I'm almost 80 now and have been involved in photography since I was 15 years old, getting paid for my efforts most of the time. I go back as far as doing weddings with a Speed Graphic, cut film holders and #5 flashbulbs. I made commercial 8X10 contact prints in a printing frame by dodging and burning in areas with the use of cut up tissue paper below the printing frame. After I retired I entered my "fun work" in various juried art show and actually sold my artistic work. Today I went to a large art show that is run by a much respected artists group. I was shocked and truly surprised by the lack of quality of the things that I saw .Everything was over-corrected and photo-- shopped. Nothing was in focus. Color was not corrected, it was distorted. Images of buildings were bent and twisted. I need to ask why! Is this movement to abstract images a genuine part of photography. Is it art? Does it belong in a show with real photos?

Interesting subject for discussion. I was tweaking some pics of autumn colors on the computer yesterday and felt a little like I was cheating, creating fakes that were more colorful than the reality. As for art, I have always preferred a certain amount of realism, but also like some works by Magritte, Dali, Picasso and others. I believe Maplethorpe's intent is to offend so I call what he does "protest" not "art." The art of photography is seeing and capturing and, yes, manipulating images to please ourselves and/or an audience.

I'm almost 80 now and have been involved in photography since I was 15 years old, getting paid for my efforts most of the time. I go back as far as doing weddings with a Speed Graphic, cut film holders and #5 flashbulbs. I made commercial 8X10 contact prints in a printing frame by dodging and burning in areas with the use of cut up tissue paper below the printing frame. After I retired I entered my "fun work" in various juried art show and actually sold my artistic work. Today I went to a large art show that is run by a much respected artists group. I was shocked and truly surprised by the lack of quality of the things that I saw .Everything was over-corrected and photo-- shopped. Nothing was in focus. Color was not corrected, it was distorted. Images of buildings were bent and twisted. I need to ask why! Is this movement to abstract images a genuine part of photography. Is it art? Does it belong in a show with real photos?

Hey Guys,
I'm new to the forum. I've been lurking for sometime
and since I came to photography from a "fine art" background of painting and drawing, thought I might chime in and throw in my two cents worth on this thread.
Marvin, when imagery is submitted into the realm of art, it doesn't have to "represent" any thing in particular. It can and probably should be, it's own particular creature, as long as it is visually engaging. When involved with art and particularly contemporary art, one has to maintain "aesthetic distance" and proceed with an open mind. Contemporary art, by it's very nature, has a tendency to push the envelope of acceptability. There are no rules, as long as you have bothered to learn them in the first place before rejecting them and proceeding into more challanging propositions. Abstraction is a relative term. Some of the greatest paintings, drawings and photographs that consist of recognizable subject matter operate visually with an abstract scaffolding that hold the picture together.
With regards to a reason for exhibiting pictures as the primary motive being sales - in a word - No - Sales are secondary, after all manner of aesthetic considerations involving one's own point of view, or at least should be. Unlike other commercial categories of photography, like product, special event, fashion,sports and others which require just as much, if not more skill and camera craft and are respectable and honorable ways to make a living, pictures produced as fine art photography really have absolutely no intrinsic value what so ever. Exposure to the ongoing, fickled referendum of the art world is required to have a value attached.
I think everybody knows that at this point, the greed factor and lack of arbitration of quality, in the fine art world is as out control as in general in our culture. Hope that helps Marvin. Forgive me if that sounds like a snotty art lecture. It's difficult to address this subject without coming off as such.

I'm almost 80 now and have been involved in photography since I was 15 years old, getting paid for my efforts most of the time. I go back as far as doing weddings with a Speed Graphic, cut film holders and #5 flashbulbs. I made commercial 8X10 contact prints in a printing frame by dodging and burning in areas with the use of cut up tissue paper below the printing frame. After I retired I entered my "fun work" in various juried art show and actually sold my artistic work. Today I went to a large art show that is run by a much respected artists group. I was shocked and truly surprised by the lack of quality of the things that I saw .Everything was over-corrected and photo-- shopped. Nothing was in focus. Color was not corrected, it was distorted. Images of buildings were bent and twisted. I need to ask why! Is this movement to abstract images a genuine part of photography. Is it art? Does it belong in a show with real photos?