The Influence Of Photography In The 19th Century

Photographical equipment at this pictorial was still primitive and many photographers felt that their lens’ recorded too much detail. Photographers started to employ different techniques to soften their images, their main goal was to create images that looked more abstract and with similar characteristics to paintings. This movement then transformed into naturalism where it was encouraged to treat photography as an independent art form. There was a belief that photography should be used to communicate something personal, and that the environment would be used as an inspiration.

In “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger, an English art critic, argues that images are important for the present-day by saying, “No other kind of relic or text from the past can offer such direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer literature” (10). John Berger allowed others to see the true meaning behind certain art pieces in “Ways of Seeing”. Images and art show what people experienced in the past allowing others to see for themselves rather than be told how an event occurred. There are two images that represent the above claim, Arnold Eagle and David Robbins’ photo of a little boy in New York City, and Dorothea Lange’s image of a migratory family from Texas; both were taken during the Great Depression.

Calder discovered what he wanted: “to paint and work in the abstract” (Calder, p.133). He created relief paintings such as White Panel (1934) and applied himself thereafter to creating sculptures based on the plastic dynamics of asymmetry. Calder discovered the leaders of avant-garde, the Abstraction-Creation group. Under their influence, Calder began to look into Boccioni and Moholy-Nagy’s theories, using sculptures in motion.

Sense the invention of the camera in 1826 photography has been used to document everything from family portraits, social injustice, sporting events, world news, expressions of joy and sorrow, and hundreds of monumental moments. The camera has given man the power to reveal the truth visually. Throughout history photographs have made enormous impacts on social consciousness and ultimately shaped public opinion on many pressing issues in society. Although photography is often considered a casual pastime, the invention of the camera has contributed to many aspects of history, science, and other important pieces of todays world.

Some people refer to Alfred as the father of photojournalism because his photos were good. One could observe classical balances, sharp inequalities of light and shadow, and dominant vectors of confining and expansion, as in the active movement up the street into the space and light of Times Square. Those are the artistic illusions that the photojournalists emulate up to date and will continue into the future (Clpgh.org, 2015).

The photograph is a very powerful medium. The French painter Paul Delaroche exclaimed upon seeing an early photograph “from now on, painting is dead!” (Sayre, 2000). Many critics did not take photography seriously as a legitimate art form until the 20th century. With the

Art has evolved and regenerated itself many times during our human existence. These differences are defined through changes in styles under various theories. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, a style known as Expressionism became popular. During this movement the artists were trying to use their artwork as a tool of expression toward life. It was mainly dominant in the nonrepresentational arts, such as abstract visual arts and music. It also was probably one of the most difficult movements to understand because the whole point of the piece lay within the artist. Not only was it a movement, it defined the act of art as a whole. From the beginning of time, each work of art, excluding replicas, show a way of expressing

Inspired by new born cinema and photographic studies, Nude Descending Staircase, no.2 was amongst the earliest attempts to depict motion using the medium of paint. Since its controversial showing in New York in 1913 his unique and disputable work has stirred a wide range of emotions and challenging views. Although the impact of the painting itself on other artists has been small, it still remains one of his most famous pieces, as it was this piece that kickstarted his more rebellious work.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this exhibit so much is because several pieces involved the viewer. There were two artworks of similar style that I was immediately drawn to, which I later noticed were by the same artist. Adam Fuss is the creator of these colorless photographs and though they share similar physical characteristics they have different meanings. “Untitled” (2002) was an image of a skull and “Home and the World” (2010) showed an image of a mattress. From a distance, I saw what looked like shiny aluminum surrounded by a picture frame. As I got closer I could see an image almost jumping out towards me, but only when the light was hitting it at a certain angle. I could also see my reflection in this mirror-like creation. This type of art is called a daguerreotype and is one of the earliest forms

Photographs are also manifestations of time and records of experience. Consequently, writings on photographic theory are filled with references to representations of the past. Roland Barthes (1981, 76), for instance,

What if someone was on the most stunning adventure of their life, but they left their camera at home? Or what if no one ever took a photo of a wedding, birth, or birthday? Imagine if all of the photos and videos in the world just disappeared, with nothing left but a memory. How would people remember, be aware, or know anything? Everything would be prodigiously affected from memories, to crimes, to social media. The most significant invention of the 19th century was the camera because of the extent of information it can give us.

Art critic Robert Hughes once said, “People inscribe their histories, beliefs, attitudes, desires and dreams in the images they make.” When discussing the mediums of photography and cinema, this belief of Hughes is not very hard to process and understand. Images, whether they be still or moving, can transform their audiences to places they have either never been before or which they long to return to. Images have been transporting audiences for centuries thanks to both the mediums of photography and cinema and together they gone through many changes and developments. When careful consideration is given to these two mediums, it is acceptable to say that they will forever be intertwined, and that they have been interrelated forms of

Since its inception, photography has been used to capture moments in time all around the world. This wonderful technology has existed since ancient times, and has only improved in recent history, changing society in the process.

The name "Photography" comes from the Greek words for light and writing. Sir John Herschel, was the first to use the term photography in 1839, when he managed to fix images using hyposulphite of soda. He described photography as "The application of the chemical rays to the purpose of pictorial representation". Herschel also coined the terms "negative", "positive" and "snapshot".

Photorealism is a term that characterizes the artists whose work depends heavily on photographs and mixes together the real and the unreal. For example, Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère utilizes photorealism to depict a scene from modern Parisian life: a young barmaid stands behind the bar of a bustling night-club, confronting the viewer with a worn-out, emotionless expression and seemingly awaiting her patron's order or request. The painting plays with our sense of reality by showing a strange man and the misaligned reflections of the barmaid and the champagne bottles in a mirror. Likewise, in Picture for Women, Jeff Wall emulates the internal structure of Manet’s painting and incorporates elements such as the light bulbs and and poles to give the image spatial depth. This photograph shows a reflection in the mirror of a sparse studio room split into three panels with a woman on the left, a camera framed by a window in the center, and a man walking on the right. Both images utilize reflection to breach the limits of the naked eye’s perspective and evoke a sense of mystery and ambiguity. This paper will argue that in Picture for Women and Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Jeff Wall and Manet utilize female protagonists and the motif of the mirror to examine spectatorship and movement in still art and challenge our traditional sense of reality and the concept of the male gaze.