Moo Young

The debate on what makes something art goes as far back as the discovery of the first cave painting, and even then, the critics might have debated what they were meant to be. I believe that the same thing happened when the first photographic image was made some 170 years ago.

Not surprisingly, the source of objections came mainly from painters and others in the two-dimensional media, many of whom felt threatened by the photographer who could now 'draw from nature' with the supposed ease, so it seemed. There were many academics, whose sole aim was to ban photographs from salons and galleries. And though less apparent, that still happens in some quarters today.

Even as this debate continues, the purists among the photographers will argue about what constitutes real photography: silver halide or digital photography. Some feel that somehow digital imaging is simply not photography, and that film is the ultimate recording medium.

unaided eye

It does not matter to me whether I shoot on film as I have done for most of my career, or whether I shoot digital. Photography is an art form at its core, in that the end result is an image, and that image was what the photographer saw before he pressed the shutter.

That image can mirror 'reality', create abstractions of light and colour, reveal all or obscure parts of the whole, or even fool the eye. Photographers, through their choice of lens, aperture and shutter speed, can show a world unseen by the unaided eye. They can interpret the world when they snap the shutter and reinterpret it when the image is finally processed and printed.

Each photographer sees the world through a personal filter that transforms reality into an artistic statement. Each image stands on its own and has the power to evoke emotions, from anger to sentimentality, and even change attitudes about the world around us. Photographs can show us what takes place in the boardroom as well as in the bedroom, they can inspire a desire in others to pick up a camera and contribute their own vision to the world.

To me and many others in the profession, this is defining art with a camera, just as the painter does with brush, paints and canvas, or the sculptor with wood, metal and stone.

When the words 'photography' and 'art' are linked together with art represented with a capital 'A' it makes me somewhat uneasy. And when I see photography relegated to the place of a second cousin in the art world, I believe that the time has come for photography to find its rightful place and not be treated as second class.

Many critics, collectors and even some curators have yet to come to the fact that photography is indeed an art: a blend of art and science, technique and vision that is unique among the visual arts. Every photograph has an element of art to it and, as artists, we impact our own style in capturing that image in the same way that we can tell who produced a particular painting.

pursuing dreams

It all boils down to the fact that while a painting may be worth a few million dollars over time, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The time has come for serious photographers to pursue their dreams of selling their images in the fine art photography field without trying to fight their way alongside paintings and drawings on the same wall. I believe that some galleries must now take a second look as to how they treat select photographic images and not have them sitting on a chair or piled up on a table in a secluded corner, only to be overlooked by potential buyers of art.

I must congratulate Christopher Issa, a man of vision and owner of the new Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, for taking a bold, personal decision. He personally selected some choice images from the port-folio of a few top Jamaican photographers to help decorate and complement the mood of each bedroom. These beautifully framed black and white original photographs will be remembered, long after each guest has checked out. Chris, I believe you made the right choice and a bold decision. Ole!

Still life photography, Howard Moo Young.