The joy of photography

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

This all reminds me that in my youth I dared go through Heidegger's The Origin of the Work of Art. The first few pages are simple enough:

“The artist is the origin of the work. The work is the origin of the artist. Neither is without the other. Nevertheless, neither is the sole support of the other. In themselves and in their interrelations artist and work are each of them by virtue of a third thing which is prior to both, namely, that which also gives artist and work of art their names — art.”

After that, it gets tougher as you go along. Most intellectual fun — I should say "joy," to bring back the main subject of this thread — I ever had, even if I only understood 0,0005% of it.

OP, if you're looking for depth, I can assure you you'll find it there. But don't go too deep. Pressure down there is immense.

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

MattKing said:
Somehow I don't think you, @nikos79 , are likely to be appreciative of all the Art out there that is imbued with irony and/or sarcasm.
Which means that "Gulliver's Travels" or "The Ministry of Silly Walks" aren't your "cup of tea".
My condolences for that.

If ever there's a case for "great entertainment can be great art", it's Monty Python.

Maybe we should all get toghether and sing to Nikos79 how he should "Always look on the bright side of life" ?...

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

MattKing said:
Somehow I don't think you, @nikos79 , are likely to be appreciative of all the Art out there that is imbued with irony and/or sarcasm.
Which means that "Gulliver's Travels" or "The Ministry of Silly Walks" aren't your "cup of tea".
My condolences for that.

I liked the first since I was a child. But never thought of it as art, I just enjoyed it.
As for movies embedded with irony I generally enjoy them a lot e.g. the Triangle of Sadness being the latest coming to mind. For photography though it has to be a subtle irony like the one you find sometimes in the photos of Willy Ronis or Gary Winogrand. There it shouldn't scream. For other arts I don't have an opinion

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
If ever there's a case for "great entertainment can be great art", it's Monty Python.

Maybe we should all get toghether and sing to Nikos79 how he should "Always look on the bright side of life" ?...

Come on we all love Monty Python
P.S. I am not that rigid!

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

nikos79 said:
But never thought of it as art, I just enjoyed it.

Gulliver in the land of the Houyhnhnms isn't that entertaining.

AnselMortensen · Apr 10, 2025

"I came in here for an argument!"

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Don_ih said:
Gulliver in the land of the Houyhnhnms isn't that entertaining.

For a kid it was!

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
I dared go through Heidegger's The Origin of the Work of Art

Give Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit a try. But only if you're into drilling holes in your head.

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

nikos79 said:
For a kid it was!

Are you sure? Generally, the kids get parts 1 and 2. Parts 3 and 4 are left for those who want to be depressed.

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Don_ih said:
Are you sure? Generally, the kids get parts 1 and 2. Parts 3 and 4 are left for those who want to be depressed.

Hmm it has been 30+ years since I read it cannot say I remember much

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

Pontificating horses. Yahooing humans grazing in fields. Pretty far predated Planet of the Apes.

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

You know, it strikes me that I have a book here somewhere called The Joy of Photography...

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Don_ih said:
You know, it strikes me that I have a book here somewhere called The Joy of Photography...

No way hahaha. Does it mention any names like Lartigue or Newton?

MattKing · Apr 10, 2025

Don_ih said:
You know, it strikes me that I have a book here somewhere called The Joy of Photography...

I wonder how many millions were sold and read since it came out - in 1979 I think.
You might also have a copy of "More Joy of Photography" as well.

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

Don_ih said:
Give Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit a try.

I did way back when. Did a year studying philosphy at Montreal University in the early 90s. I'm still recovering.

Also spent three years listening to prog music in the mid 70s. Still recovering from that too. If we want to talk about meaningless art, that could be a good place to start.

But don't touch Close to the Edge. Still like Close to the Edge.

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
I did way back when. Did a year studying philosphy at Montreal University in the early 90s. I'm still recovering.

Also spent three years listening to prog music in the mid 70s. Still recovering from that too. If we want to talk about meaningless art, that could be a good place to start.

But don't touch Close to the Edge. Still like Close to the Edge.

Van der Graaf Generator?

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
I did way back when. Did a year studying philosphy at Montreal University in the early 90s. I'm still recovering.

My condolences. Hegel would've seemed like gibberish to someone without a significant background in philosophy. Painful gibberish.

Alex Benjamin said:
Close to the Edge

I never listened to much Yes - but tried Genesis. Self-indulgent is the term. But whoever said you were supposed to listen to it more than once? It was like a life experience. Take that any way you like

Don_ih · Apr 10, 2025

MattKing said:
You might also have a copy of "More Joy of Photography" as well.

I think I do, actually. Like I said elsewhere, I have all these books I bought thinking there might be something useful in them and, invariably, I only ever flipped through to look at the photos....

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

nikos79 said:
Van der Graaf Generator?

Had at least one of their albums, Pawn Heats. Remember the jacket, don't remember the music that much, except that I liked Peter Hammill's voice. I might have to take a little tour down memory lane.

Speaking of music, and keeping in line with the general theme of this thread — however obscure it has become — punk is an interesting case. Here we have an art that is pure provocation ("God save the Queen, She ain't no human being"), that checks very few of the usual boxes of criterias that we might use to define art as art, and yet, that was necessary art, extremely meaningful because only meaning.

And, to bring back joy into the conversation, extremely cathartic. Look at Chris Killip's photos of The Station. It is a joyful mess, amongst other things — how else would you have survived these times?

The Station — CHRIS KILLIP

Photographs made at The Station, Gateshead, during the summer of 1985. Published as a photobook by Steidl in 2020.

www.chriskillip.com

nikos79 · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
Had at least one of their albums, Pawn Heats. Remember the jacket, don't remember the music that much, except that I liked Peter Hammill's voice. I might have to take a little tour down memory lane.

Speaking of music, and keeping in line with the general theme of this thread — however obscure it has become — punk is an interesting case. Here we have an art that is pure provocation ("God save the Queen, She ain't no human being"), that checks very few of the usual boxes of criterias that we might use to define art as art, and yet, that was necessary art, extremely meaningful because only meaning.

And, to bring back joy into the conversation, extremely cathartic. Look at Chris Killip's photos of The Station. It is a joyful mess, amongst other things — how else would you have survived these times?

The Station — CHRIS KILLIP

Photographs made at The Station, Gateshead, during the summer of 1985. Published as a photobook by Steidl in 2020.

www.chriskillip.com

I had the H to He album from my older brother, still remember the "Killer" song.
Had no clue Chris Killip photographed also the punks! Interesting times indeed

MattKing · Apr 10, 2025

Alex Benjamin said:
Speaking of music, and keeping in line with the general theme of this thread — however obscure it has become — punk is an interesting case. Here we have an art that is pure provocation ("God save the Queen, She ain't no human being"), that checks very few of the usual boxes of criterias that we might use to define art as art, and yet, that was necessary art, extremely meaningful because only meaning.

Don_ih said:
I never listened to much Yes - but tried Genesis. Self-indulgent is the term. But whoever said you were supposed to listen to it more than once? It was like a life experience. Take that any way you like

Check your Inboxes for a Canadian music and Punk reference that frankly amazes - but is too political for this thread .

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

nikos79 said:
Had no clue Chris Killip photographed also the punks! Interesting times indeed

To add to the fascination, note that he did it with a hand-held 4x5 camera.

Alex Benjamin · Apr 10, 2025

MattKing said:
Check your Inboxes for a Canadian music and Punk reference that frankly amazes - but is too political for this thread .

We can make about photography and the joy of photographing

(Photo by Pennie Smith)

The joy of photography

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The Station — CHRIS KILLIP

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The joy of photography

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