Re: [APML]: Astrophotography or Astro-Art?

[Gregory David Stempel <fyrframe@ptinet.net>]

The Astro-Photography Mailing List
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Wil

>>>take, for example, the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson: Many of his photos are "found 
>images." images that just happened to pop up in front of him. His famous "death of a 
>partisan" image happened to catch a soldier in the act of being shot in battle --<<<

Are you talking about the famous Robert Capa photograph?? Henri
Cartier-Bresson never went to battle if I am not mistaken, he was famous
for the "Decisive Moment" He carried one 35mm camera with a 50mm, I
think it was a Leitz or Leica.

If it was Capa's image you referred to, it was called "Death of a
Loyalist Soldier", and there was some controversy behind it. The soldier
later tuned up in another negative from that same roll.

You did bring up an interesting point. Henri Cartier-Bresson stated a
long time ago that manufactured or staged photography was of no interest
to him. He considered his camera a drawing tablet and wanted to give
definition to the world. He is now in hundreds of art galleries. He is
also a painter. So, what makes him an artist? Would he not be more a
documentarian?

Someone in this thread, quoted a friend of theirs with a comment
(forgive my memory) I personally felt was perfect. >I am an artist
because I create art. It is art because I am an artist.< 
That is very true. That is, all art is. The one problem to that
statement, is a lot of "validated" artists (I am not one of them) think
just because you call yourself an artist in no way suggests you are one.

Take care Wil.
Gregory david Stempel