This may seem elementary. But Franz Marc is worthy of our attention. I have been thinking of his paintings lately and they continue to amaze me. I think it is an important lesson that we realize we don't have to know what exactly is going on within the frame. I guess that's not the right way to word it.....rather, we DON'T have to explain the whole photo to the viewer. I think that a strong photo makes people ask questions. The more questions asked, the more the viewer dwells, the more they interpret. Even though I know what is contained in Franz Marc's work, I'm intrigued by his use of color and line; it seems undefined. This is an important lesson for myself in particular because I WANT, so badly, to tell my viewer what I'm about. But this is not important. Just as I could not follow my work to a gallery in New York (hopefully one day!) and tell everyone the reason for it, I cannot do so here, either. For myself, the most important thing to do is to let go. Let go, in the sense of let different intrerpretations happen. I often enter a critique thinking I know what my photos are about/should be about. But at the end of all the feedback it becomes something new and different. I think that we should really listen to one another. I often don't let those new interpretations lead my direction, but why shouldn't I? I respect Franz Marc's work in an abstract way. I know what each may represent but my eyes stay with his work for a while because it is somewhat unknown.
Monica, after reading your post and looking at your new photos, I thought they related to Franz Marc as well. I think that it is particularly present in the last one. Use of color and line are engaging. I don't think people need to be present for a strong photo to happen. But I will comment on that later.
My main question is: Do we limit the interpretations of our photographs by telling too much within the frame? Even if you consider Franz Marc's work a bit kiddish, look at how he uses color and line to keep the viewer engaged. He is not telling a story, or maybe he is, but I feel that it is open to interpretation.
1 comments:
WE TELL WAY TOO MUCH.
It actually causes a lot of cheesiness in student photography anywhere. It is quite the challenge to be subtle and not reveal everything, but when you can do it I feel it adds a unique element to a photograph. Not only is the person struggling to figure out what is in the image, they are also trying to decide why YOU did it. It's up to the viewer to determine on whether or not they want to judge you or if they want to create a feeling with your work. After all, it may mean one thing to you, but create a whole new feeling for the viewer.
I'm kind of working with this idea as well.
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