The Real Thing

I do not think many realize how much a photograph distorts a work of art. Today we rely on photography to study and view works of art and architecture in other parts of the world without a thought to how this effects the art itself. We believe so wholly in the notion that a camera can produce a realistic and truthful representation that we do not stop to consider its limitations. A photograph cannot substitute the real thing. We lose so much of the experience including colour, texture, detail, scale, and presentation. A photograph can alter all of these aspects of a painting, which may not seem so crucial at first but consider this. A bad photo can alter the colour to look completely different from the original. Just do a search for a painting, I'm sure you will come up with several colour variations for the same work. In a photo we cannot see the brushstrokes and the texture they create on the canvas, which is so important for artists such as Claude Monet who uses thick blobs of paint that stand out from the canvas. His water lilies are nearly 3 dimensional! The scale is one of the biggest distortions. The scale of a work has an incredible influence on how the artwork is viewed. An example of this is Jacques Louis David's work Coronation of Napoleon.

It is not very impressive at this size, but in actuality it's 20 x 32 feet! That's huge! Presentation also has an effect. Where is the frame in this image? It's been completely excluded from the image. A frame has a major role in how a piece of art is viewed because it borders the painting and compliments the work. A dramatic or minimal frame will produce different effects. Similarly, no frame also has an effect. Considering how much we lose in a 2 dimensional artwork, just think how much detail we lose when looking at a photograph of a 3 dimensional sculpture and buildings!

I feel such a frustration for those people who do not see what they are missing. I wonder at them. Why would you not want to experience these amazing pieces of artistic expression?! I realize not everyone is as enthusiastic about art as I am, but I believe that is due, in part, to intimidation. A lot of people brush off art because they feel they don't understand it; especially modern art. Many people don't know what to think when confronted with it. I understand that. But what I don't understand is how this prevents someone from appreciating it.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you are able, go and see the art and architecture of the world. Don't rely on a photograph to show you the art of the world. It won't do it justice!

Art for art's sake, with no purpose, for any purpose perverts art. But art achieves a purpose which is not its own.

- Benjamin Constant