The Origin of the Work of Art: The Preservation of Moments through Photography and Philosophy by Sarah Eaton Goddard College: Individualized B.A Program Senior Study Process Paper, Spring 2002 |
| "Origin here means that from and by which something is what it is and as it is. What something is, as it is, we call its essence or nature. The origin of something is the source of its nature. The question concerning the origin of the work of art asks about the source of its nature" Martin Heidegger "For me the noise of Time is not sad: I love bells, clocks, watches--and I recall that at first photographic implements were related to techniques of cabinetmaking and the machinery of precision: cameras, in short, were clocks for seeing, and perhaps in me someone very old still hears the photographic mechanism in the living sound of wood." Roland Barthes I. Introduction I take pictures of bands. I go to shows and battle my way to the front of the stage waiting with much anticipation. I love to take pictures. I especially love to dance and take pictures. I love to dodge the kid in front of me who has huge bouncing dreads particularly fond of my lens and take pictures. I wonder if there is any value in this kind of art. Part of me says, 'yeah, don't worry about it, it's art, no problem'. Another part of me makes me write a fifty page paper on examining art, defending mine and bargaining with old and dead thinkers just to find that 'yes! photographs can be beautiful'. Better yet, photographs can speak about the moment from which they came. Photographs can represent. Resulting from my discourse with different philosophies of art and thought comes this project. The intent here is to create an experience for the viewer and, at the same time, recreate my experience.. The pursuit of this idea of 're-creating moments' in a photograph is part of this work; re-creating those moments philosophically is the bigger question. This paper addresses the philosophical pursuit of the image and the re-creating of experience. Ultimately, to attempt a work of this dimension is to conclude my studies with a project that represents me both creatively and intellectually. This is a project that addresses the theories behind what a picture preserves. It also carries with it the question of whether or not an individual can press into it, her philosophy. Some- where, throughout all tihs effort to 'write' my thoughts, exists a passion for each and every one of them. I hope passion is what the reader/viewer will find in all of this. In addition, I feel blessed with an opportunity to work through this. the questions There are many important questions that need to be asked, answered, or discussed in order to understand the premise of this project as a whole, including 'what role is Heidegger's?', 'what role does my art play?' and 'what role does the history of philosophy have in terms of the entirety of this project?'. My strategy, in the paper, is to address things like technical considerations, aesthetic theory and historical influences. I want to talk about what has inspired this project. What this means for me, is that I must explore the project from a holistic perspectice, including why the paper is just as important as the photographs. These elements, I have listed, are what makes this paper necesary and exiciting; these elements are essential to my senior study as a whole. Additionally, I recognize that other artists have influenced on my art, or at least their contributions linger in my head. These artist include other photographers as well as the artists I photograph who play the music. It is through other people's experiences that I have learned what it must take to refine my art. My hope is that this project, in its entirety, will demonstrate maturity both in thought and in practice. |
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