Month: October 2017

Whilst reading the above book I very much feel it embraced true issues that occur today. The way in which it enlists specific celebrities and talent such as Kate Moss, Keira Knightly and Scarlett Johansson really does set an example to how big a problem photo editing is.  Due to having what is considered a more athletic figure Keira Knightly had editing done to create a fuller body and one that was more grown up and feminine in other words what is considered more “Sexually Appealing”.

People are so used to seeing airbrushed material that is has become a typical thing very much that editors do. It is more accepted today however, it is still something that is considered a problem due to the nature of the editing. Such bodies are impossible to achieve and therefore make younger and people less comfortable about themselves struggle to achieve something that truly is unachievable. They say reach for the stars but really, it’s like reaching for the sun and you’re never going to get there before you get burnt.

Overall the text has very much made me think about the way in which society takes editing software like Photoshop for granted. We overuse it to an extent where it’s no longer artistic but simply a contest for a front page. We should be comfortable the way we are and reaching to be like people mentally not physically.

During his book Changing Places: The rebranding of photography as contemporary art Alexandra Moschovi tells us about how photography has been perceived over time as an art form. He tells us how Alan Downess the director of The Tate Modern Gallery in London in 1982 says that he would not accept photography work unless it was an extension of a piece of art work. By this he means paintings and drawings.  Over many years photography is seen as worthless in comparison to Artwork because it can be produced in masses and therefore displayed in multiple galleries at one time. This means that in comparison to a painting people don’t travel and flock in the masses to see a specific photograph because it can be easily recreated and or printed for separate galleries. Harvey then goes on to tell us about Monopoly Rent which means that due to the mass printing of Photography people were not paying to see it in galleries because it could be bought easily and displayed within a home setting.

Over time photography did increase in popularity especially during the 80’s as we were more advanced with technology and photography became a more recognized source of Art. It slowly became more popular in Galleries and Museums because people wanted to see more realistic exhibitions as the world moved forward. This period is known as the anti-art movement. People decided that photography was more affordable and therefore was something they could display in their own home as well as seeing it in a gallery or museum.