I put my thinking together from concepts that are less than clear. I put my phrases together with words whose meanings are less than certain. I don’t see tables, I don’t see chairs, I see only works of art. I have no alternative lifestyle. For me, every day is Sunday. The sorting out of our feelings gives an order. Another image can be made from the same parts. The more often we photograph the same thing, the less freshly we do it. A straight line in the right place can bring us to tears. Knowing what you’re doing just increases the obligations. Watching someone else’s troubles allows us to relax. Honor mother and father, and leave home. A person in a hurry is like a key, fitting only one thing. Nourishment is to live that which is unsaleable, that which cannot be formulated Be more concerned with the quality of acts than the quality of art. Every time you do something really worthwhile, you need to absorb it, to recover from the shock.
The passage reflects Adams’s philosophy on art and perception, focusing on how we see the world and what gives life meaning. Some key themes include:
- Subjective perception: Adams emphasizes that meaning is not inherent in objects but is created by the observer. For example, “I don’t see tables, I don’t see chairs, I see only works of art” suggests a profound, subjective shift in perception where the ordinary is transformed into something meaningful and beautiful.
- The creative process: Adams warns that repetition dulls creativity with the line, “The more often we photograph the same thing, the less freshly we do it”.
- Art beyond the aesthetic: The essay elevates the quality of one’s actions over the creation of art itself. The line “Be more concerned with the quality of acts than the quality of art” suggests that the way one lives is the highest form of artistic expression.
- The struggle and rewards of creation: Adams touches on the exhaustion that comes with truly meaningful work. He writes, “Every time you do something really worthwhile, you need to absorb it, to recover from the shock,” indicating that worthwhile creations require a deep expenditure of self.
- Presence and nourishment: The idea of “nourishment is to live that which is unsaleable” speaks to the value of experiences that cannot be commodified or easily categorized. It’s about finding sustenance in unformulatable, present-moment reality.
Source: Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values is a 1981 collection of eight essays by the renowned photographer and writer Robert Adams, originally published by Aperture. The book offers a critical appreciation of photography, exploring its aesthetic qualities and philosophical implications through a calm yet passionate voice. Adams defends a “traditional” understanding of beauty, rooted in the photographer’s dedication to revealing underlying form and order within both the American West and the human experience, even amidst apparent chaos and destruction.
The quotes above are by American artist and photographer Robert Adams. The lines are excerpts from his collection of essays, Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values, published in 1981.
Key aspects of the book:
Author: Robert Adams, a distinguished American photographer known for his documentation of the altered American landscape and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.
Content: A collection of eight insightful essays that question photography’s role in the arts and provide a “rare book of criticism” alive to the “pleasure and mysteries of true exploration”.
Themes:
The nature of beauty: Adams defends the idea that beauty can be found in the underlying order and structure that persists even in seemingly chaotic or damaged environments.
The American landscape: The essays reflect Adams’s lifelong engagement with the American West, particularly its transformation by human activity, and his search for meaning within this altered landscape.
The photographer’s role: Adams views the photographer as an artist and craftsman, whose work serves a double mission to “instruct and delight,” finding a basis for affirmation within truth.
Critical appraisal: The book challenges conventional photography criticism by offering an illuminating corrective to “pieties and pettiness” through Adams’s clear, logical, and graceful insights.
Significance:
Beauty in Photography is considered a classic and vital work for any serious photographer or anyone interested in the aesthetics and meaning of photography.
The essays provide a deep insight into Adams’s own creative process and his profound commitment to photography as a tool for understanding and affirming human existence.
About the source:
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