Comments on: Choiceful tool use http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html a multi-disciplinary dialog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:42:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Karl Ziper http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3200 Karl Ziper Tue, 02 Jan 2007 09:35:42 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3200 As an amateur in photography, it is nice to hear a professional saying, limit your equipment. With a limited choice of tools, it is nice to feel that I can make a virtue of necessity. Doug, your comments on tool use remind me of my experience with historical artist pigments. It is impossible to understand the painting techniques of old masters like Jan van Eyck using modern synthetic ultramarine blue, for example, or using synthetic alizarine crimson. Robin, You wrote "The true artists facilitate transformation by integrating the new into the old." That is a provocative and inspirational statement. I'll be thinking about that one . . . Doug, It is interesting to think about how much of the photographer's art is out of his/her control. It is interesting to think about how to change that. For example, why don't you build your own camera, if the body is so important to your work? As to experimenting, that is the basis of both art and science. Art without experimentation is art without risk, and to me that means "craft" rather than "art." But that is not to say that a person needs to experiment with every aspect of their art at one time. To the contrary, <a href="http://www.artandperception.com/2006/10/artist-constraints-are-your-friends.html" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">constraints are an artist's friends</a>, I believe. I think Doug's advice could be exactly the right advice for many photographers; I'll need to learn more about this art form before I can decide for myself. As an amateur in photography, it is nice to hear a professional saying, limit your equipment. With a limited choice of tools, it is nice to feel that I can make a virtue of necessity.

Doug,

your comments on tool use remind me of my experience with historical artist pigments. It is impossible to understand the painting techniques of old masters like Jan van Eyck using modern synthetic ultramarine blue, for example, or using synthetic alizarine crimson.

Robin,

You wrote “The true artists facilitate transformation by integrating the new into the old.” That is a provocative and inspirational statement. I’ll be thinking about that one . . .

Doug,

It is interesting to think about how much of the photographer’s art is out of his/her control. It is interesting to think about how to change that. For example, why don’t you build your own camera, if the body is so important to your work?

As to experimenting, that is the basis of both art and science. Art without experimentation is art without risk, and to me that means “craft” rather than “art.” But that is not to say that a person needs to experiment with every aspect of their art at one time. To the contrary, constraints are an artist’s friends, I believe. I think Doug’s advice could be exactly the right advice for many photographers; I’ll need to learn more about this art form before I can decide for myself.

]]> By: Steve http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3098 Steve Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:27:35 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3098 Though fads there have always been, I wonder whether we are seeing one consequence of the digital "revolution": a huge increase in the number of people that have essentially pro-level equipment, a willingness to spend money on more, and a lack of direction artistically. Perhaps, for some, a sense of direction will emerge out of experimentation. I do think the ability to control focus is a special aspect of photography that has great aesthetic potential, but my poorly informed impression is that Lensbabies, as commonly used, promote greater uniformity of treatment, rather than greater diversity. I don't feel I have time to find out; are there decently filtered collections anywhere? Though fads there have always been, I wonder whether we are seeing one consequence of the digital “revolution”: a huge increase in the number of people that have essentially pro-level equipment, a willingness to spend money on more, and a lack of direction artistically.

Perhaps, for some, a sense of direction will emerge out of experimentation. I do think the ability to control focus is a special aspect of photography that has great aesthetic potential, but my poorly informed impression is that Lensbabies, as commonly used, promote greater uniformity of treatment, rather than greater diversity. I don’t feel I have time to find out; are there decently filtered collections anywhere?

]]> By: Robin Shapiro http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3088 Robin Shapiro Fri, 29 Dec 2006 03:04:27 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3088 The same thing happens in the psychotherapy field. Fads come and go. The good therapists make it work. The good techniques stick around, because they work. Old timers of many stripes call anything new a "fad" and then discount it, even the good stuff. The true artists facilitate transformation by integrating the new into the old. And the politics and arguments will never stop. The same thing happens in the psychotherapy field. Fads come and go. The good therapists make it work. The good techniques stick around, because they work. Old timers of many stripes call anything new a “fad” and then discount it, even the good stuff. The true artists facilitate transformation by integrating the new into the old. And the politics and arguments will never stop.

]]> By: June http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3058 June Thu, 28 Dec 2006 03:02:31 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3058 Doug, Ouch! You hit a sore spot. Among people who do quilted work, anything new, glitzy, faddish, or expensive seems to roll through the artists and wannabees, until you can almost tell the year of production by the techniques and tools. I have succumbed, myself, to some of the fads -- I have an Epson 7600 printer to print on fabric that I love; sometimes I use fancy threads. But the trick (or the art) is in integrating the new with your own visual style and ideas. I think that can only be done over time and generally with lots of poor or ultimately banal stuff in the intervening spaces. The quilt tool world exploded in the last 10 --20 years; it's both fun and annoying to see what comes of the latest fads. And thanks for introducing me to the Lensbaby. Gee, to think that a whole era of start-up and passe went by without my knowing anything about it....<snort> Doug,

Ouch! You hit a sore spot. Among people who do quilted work, anything new, glitzy, faddish, or expensive seems to roll through the artists and wannabees, until you can almost tell the year of production by the techniques and tools.

I have succumbed, myself, to some of the fads — I have an Epson 7600 printer to print on fabric that I love; sometimes I use fancy threads. But the trick (or the art) is in integrating the new with your own visual style and ideas. I think that can only be done over time and generally with lots of poor or ultimately banal stuff in the intervening spaces.

The quilt tool world exploded in the last 10 –20 years; it’s both fun and annoying to see what comes of the latest fads.

And thanks for introducing me to the Lensbaby. Gee, to think that a whole era of start-up and passe went by without my knowing anything about it….<snort>

]]> By: birgit http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3055 birgit Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:16:11 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3055 Doug, <em> 90% of my photos I take with one camera body and one lens </em> What lens do you use? Doug,
90% of my photos I take with one camera body and one lens

What lens do you use?

]]> By: Birgit Zipser http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3031 Birgit Zipser Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:10:00 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3031 Reading yesterday on Colin's website about printing monochrome picture made me afraid to even try it. It sounds too frustrating. Having done plenty of darkroom work, I remember how exciting it was watching images appear in their magically way. Reading yesterday on Colin’s website about printing monochrome picture made me afraid to even try it. It sounds too frustrating.

Having done plenty of darkroom work, I remember how exciting it was watching images appear in their magically way.

]]> By: Colin Jago http://artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3029 Colin Jago Tue, 26 Dec 2006 20:59:46 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2006/12/choiceful-tool-use.html#comment-3029 Doug, One of the issues here is, I think, when to stop experimenting. <a href="http://www.auspiciousdragon.net/photowords/?p=288" rel="nofollow">Doing gear</a> is partly about learning the craft, but also leads to the seductive call of the new, or fashionable - the Lensbaby effect. By 'stop experimenting' I don't mean stop for ever, which would be silly advice, but to stop for long enough to see if there is a voice there. Doug,

One of the issues here is, I think, when to stop experimenting. Doing gear is partly about learning the craft, but also leads to the seductive call of the new, or fashionable - the Lensbaby effect.

By ’stop experimenting’ I don’t mean stop for ever, which would be silly advice, but to stop for long enough to see if there is a voice there.

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