“Art should be an oasis: a place or refuge from the hardness of life.”
Fernando Botero
Do you think art should be a realistic or idealistic view of the world? I saw this editorial of Michelle Opiyo for Harper’s Bazaar Mexico August 2019 and the quote above and started thinking about this concept.
On the one hand, I am most touched by realistic portraits of people. Humans of New York combines both heartwarming/heartbreaking stories of love, growth, and struggle with their portraits in their cities. I like scrolling through street scenes and families celebrating happy times. It can also be so interesting seeing pictures or paintings depicting everyday scenes as well; these pictures make their lives a little more familiar. I’ve also been seeing celebrities or influencers sharing messier pictures or more of their private lives to make themselves seem more relatable. While this can be interesting, it can also get out of hand though. Some popular people have been called out for taking selfies while crying – is that necessary?
Then there are the picture perfect instagram accounts that would never feature photos that aren’t airbrushed or filtered in some way. When you visit their account, you will inevitably see super saturated sunsets, a young attractive person perched precariously on an exotic cliff, or ONLY perfect white/pastel scenes of their picturesque lives. Of course I think many of those pictures are gorgeous. I’ve also gotten travel inspiration from seeing some of those photos. But they of course contribute to the comparison syndrome – oh why can’t my life be so pretty? I’ll also add a possibly unpopular opinion that I do enjoy seeing these pictures as well because why not feature the best parts of your day?
The reality is somewhere between the picturesque and the everyday. It’s wonderful that we are sharing more of our vulnerabilities and stories. At the same time, we can all appreciate snapshots from a beautiful trip as well. We can share the other parts as well, but it’s such a personal choice. I’ll share my travels and my favorite examples of architecture, but I don’t feel the need to share a selfie in my pajamas because I’ve been sick for 3 weeks. So art is art and we can choose to enjoy different types of arts at different times.
Have a lovely week!
I think the best art is something that is created with heart and intention and touches the viewer in some way. those highly stylized Instagram shots are not that and they all invariably look the same to me.
Beautifully stated! Here’s to photos with heart and intention!
This is a beautiful editorial and I agree with you, it’s a balance with what we share online. noone needs to know I’ve dealt with a tantruming toddler just before I post but it’s nice to occasionally remind that yes I do have toddlers and life is not all perfect! haha.
I never manage to take the perfectly posed photos against varied backgrounds anyway, it’s all in my back yard, so I admire those with the drive and energy to hunt out beautiful places or to travel to far flung places and end up with pretty pictures to share!
Hope that your week is going well 🙂
That photo of her in the purple and black piece is so stunning. and you’ve reminded me that I’d like to pick up a Humans of New York book for my coffee table.