Colour in the streets

[Allen Herbert]

Many great colour street photographers.

But the Art has always been about B/W.to this day.

 

[Nick D.]

On 2/18/2023 at 4:42 PM, Allen Herbert said:

Many great colour street photographers.

But the Art has always been about B/W.to this day.

 

William Eggleston is an American photographer. He is widely credited with increasing recognition for color photography as a legitimate artistic medium.

[Allen Herbert]

But the Art has always been about B/W.to this day.

That throw away statement by myself only refers to street photography. My Bad.

History repeats itself time and time again...nothing really changes The history of street photography has always been about B/W as pertained till today..

Henri Carter Bresson print in B/W or colour?Where would your coin go.? 

 

[inoneeye]

Today The barriers that existed to lack of recognition of exceptional color street photography is only self imposed. Stagnant.There are many great and successful color street photographers creatively and commercially.

color street work was a challenging layer that was technically and creatively taken on decades ago. It evolved…. recognition and success followed. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by inoneeye

[Allen Herbert]

"There are many great and successful color street photographers creatively" Iononeeye

Indeed, since the conception of colour photography that has been true. But, there's always a but. So, a B/W from Henri Cartier Bresson or a Colour print from him? What would you choose in the real word? A obvious answer.

Reality , B/W it dominates street photography.. B/W is consider a truer form of street photography as it removes the distraction of colour, and enables the viewer to enjoy the character and essence of the photograph.

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[Allen Herbert]

"Today The barriers that existed to lack of recognition of exceptional color street photography is only self imposed. "Ioneeye.

Bottom line it is all about the commercial world. They decide as a business not some wordsmith on the web..

Hello, real world.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[samstevens]

[Dustin McAmera]

... and do I see you flogging that horse in colour? Aha! See? See?

[Allen Herbert]

Funny armchair folk;)

 

 

[Allen Herbert]

Got to love them.

[Allen Herbert]

Someone got to help them out of their rocking chairs and help them tie their shoe laces

[Allen Herbert]

they decide as a business not some wordsmith on the web..

Hello, real world.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[Allen Herbert]

Is that that photo, I posted, of you Fred? Or, you mate Dusty? Just a bit of banter

;))

[Allen Herbert]

Personally, for me ,it is about the content of the photograph, little else.

However, I cannot help thinking that Street Photography is very much steeped in B/W photography.. 

So, a website offering B/W Patinum Palladiemt film prints , or Iphone prints....what would be the most succesful in the commercial. world?

 

 

[machts gut]

Allen, you are repeating yourself and you mistake the art market for art. Is it just the american way to value only what makes money? I hope not. But you are not even providing figures, just your perception of the so called market.

[samstevens]

21 minutes ago, machts gut said:

you are repeating yourself and you mistake the art market for art. Is it just the american way to value only what makes money

Believe me, there are plenty of Americans who know the difference.

Why the presumption that you’re speaking to an American or that one person’s opinion represents a nationality? 

You’ve made sound rhetorical and aesthetic observations but fumbled on the socio/political field.

Edited March 2, 2023 by samstevens

[mikemorrellNL]

Good question that has drawn some good and thought-provoking responses. Your question provoked me to read up more (on internet) about 'art photography'.  There are of course different opinions. But the differences have definitely given me a wider perspective, so thank you for that

Just my 4 cts (IMHO):

- The question of 'what is art?' (in general) has been floating around forever without any generally agreed conclusion ever having been reached;  So I'm definitely not weighing in on this 🙂. As far as I'm aware, much of what (retrospectively) is considered 'art' has to do with a) innovation/variation in insights, artistic processes (think perspective, 'realistic artists', impressionists, cubists, etc.), and b) innovation in vision, message and/or content matter (think Warhol, Damien Hurst, Jeff Koons, Tracy Emin, enz). And/or a) and b). 

- IMHO, a similar process applies to photographers now considered 'artists'. For their insight, innovation/variation (at the time) on established processes and/or content matter. At least (as with most artists) the insight/innovations/variations that gained some publicity😉. So IMHO, some street photography can be considered as artistic according to the criteria above (for example Henri Cartier-Bresson, Winogrand - both of whom were innovative both in 'content' and (photographic) process - but believe me, the vast majority of 'street photos' posted on photo sites really don't have any artistic value!

- I totally agree with previous posters who point out that today's 'street photographers' often opt for B/W because they IMHO believe that they're conforming to an older 'street photography' tradition. And that publishing B/W photos somehow 'legitimizes' their photos as 'street photos'.

- FWIW, I'm in no way averse to B/W photos! I also sometimes publish photos in B/W. But my motivation is always 'does this photo look better in color or B/W?' rather than publishing in B/W to conform to imagined historic standards of a certain 'genre'.

So to come back to your original question, yes I think that B/W in street photography is sometimes a 'snobbish Art' but perhaps more often a (misplaced) 'desire to conform' to a long past B/W tradition.

Edited March 2, 2023 by mikemorrellNL

[samstevens]

3 minutes ago, mikemorrellNL said:

The question of 'what is art?' (in general) has been floating around forever without any generally agreed conclusion ever having been reached;  So I'm definitely not weighing in on this 🙂.

