Preparing for the gallery exhibition was a fun experience that nicely seemed to book-end the process of creating these photographs. A couple of weeks ago when these pictures were just pieces of digital memory locked in cameras, they didn't seem like part of a social medium. However, this gallery opening took many people to put together and during that process, the social nature of photography came into view. I thought it was an interesting contrast to the constant use of online forums to display work to use the exhibition as our space to show others what we have worked on. From printing the photos, to framing them and hanging them on the wall, the experience as a whole was a great one.
Interesting that you used the phrase "social nature of photography." Often when I think of photography, I think of a lone photographer (with the except of you two, Julie and John!) in search of the perfect photograph, but that idea was definitely challenged here considering that we all worked together to offer our ideas and thoughts about each other's photograph.
ReplyDeleteHmm, puns. I like the puns.
ReplyDeleteSo, I realized when reading your post that I forgot to say something regarding the difference between experiencing work online versus in a gallery space. I know that you focused mostly on photography in your commentary, but I would say that most media seem to have a setting in which they are most "comfortable." I think that has mostly to do with what environment the media were created in, which is why, I would argue, my body of work for this show found its home online and, by default, feels out of place in a gallery space (because that was my intention and because I created my work mostly on the computer. Did that make sense at all?
Anyway, good point that context and presentation change how a work is viewed. I totally agree. Look beyond photography, though. I'd like to hear what you think of scanned-in paintings or drawings, for instance.
It's intriguing that you took the photographs and the gallery and added in the idea of social entity that comes along with photography. I agree with Ariel that photography is usually thought of as an individualistic type of art. I don't know if our gallery really made photography a "social" gathering, but the set up was definitely an artist's social club... or something.
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