Week 3 Cooper response

Week 3: Cooper Response


Interesting to me right away was the comparison of European style images, in contrast to the public’s sensibilities. In particular, the mention of the association of “product with reality” and the idea of consumerism in art struck me interesting. The idea of using photographs to show realism, naturalism and a “surrogate” world and how this challenges the art world were tantalizing. I long have felt that a male dominated art world excludes a vast number of extremely talented persons who fall outside of the established qualities of art and the artist.
The four ways in which an artist uses images, documentation, ways of seeing, established genres, and integration, seemed to be used by the author to make good examples of the use of the historic photographic images used in painting.
I enjoyed this article because the author made his case, stuck to it, did not need to bring outside propaganda to make his points. The author’s use of the male nude, in photographic images, struck me as a different argument than the female nude articles. In the male nude article the problem was presented, the solution explored, and the conclusion concise. In the female nude articles, the female herself was made example of, not just her continence, but her inner qualities as well.
In the Cooper article, the author made a good case for the historic use and possible preservation of the photographic image as art, in its own right. Although I am against the nude as commercialism, I can appreciate the artistic qualities of a photograph. I appreciated the author directness, and unwillingness to be side tracked from the purpose at hand.
In conclusion I feel as if this article was fair, true to its mission, and presented facts that the author could substantiate. I may not have agreed with everything the author uses, but was interested in his topic, felt as if I was convinced by use of fact, not opinion.