Nothing is so simple in art as to be attributed to a single source. There is no doubt that early modernists since the Impressionists, and even earlier, used photographs, if not directly, then indirectly; if not literally, then cropped. Also the "slice of life" concept is evident in much of Degas' work and while akin to photo cropping, it often is as "contained" as in a contemporary photo. Baudelaire's critical influence was as significant as photography, especially his idea that one half of art is transitory and the other half eternal. He advised artists to be mindful that Modernity (his own invented word) is "the transitory, the fugitive, the contingent..." (1863). There are many photographs of street scenes, landscapes, even of posed figures which "slice" off parts (as any photo must)contemporary with the 1860s onward, importantly, these include the ever-growing popularity of postcard views. WC
--- On Fri, 12/12/08, Chris Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Chris Miller <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Photography and the artworld > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, December 12, 2008, 8:05 AM > After a bit of browsing on the internet, I realize that > it's common knowledge > that "Edgar Degas, by allowing the framing edge to cut > through a figure ...had > its origins in photography as does his use of extreme > angles and compressed > space." > > But I have yet to see any photographs from his period that > did that -- except > in large, outdoor crowd scenes -- as might be found in > paintings, etchings, > and even tapestries as well -- going back hundreds of > years. > > The cropped snap-snots of single figures from strange > angles came later -- > perhaps influenced by painting, rather than the other way > around. > > The more likely source for these effects would be Ukiyo-e > prints. > > Google Utamaro - and then sit back and enjoy the delights > of line drawing and > dynamic graphic design. > > The Met Museum's website page for Degas also suggests > that Italian Mannerist > painting was a source for those effects. > > (but, of course, Saul might be applying an unusual, > photocentric definition > for "framing edge" and "extreme angles" > just as he did for "blurring") > > *********** > > >Nadar's photos of paris taken from a balloon to > start with - some of the > civil war photos taken by Brady - Edward Anthony's New > york street scenes > taken from a second story window - > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Click to become a master chef, own a restaurant and make > millions. > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/PnY6rc1mKyx9FcqTfx4IOffUNGESxp > 8k8E7OGEUgKkYhWKCC0lyiI/
