HUMN 303 Week 6: Photography and Cinema

HUMN 303 Week 6: Photography and Cinema

The advent of photography had a significant impact on art and its perception among artists. At the core of photography was the invention of the camera in the 19^th century. The invention of the camera gave rise to new artistic movements like Impressionism and Victorianism. Using the camera, artists could capture reality, which led to a shift in perception and representation of the world or environment around them. In her article, Silva (2022) observed that because photography could depict the world more accurately than painting, artists using painting had to reinvent their art. Consequently, the focus of painters changed from representing reality to portraying emotions and impressions (Price et al., 2021). Therefore, the invention of the camera that led to widespread photography drove the reinvention of painting in the late 19^th century and during the last century.

The emerging artistic movements transformed how people thought about art. Impressionism was one of the creative movements influenced by the camera. Impressionist artists like Claude Monet, Roland Barthes, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were influenced and inspired by the camera’s capabilities to capture fleeting movements and play of light and shadow. Based on the camera effects, artists created paintings that mimicked or represented the blurred and unfocused effects of early photography (Green-Lewis, 2020). Impressionist artists would focus more on overall visual effects and not the fine details.

Claude Monet’s “Impression Sunrise” painting in 1872 provides a perfect example of the impression movement emanating from the effects of the camera and photography. In the painting, Monet captures a fleeting moment of sunrise over a harbor at Port Le Havre (Gleeson, 2023). The painting shows a bright burning orange sun rising on the horizon, casting rays of light on a calm morning with rippling waters of the port’s inlet creating small waves to anticipate the day’s activities.

The statement from a current photographer like Annie Leibovitz demonstrates the critical role of the camera invention in arts. Leibovitz notes that: “The camera makes you forget you are there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.” The statement by the photography critic shows the transformative power of the camera, as a tool not just to capture reality but also a medium for artists to gain a deeper understanding of their environment and newly and innovatively perceive the world or reality.

References

Gleeson, M. (2023). “Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise.”

https://smarthistory.org/claude-monets-impression-sunrise/.

Green-Lewis, J. (2020). Photography and/as nineteenth-century context (s). Nineteenth-Century

Contexts, 42(2), 131-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/08905495.2020.1733316

Silva, E. (2022 June 4). How Photography Pioneered a New Understanding of Art.

https://www.thecollector.com/how-photography-transformed-art/

Price, D., & Wells, L. (2021). Thinking about photography: debates, historically and now. In

Photography (pp. 11-82). Routledge.

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Week 6Photography and Cinema

Discussion

Required Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

• Textbook: Chapter 11
• Lesson 1, 2
• Minimum of 1 primary or scholarly source (from photographer or critic – either will count as your scholarly source requirement for discussions)

Initial Post Instructions

For the initial post, address one of the following options:

Option 1: In the 19th century, the camera was a revolutionary invention, and many artists were concerned about the effect that photographs would have on the art world.

• Did the invention of the camera change the arts? Why or why not?
• Choose an artistic movement that you believe was influenced by the camera and discuss how the movement was affected.
• Include at least one example of an artist and artwork in your response.
• Include a statement from a current photographer or critic to support your points.

Option 2: In the 21st century, the smartphone camera changed the way we use and view photography. In addition, apps and social media have changed the way we share photography.

• How has the invention of the smartphone camera changed photography?
• How have apps and social media changed the way we share photos? Are they positive and/or negative changes? Explain.
• Include a statement from a current photographer or critic to support your points.

Follow-Up Post Instructions

Respond to at least one peer. Respond to one peer who chose an option different from yours. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.

Writing Requirements

• Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
• Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source)
• APA format for in-text citations and list of references

Grading

This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the following link:

• Link (webpage): Discussion Guidelines

Course Outcomes

CO 1: Identify the content, forms, and/or techniques of work of art (e.g., architecture, fine art, literature, and/or drama).

CO 2: Analyze the content, forms, and/or techniques of a work of art (e.g., architecture, fine art, literature, and/or drama).

CO 3: Explain the historical/cultural/social context in which a work was created.

CO 4: Classify works of art using different approaches (by discipline, genre, style, period, etc.) in order to contextualize the works and relate them to a variety of influences.