I have always considered photography to be a much more
realistic portrayal of the world in comparison to painting, because no matter
how accurate one’s artistic abilities may be with a paintbrush (or any other
tool), the final product will never be a direct reflection of who that person
or object actually is on the physical surface, inevitably distorting their
being as well as their surroundings based entirely off the painter’s skill and
interpretation of his or her subject. I was wildly taken aback, however, after
meticulous observation of a painted portrait done with acrylic on linen by Jason
Brooks entitled, “Sir Paul Nurse,” that was on exhibit at the National Portrait
Gallery in London. I soon realized that it is skill, indeed, which can make or
break any medium’s portrayal of a
subject, whether it be painting as well as photography. Just as a painter can
entirely distort a subject with the wrong brush strokes, a photographer has
almost more of an ability to distort who or what something is, all depending on
the light the subject is captured in, as well as what that subject is captured
doing, who they are captured with, what they are wearing on that particular
day, what their body language undeniably expresses—the list really could go on
and on. Just because someone is captured on film, it does not mean that the way
they are portrayed in the picture is a direct representation of who they really
are or what they’re all about. A picture only shows what is on the surface at
that exact given moment in time, and it is up to onlookers to determine for
themselves how they wish to interpret the picture and circumstance captured;
and onlookers will be faced with this challenge with any artistic portrayal of “reality,” because that is so much of
what the enjoyment of art is all about—being able to determine for oneself just
what an artist’s work means, both in terms of what they think the artist’s
intention was for the mass public as well as how they interpret the message of
the artist’s work for themselves as individuals in relation to their personal
lives.
To view this complete set of photos, click on the following link to my Flickr:
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