some people....

I became some what frustrated by my art class earlier today.

In a crit of 5 pictures, i showed some of my recent experiments. I had been doing experimental photography as of late to sort of test what i could and couldn't do in a darkroom.

first everyone loved the "heated discusion" picture, and requested i explain how to do that trick. then after seeing my negative image and other stuff, like a print of a print reaching into a print, they harped on one picture and wouldn't let it go.

about a week ago, i tried an experiment wherein i took a roll of pictures (36) completely blindfolded. no one was there to guide me. i found an even light meterage and i blindfolded myself and slowly walked through the middle of campus taking pictures, while swinging the camera and changing the focus.

from this trial, i actually got 3 or 4 good pictures. by good i mean, well composed, aesthetically pleasing, and in focus. keep in mind that there are those in this class that haven't mastered taking focused pictures with their eyes open.

they attacked the process of taking pictures blindfolded. they asked me how dare i put this up and call it art, or myself an artist for doing it. (to set this up, i study media, in a class full of art majors or art minors). i explained i didnt claim it to be art or myself an artist.

the class debated the nature of art and what it means to be art or an artist, then took a second swing at me.

the two main people going at this took it like they had to defend art against me, when i hadn't acused it of anything. i just wanted to expand what was being done.

eventually one art major played devil's advocate and backed me up. one art minor (who takes pictures of the same house over and over) commented that anyone could do what i did. to which i replied, "if anyone could do it, how come i'm the only one who did?" this only seemed to fuel the fire from those who take pictures of their neighbors junk, or pans in the sink.

what i dont understand is why they will praise an image where i talk to myself, but shit on one where i tried a new technique. i had never taken a picture blindfolded, it sounded neet to try. to me, its no different. there is no difference between being blind and taking a picture, and making a good looking picture where i clone myself.

i thought people would appreciate this sort of experiment. guess i was wrong.