In today's world of photography, there's a fierce debate going on whether AI art is in fact, art. On one side there are proponents of AI art that see these programs as another tool that can be used to express one's vision. On the other side are the traditionalists, who staunchly oppose AI art, arguing that it deviates from the essence of art as a medium of objective representation. Only time will tell how this plays out and how these two views learn to coexist.
The funny thing about life is that everything is cyclical. Trends are ephemeral, they come and go, then they are back only to fade away until it's rediscovered. So, the current debate about AI art is nothing new with the only thing that’s different is the medium. The argument has been here before. Part of the ongoing cycle in not only the world of art but part of the very nature of our existence. Today, there's the AI side defending their craft. Before them, digital versus analog. And once upon a time there was pictorialism versus tradition. The debate is the same as the cycle continues.
In the early days of photography, a fierce debate raged within the photography community. On one side were the proponents of pictorialism, a movement that aimed to elevate photography to the realm of fine art by embracing artistic manipulation and imitating traditional painting techniques. On the other side were the traditionalists, who staunchly opposed pictorialism, arguing that it deviated from the essence of photography as a medium of objective representation.
See where this is going? We've been down this road before. And we will be down it again.
Just like with AI art, the core opposition to pictorialism stemmed from a disagreement about the nature of photography. Early photographers believed that the essence of photography lay in capturing reality as it is. The camera was a tool for documenting objectively, free from subjective interpretation. Pictorialism threatened this. Its methods introduced manipulation and stylization that blurred the lines between reality and artistry.
In the video above from John Thornton, we get to take a glimpse into the world of pictorialism and its impact on the world of photography. The similarities to the pushback bear a striking resemblance to today's world of art. Photography has been proclaimed over and finished by the introduction of digital cameras, digital manipulation, Instagram, and the smartphone. But here it stands. The resistance against pictorialism in the early days of photography was rooted in a desire to protect the authenticity and objectivity of the medium. The resistance to new technology as a means to create art is all part of the cycle.
This "just another tool" thing is pathetic.
For me I believe photography and videography are other forms of art . Some folks believe in changing nothing in a photo . Getting it right straight out of the box . There can be all the scene set up or whatever depending upon the situation of the photo. That’s ok . But in the end it’s , to me , up to the creator to create their vision of their art. So often uncreative photographers cannot see outside of the box . So they become cynical of the “creatives” .
I myself love the out of focus areas of a picture of any type . The soft areas , the shapes , the feels they evoke, the colors or the shadows or light whatever. Whatever helps support the main subject. Sometimes the out of focus or soft areas are the subject of feeling of the picture. I like to say picture over photo . We create pictures even moving ones for the mind to ponder and emotions to feel.
Art is as they say in the eye of the beholder.
Sometimes people want to be artistic and make a total mess and call it “ impressionist” but it’s just a mess. This gets back to being uncreative just like the realist photographer. Ansle Adams created realistic images through manipulation of the image. Art . Let Art come to us in many forms and don’t let the imagination die .