In the art world what is more important – subject matter or the artists interpretation?
Does a photograph’s subject matter have to be some grand, iconic place such as El Capitan in Yosemite National Park or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City?
Sure giants of the landscape photography world such as Ansel Adams and Timothy O’Sullivan made a name for themselves with grandiose subject matter such as this but as a fine art photographer are these the only subjects worth pursuing?
Jan Groover was an American photographer who received numerous one-person shows, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which holds some of her work in its permanent collection. She trained her camera on everyday household objects that could be found in a kitchen sink.
Consider that Andy Warhol received his 15 minutes of fame by painting Campbell Soup cans and Paul Cézanne took Paris by storm with paintings of every day apples.
Subject matter doesn’t have to be grand as long as the artists brings their unique vision to the piece. A sterile, documentary, catalog type photograph of an object suitable for an Ebay listing is not going to cut it as a fine art piece.
The way a painter or fine art photographer “handles” a subject is unique attuned to their life experiences.
“In a real sense, subject matter is never a completely conscious decision, because processes go on in the brain which the brain can’t stand apart from and witness.”
Eric Maisel
The artist brings forth all they have witnessed in life, the culmination of their skill up to that point, their outlook on life, and on art. The piece is the result of experiences and their exploration of subject matters big and small.
