The first photographer was a painter.

[Jack Heinlen]

This is a great article on the likely use of camera obscura by Vermeer. It should interest both photographers and painters, as well as general nerds. ;)

http://www.grand-illusions.com/vermeer/vermeer1.htm

[ 01-17-2004, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

[Leon m]

Philip Steadman makes a good case,and if it is so,
do you still think its art?

[L.W. Baxter]

Most definitely it is art.

If photography can be an "art", then why would painting from a photograph be excluded?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I thought this was David Hockney's theory?

[Wild Wassa]

I don't hold with, ... is it, or is it not art. I view things like photography, camera obscura, photo etchings and even photograms as only techniques used by artists and no less valid than a pencil. An artist should use the technique that best gives a result, for what they are saying. Camera obscura may have been that technique, it was used by Leonardo.

I think the onus should be taken off the artist and/or technique, to prove that they are truely valid artists, and whether the techniques they use, are truely valid, and thrown at the viewer or critic, ... do you realise this is art?

When the Author of the article made reference to the exact viewing distance and implied something new(?), Eastman Kodak have published extensively on correct, optimum and exact viewing distances to realise correct perspectives when viewing images. Eastman Kodak did this decades ago.

Warren.

[ 01-17-2004, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Stiletto]

Thanks Jack, interesting site.

[Leon m]

Anybody see the movie preveiws to "The girl with
with the pearl earring" ? Looks pretty good,and
is getting great reveiws.

[ 01-17-2004, 09:40 PM: Message edited by: Leon m ]