Marcel Duchamp, The Fountain, 1950
Cited Work:

Joseph Kosuth
Self-Portrait
Joseph Kosuth is an American conceptual artist who is significant for exploring the nature and theory behind art. Kosuth studied art and photography at the School of the Visual Arts in New York City and he focuses on the idea of the "fringe of art" rather than "art per se." He viewed art as a means of self- referential. Kosuth, along with artist Marcel Duchamp, questioned traditional art. He stated, "the 'value' of particular artists after Duchamp can be weighted according to how much they questioned the nature of art." 
Joseph Kosuth, One and Three Chairs, 1965

 In Kosuth's most famous work, One and Three Chairs, which depicts an actual chair, a chair, and the definition of the word chair. This piece of art digresses the concept of what a chair really is and what is represented through the text. This work is conceptual because it emphasizes on the concept of a chair and the meaning behind it. The text represents what is, and the chair represents what is in the physical form.


In addition to Kosuth's artwork, he has written several books focusing on the theme of nature and art, and he argued that art is the continuation of photography. Kosuth put on his first solo exhibition in 1969 in New York, and he also became the American editor of the Art and Language journal. Kosuth was recognized for many awards including: Frederick Weisman Award, Brandeis Award, the Menzione d'Onore at the Venice Biennale, along with other various rewards. 

Cited Work:



Sophie Calle
Self Portrait
Sophie Calle is not only a French conceptualist photographer but also an installation artist, conceptual artist, as well as a writer. She often places herself in photographs with fictional characters, and she creates a personal narrative through her photographs. When photographing, she tends to capture human vulnerability as well as intimacy and she tends to work with handwritten text within her photographs. When she is photographing, she has been known to follow around strangers and investigate and capture their lifestyles. She began observing strangers abroad and focused on their identity. Adding to her stalking madness, she has been known to stalk a man in Venice as well as invite random strangers into her bed to photograph. This lady was truly mad! Through her photographs the viewer can recognize the theme of fact versus fiction.
Sophie Calle, Take Care of Yourself, date unknown
In Calle's work Take Care of Yourself, Calle photographs a random stranger in her bed full of various animals. This conceptual photograph touches on the idea that Calle seems to most represent which is identity. Beyond identity, due to the fact that the woman represented is in seductive clothing in a bed, we can also explore the idea of intimacy. Calle uses the computer to edit and enhance the photograph, placing various animals around the bed as to where she thinks the concept will be grasped the most. The woman represents a purity due to the animals around her, but also gives off a scandalous vibe due to her facial expression as well as her attire. 

Calle has been teaching since 2005 as a professor of film and photography at the European Graduate School in Switzerland.
Sophie Calle, Les Dormeurs, 1979



Cited Work:

Sherrie Levine

Sherrie Levine is an American born photographer as well as an appropriation artist. When photographing, Levine was recognized for focusing on re-photography as well as collage. She began her photography venture by taking pictures of magazines and books and glueing them onto masks. From this, she moved onto copying artists work and using various artists ideas to create her own art. The purpose of her re-photography was to initiate personal interpretation. She has made copies of artists paintings such as : William de Kooning, Walker Evans, and Edward Weston. Through photography, Levine introduced representational imagery into her work. Not much information is broadcasted about Sherrie Levin because she does not want to take part in the false myths that come with art production.
Sherrie Levine, Fountain, 
In Sherrie Levine's Fountain, she borrows Marcel Duchamp's idea of his urinal readymade called Fountain. Here, Levine like Duchamp strays away from the traditional artistic values and focus on borrowed art made with readymades. She tries to conceptualize the fact that an already found and made object can be represented as her own. She pushes the boundaries straying away from the traditional.

Cited Work:

Cindy Sherman
Self-Portrait 
Cindy Sherman is an American conceptual photographer as well as a film director who is recognized for her conceptual photographs representing women in society as well as the nature of the creation of art. Sherman's interest in photography sparked while she was studying at Buffalo State College; from here she became highly interested in conceptual art. In the earlier years of Sherman's career, she began photographing herself playing dress-up in costume attire. For example, in 2003 a photographic series featured Sherman dressed as a clown. These photographs that Sherman took of herself were part of a film series which is one of her most well recognized works titled Untitled Film Stills. Through these photo's, Sherman represents herself as a B-movie actress role dressed in playful clothes, wigs, and hats playing the role of different characters. 
Cindy Sherman, Cinderella, date not announced 
In Sherman's photograph titled Cinderella, Sherman portrays individual emotional identity through her subjects gaze. Sherman depersonalizes the subject, and from her facial expression the viewer the subject seems mysterious. Sherman finds beauty in the revolting. Through this post-modernist photograph, Sherman touches on the idea and concept of Feminism. She centralizes her subject and relies on digital editing to explore the idea and concept behind feminism. The subject appears very unrealistic and computer edited. Critics view her photographs as both funny and disturbing. The subjected model almost looks plastic and fictional.


Sherman has created a number of different photographic series including one significant series titled "Sex Pictures," and this was the first time that Sherman did not use herself as a subject in her photographs. Through these sex pictures, Sherman experimented with the use of dolls as her subjects. Sherman was successful in that she achieved international success at a young age, and her artwork went onto sell for about 50,000 dollars. She has experience in the fashion industry for photographing for world-known designers such as Marc Jacobs. In 1995, Sherman received the famouns MacArthur Fellowship award. 


Sherman currently lives and works in New York City.





Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #14, 1978

Cited Work:



Barbara Kruger


Self-Portrait
Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual photographer whose work consists of experimenting with black and white. Her works are highly influenced by text and she often focuses on representing pronouns within her work. Kruger studied art at Syracuse University where she then went onto work for famous fashion magazine Conde Nast. 

When Kruger photographs, she experiments with hybrid composition. She focuses heavily on collage and borrowing text and found photographs and combining them to make up one composition. When using text, she tends to work with bold text to signify power and aggression to the viewer. Through her text she brings out themes such as feminism, consumerism, desire, and classicism. 

Barbara Kruger, Your body is a battleground, date anonymous.
In Kruger's photograph, Your body is a battleground, Kruger experiments with mass media to conceptualize the concept of feminism through her photograph. She uses a hybrid of mediums such as text, magazine clippings, and photograph to convey her idea of feminism to the viewer. She places text where she feels it will stand out against a picture of a women who is frontal and she represents an aggressive powerful gaze. The subject is centralized and frontal. 
Barbara Kruger, I shop therefore I am, date anonymous. 
Again in Kruger's photograph I shop therefore I am, Kruger uses text to emphasize the concept of consumption. She conceptualizes the photograph by digitally placing in the center of the black and white photograph. She emphasizes the text by making it stand out in color against a black and white background.


Kruger has exhibited her artwork in many museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A, the Whitney Museum, the Tate Museum, and other international museums. Along with her artwork, Kruger has written and produced many books including: Remaking History, Barbara Kruger, and Thinking of You.

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