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Photography vs. Painting as Art

Which is more "artistic"; painting or photography?

Like many philosophical questions, we must dissect the question before we may begin to answer it.

Early artists practiced "art" in a fashion that was more akin to what we might call "craft" today. The Greek who created an amphora did so as much for the function of carrying water as for the creation of shape with form and balance, decorated with symbolic imagery. The purpose of a painting was to represent a person or thing. In this regard, the artist is tasked with achieving representation as the peak of his craft. Plato spoke of art as achieving the perfection of the thing in such a way that the art was embodied in its usefulness for a specific purpose.

Modern painters have achieved such skill that they can produce paintings of photo-realist quality, but one asks, "why" when there are technologies that can accomplish this task so much more effectively? (namely, photography)

There is a sort of economics of art at play when we fall into the trap of "representationalism as art". I recall an experience in an art gallery where I saw a life-size motorcycle made completely from wood. I heard someone say, "wow, $100,000 for that! I could get a "real" one for $20,000."

But nobody asks why VanGogh's Sunflowers paintings fetch $39 million when we could buy a vase of sunflowers for $39 dollars. Or why would irises cost $52 million vs. sunflowers at only $39 million when the flowers are virtually identically priced in the market?

Once we have achieved such perfection in reproduction, either through photography or photo-realistic painting, we find ourselves asking not "which is more artistic, painting or photography" but "what is art" and "how is art represented in painting and photography?" Aristotle began to elevate the discussion when he said "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." If this is true, then which achieves "the aim of art" more effectively? Painting or photography? The answer is, of course, that "it depends". It depends on how the artist/photographer chooses to compose his work of art. What items are juxtaposed? How does the lighting convey a feeling or message? What do we feel when we look at the work?

So, the answer is that one cannot say that painting or photography is "more artistic" than the other and, furthermore, one cannot say that a painting from a photo is more or less artistic than one from "plein aire" in which the artist is face to face with the subject while painting.

Introduction

This blog discusses the philosophy of art, including subjects such as art history, anthropology of art, photography vs. painting as art, the question "what is art", aesthetic perception, phenomenology of art and the creative process.

These are all topics that should be of interest to those who are actively involved in the creation of perception of art and art works. I use these terms broadly to include patrons who may commission the creation of a work of art who, nonetheless, must exercise aesthetic judgement in determining the ultimate composition of the works they are having created.

Towards that end, the first post (after this one) will discuss the distinction between photography and painting as art.