I am very much looking forward to seeing new work by
Simen Johan (his next solo exhibit opens at
Yossi Milo September 10, 2009).
Simen Johan's work while photo-based operates somewhat outside the genre.
Horses Think quoted
Simen Johan from an interview with
Life Lounge, where the artist said the following about his relationship with the medium:
“Photography has never really been that interesting to me as a medium because if all you do is capture already existing things, then you are more of an observer than a creator, and this is not something that fulfills my artistic ambitions. When working digitally, you can work more like a painter than a photographer. You essentially paint with photographs, inventing new worlds that come from an artist’s imagination. You don’t reproduce something that already exists; you create something of your own.”
This is a loaded statement, because photographers to this day struggle to get respect for their work/medium -- and to receive recognition for their creativity. Sure if you are a documentary/war photographer people respect that you have the courage to be in those places and take those pictures. And if you shoot portraits people might be impressed by whom you photographed -- but not necessarily
how you photographed the sitter.
If you shoot landscape you pretty much get no respect at all.
Photography is a complex medium that blurs many boundaries and that draws from many places.
The barrier to entry is very low with photography. Especially now. The learning curve is not steep. And yes amateurs can take "good" photographs.
But there is the talent/magic/
je ne sais
quoi factor to outstanding photography. Where that comes from - like in any other artistic medium- is a mystery.
Because of the low barrier to entry and because everyone thinks they are a photographer, the medium currently is polluted and congested with mediocre work. It really is.
It's frustrating having to weed through so much unoriginal or uninteresting photography to find a few inspiring images.
But this is not just the fault of the individual. My sense is that the photo community is very rigid in their thinking and limited in its appreciation of the gamut of the medium.
The way I see it there is not much thirst for originality and the community is most comfortable with repetition.
And thus someone like
Simen Johan has really no impetus to align himself with photography.
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