Photographs at many points do convey deeper meanings and express the artist’s emotions and thoughts. In addition to expressing deeper meanings, photographs are a form of beauty. According to Jorge Luis Borges, Ruscha wrote a book that deprived photographs of the need to describe the beauty and the deep meaning in them is out of the imagination of facts (Eastman & Al, 2009). I have seen explicit photographs and do not have a story behind them, but how does a photograph become one of its kind if it doesn’t communicate anything to the viewer? However, what John Scott says about Ruscha’s photographs is interesting. I agree that some photographs about the nature of the world, like images of landscapes and rivers, are not usually a message conveyed by the artist through art. Still, art is expressed through the world and the beauty it holds. Most travelers take landscapes, and social media is flooding with how beautiful nature is. However, some people may not interpret these forms of art as others; they may not see the beauty and the art displayed in topography; instead, it is all just about topography and its predictability.
According to Nicholas Nixon, photographs are a way of describing things because, through art, photographs can explain the nature of a subject (Eastman & Al, 2009). At some point, photographs may mislead our interpretation of their subjects because they may convey meanings interpreted in many ways. However, Baltz is confident that it is mostly not about the untruthfulness in the photograph but the fragile relationship between the subject and the image. I agree with Baltz’s statement because, in many cases, I have had different opinions about what message a photograph is trying to convey. Interestingly, a photograph may express additional messages to others but only a single message to those who understand the delicate coherence of describing something through a photograph.
Lewis Baltz suggests that a good photograph involves a lack of style, just a random representation of art (Eastman & Al, 2009). I agree because, in some cases, style deprives photographs of their unique nature, as I have seen before. The writer gives an example by using two images with the same weight and appearance. By preserving uniformity in the photograph, the photographer could capture a vast section of art captured in front of the lens without making unnecessary movements. This idea is exciting and allows other photographers to grasp a fundamental new knowledge of photography that does not need to have a specific style or follow a particular formula. Baltz uses an example to capture the attention of and convince his audience that photography has more to it than its formal interpretation.
Joe Deal writes that a picture should be simple and quickly taken. According to him, images were taken strategically and with great focus, making beauty seem rare to the world. Based on modern art, it is true that most photographs taken and uploaded on social media have been added a more significant effect making nature seem like something impossible although beautiful. I agree with Deal’s idea that simplicity carries more beauty than complex photographs. For example, a picture of a stony river in the woods without more excellent effects looks appealing to the eyes. However, Deal is more thrilled about simple photographs. His interpretation of photography targets photographers who love photos with a touch of complexity to convince them of the importance of simple nature.
Robert Adams suggests that photographers go to greater extents to avoid the kind of judgment that comes with expressing art (Eastman & Al, 2009). It is almost impossible to create an image that does not develop a sense of conclusion or judgment. Interestingly, Becher’s recent work from Pennsylvania does not end in decision or judgment. However, its accuracy is far beyond artistic and becomes more scientific. Most photographs used in geography and science are almost like Becher’s work, except that pictures used in education have a conclusion. The author has taken on significant experience in photography and targets mostly photographers who take on more incredible pain to avoid judgment. Therefore, Robert concludes that ‘New Topographics’ has a central purpose of suggesting what it means to make a documentary photograph rather than exclude other pictures from their exhibition.
References
Eastman, G., & Al, E. (2009). New topographics : Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott, Stephen Shore, Henry Wessel, Jr. Steidl.
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