Lack of resolutions to big questions often keeps people from weighing in and I totally understand that. I like those questions best! It's not necessarily about the goal (the answer) but about the process of questioning and considering a variety of answers. Thinking about art can inspire me to be creative myself. Wondering about these questions, even pondering all sorts of answers I would probably disagree with, gets my juices flowing and puts me in a certain frame of mind to see the world in various ways and to consider ways of transposing that world via photography.

Historically speaking, innovation is a relatively minor aspect of art and a more recent addition to art definitions, though I agree it can be important and exciting. Early understandings of art related it to beauty. The symbolism of art was important during many periods. Art as expression has had significance. There's a relatively modern (the 1960s) approach to art, fathered by Arthur Danto, that defines art by the "art world". The "art world" is a collection of artists, critics, influencers, curators, patrons, donators, purchasers, museum owners, etc. who he believed, collectively, determined what art was. This isn't necessarily the same as the commercial art marketplace because many critics and influencers, and curators, etc. were less concerned with what sells than other things about art. There's a place for the commercial art marketplace in these discussions, though not an outsized place.

I like thinking about art with its many definitions and don't necessarily have to fall on one to be content. And, while originality or innovation is often to be admired and has a role in art, the things I tend to look for are authenticity, commitment, passion, and personality (and by the latter I mean both style and that the work produced seems both to come from a personal place in the maker and reaches a personal place in me). Now, of course, any one of those qualities can be argued about. And that's ok. Because there is often a sense of argument to art, both in the sense of convincing and in the sense of transgression.

So, not all or even most art I like is innovative. So much great art is, if not actually derivative, at least heavily influenced by what's come before. Much art is in some sense a linking of expression throughout the ages, homages to and building upon what's come before. Less frequently, but most admirably and effectively and necessarily, does an artist really create a rift, a true break, from the past.

[samstevens]

Anyway, regardless of what art is and regardless of any claims as to what street photography art is, I can personally attest to the fact that there's color in both the streets and in pics of them ... and that's good enough for me.

leaving 7-eleven

[Dustin McAmera]

 

[Allen Herbert]

"you are repeating yourself and you mistake the art market for art. Is it just the American way to value only what makes money. Members.

Indeed, not just the American market all markets. The real reality is those who are in the Business of Art decide what is Art. It is a commercial business not any different from selling cell phones or ice cream. Marketing.!  Huge profits are made in selling established Art.

"innovation is a relatively minor aspect of art and a more recent addition to art definitions" Members

Sometimes Art is forced onto different parameters. Indeed, many of what we call the greats were all about innovation. Banksy, is a classic example of Art, which has been forced the establishment to recognize  his work as Art...you can equally say the same of many of the masters . I say old chap, a graffiti person smearing walls , with paint. Should be locked up. Then, as a rarity, in Art, the public votes. 

Going back to my original post is Art about as much about process as Imagination. Indeed, is the process is equally about the imagine.

Apologies for the endless paragraphs but I am Dyslexic. Think, eveytime you are writing a sentence  ,you are joining 4 rubric cubes together simultaneously

Thanks for the photo, Sam. Enjoyed.

.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

9 hours ago, machts gut said:

Allen, you are repeating yourself and you mistake the art market for art. Is it just the american way to value only what makes money? I hope not. But you are not even providing figures, just your perception of the so called market.

Correct if I'm wrong, but I believe Allen is a proper (or improper) subject of the Crown.

 

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

Color in the streets.

[machts gut]

21 hours ago, samstevens said:

Believe me, there are plenty of Americans who know the difference.

Why the presumption that you’re speaking to an American or that one person’s opinion represents a nationality? 

You’ve made sound rhetorical and aesthetic observations but fumbled on the socio/political field.

Touché. I've gone too far with my assumptions.

[machts gut]

14 hours ago, Allen Herbert said:

"you are repeating yourself and you mistake the art market for art. Is it just the American way to value only what makes money. Members.

Indeed, not just the American market all markets. The real reality is those who are in the Business of Art decide what is Art. It is a commercial business not any different from selling cell phones or ice cream. Marketing.!  Huge profits are made in selling established Art.

"innovation is a relatively minor aspect of art and a more recent addition to art definitions" Members

Sometimes Art is forced onto different parameters. Indeed, many of what we call the greats were all about innovation. Banksy, is a classic example of Art, which has been forced the establishment to recognize  his work as Art...you can equally say the same of many of the masters . I say old chap, a graffiti person smearing walls , with paint. Should be locked up. Then, as a rarity, in Art, the public votes. 

Going back to my original post is Art about as much about process as Imagination. Indeed, is the process is equally about the imagine.

Apologies for the endless paragraphs but I am Dyslexic. Think, eveytime you are writing a sentence  ,you are joining 4 rubric cubes together simultaneously

Thanks for the photo, Sam. Enjoyed.

.

I was critizised for my assumption of the american ruled market and the critique was right!

But I won't accept your definition of art as defined by the market. I am a regular reader of a german photo magazine that publishes all sorts of approaches to commercial and art photograpghy https://photonews.de/ and although there is a strong bias towards professional photography many of the photos published will probably never find a buyer but influences other photographers. Second most street photography exhibitons I visited the last maybe 10 years showed more colour than b&w. Again I think it's your own perception of a diverse scene.