A well known “collector” once said to me that the reason they didn’t collect photography was because anyone can take a photo. And that’s pretty much true. Especially these days when everyone has a camera in their pocket.
The point for me is that while anyone can take a snap, not everyone is a photographer. Photography has to have meaning and intent behind it. I spent a month Staring at Walls for this series. Now, anyone could do the same but they didn’t. I did.
But why did I do it? I am really interested in how to make the totally mundane into something more than its initial impression. We walk by walls of all kinds every moment of every day. We live within them. But we barely notice them. The details within them is truly remarkable. The closeups here are from a single photograph.
So to the person who said “Anyone can take a photo”, I say yes they can. But that’s not an argument against photography. Anyone could draw or paint something. Every toddler has made marks on paper (or a wall). Does that make them an artist? No, of course it doesn’t. It’s not an argument any serious collector would make.
I don’t know why this insulting attitude stuck with me for so long. It’s so obviously nonsense. I think it’s because we trust that people who talk loudly about art would actually know something about it. Clearly in the traditional art world and in web 3, this is not the case. Never has been.
Much art collecting is about money and wealth. The perceived “value” of a piece of work. Is the artist well known or well connected? Can I make money from them. Did some other “respected” art buyer say the work was good? Can I manoeuvre myself into a better position as a speculator.
None of this means anything about the value of a piece of work. Staring at Walls has no monetary value, even if I say it does. Value comes from what the market says it’s worth. We can manipulate that IF we have clout. You need influential “friends” to push your value as an artist.
Meanwhile, Staring at Walls is important. Even if it’s only to me. It is an intentional study of the most mundane of things and succeeds in showing how to look closer.
If you would like to explore the full collection, please see this post.
Thank you for taking the time to read. See you soon!
