by Marisa Mizunaka

Photography is a relative infant in the world of art, and yet it is an art form that dominates our attention in the current culture. Photography is unique in that we participate daily in both the consumption and creation of images. As one of the most accessible tools to the modern adult, photography is capable of offering so much in terms of remembrance, celebration, and legacy. I posit to you that photography in its most compelling, powerful form is one that functions not just as a communication tool, nor as a beautiful image, but as “utilitarian art.” How can we leverage photography to go beyond its cultural value and contribute to remembrance in our lives?

Photography As Aesthetic

Photography has only been around for about two hundred years. When it was first introduced, many classical artists doubted its worth, an art critic going so far to say that photography was “art’s most mortal enemy” (Baudelaire, The Salon of 1859). 

Photography is very much based in aesthetics, being a visual medium. At its worst, purely aesthetic photography has no substance but only a superficial beauty. It is what Baudelaire from the above quote feared most--that people would be so in awe of the medium that ‘true art’ would be forgotten. His fears, I admit, are not unfounded. This quote, in particular, is an eerie narrative of what social media can be,

“And now the faithful says to himself: “Since photography gives us every guarantee of exactitude that we could desire… then photography and Art are the same thing:’ From that moment our squalid society rushed, Narcissus to a man, to gaze at its trivial image on a scrap of metal. A mad­ness, an extraordinary fanaticism took possession of all these new sun-worshippers… A thousand hungry eyes were bending over the peepholes of the stereoscope, as though they were the attic-windows of the infinite.”

Indeed, aesthetic photography is beautiful, as the name suggests. The problem is that it has no story, no substance, and henceforth no power. Now enters photography as a tool.

Photography As A Tool

The prime example of this, is my dad. He is an engineer, someone who delights in all things practical. His camera roll is full of photos of his projects and needless to say, they are not titillating. The fascinating thing to me is that he shows his photos to people and uses them to start conversations about his life. The beauty of using photography as a tool is the personal pleasure of memory, sharing your experience, and connecting with people through the feeling of “being there.”

However, the reality of our culture is that the images we contribute to it are quickly viewed and even more quickly forgotten. Even our own created images are promptly put in the trash to make room for more. The culture of photography today, most generally, is momentary. Purely utilitarian images are single-use--taken, shown, discarded, and forgotten as quickly as it was made.

Photography As An Art

Photography as an aesthetic lasts a moment because of its beauty. Photography as a tool lasts a moment because of its story. What if they are combined? That would be ideal, no? Curator of Photography, Natasha Egan, reflects that the crossroads in which a photograph is communicating a story captures the interest of a viewer, who in turn is listening to what it has to say: The moment of connection with an audience. The communication of a story reflects its nature as art.

This photograph from Viviane Sassen is evocative--The white sheets provide a textured, contradictingly clean and messy backdrop to the subject, a woman’s smooth face with red leaves blinding her eyes and covering her mouth. The piece is named Inhale. Even without context as to the making of the image, there are still themes and possibilities of narrative swarming in my mind--

The nature of being a woman in our world that censors the things they see and say. 

The sanitization of death in our supposedly honest culture. 

The cycle of victimization and consequential deadening of the soul. 

Many narratives come to mind as I dive into this image! It is a true experience of aesthetic storytelling.

Yet… 

There is still a piece missing. And it is you. 

Photography As Utilitarian Art

Photography as aesthetic, photography as a tool, photography as art! All are good, none ideal. 

A truly meaningful photo is one that is important to the owner. It is the personal story crystallised in a beautiful image that lasts generations.

Where photography gains its power in the individual’s life is at the crossroads where it is no longer just a skill, story or medium, but an expression. A personal piece of art that conveys story, emotion, and memory. One that lasts beyond a moment into a “powerful talisman of the past.”

A photograph that combines aesthetic and personal story turns into utilitarian art--a beautiful image that tells a powerful, personal story. This is where an aesthetic legacy begins.

So how do we apply this practise?

There are a few ways we can put this principle to work in our lives.

I would prompt you to be mindful of the images you both generate and consume. Look back on your photos. Relish in the memories. Print the ones you love. Often recall and tell your stories. Write down stories on the back of photos that you want to remember and for your family to remember.  Having beautiful, personal images doesn’t mean a thing if they are not shared, reminisced upon, and passed down.

To further explore the idea of taking and printing your own photos, I encourage you to look into the following resources.

Moment - lens and equipment for your smartphone.

Artifact Uprising - beautiful, affordable way to print archival quality photos & great blog with resources on how to shoot with your smartphone.

VSCO - easily level up your photo content.

“Take your mobile photography to the next level” - an article by Unsplash.

Resources

We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.

The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.

And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.

Read. Engage. Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.” 

So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!