Painting was the main and only form of ‘authentic’ visual representation before photography was invented. Portrait paintings were also a symbol of social class and were considered a fine art. Thus prior to the 18th century painting was a large part of society.
The first forms of ‘camera’ was Camera Obscura and the Pinhole Camera in the 17th and 18th century (Steward, 2018). These were very similar devices, in which used the projection of light through a hole in a wall onto the other side of the screen or wall. Such methods required a large space and consequently there was no way to preserve the image. While Camera Obscura and Pinhole Camera threatened the work of painters, painters were able to maintain their craft through the preservation element of painting.
Heliography was the next major innovation within the realm of photography. Created by Frenchman Nicephore Niepce in 1816, Heliography was essentially a wooden box with a microscopic lens. It used bitumen as a coating on the surface, which hardened due to exposure. This was a major advancement as the product was permanent. As this became at height, it offered a more efficient way of capturing images. During the time between Heliography and the first SLR camera being invented, painters felt that their occupations and fine position in society was deeply threatened due to the mass production that resulted from innovations with cameras. However, instead this actually allowed painters to begin to explore more expressive forms of art. Hence this is how modern art movements have been devised.
While today mobile phones have allowed images to be captured and shared instantly, painting is still not dead. Painters may not have the same role that they did prior to the 18th century but it still holds a position within society. Art and design has changed but is the same in the sense that it allows abstract ideas to be explored in ways that photography cannot. While greater experimentation has occurred in photography from abstract art they both compliment and challenge one another.
By Chelsea Buswell.
References:
Steward, J. (2018). Who Invented the Camera? A Lesson in the History of Photography. Available at: https://mymodernmet.com/who-invented-the-camera-photography-history/ (Accessed: 30 August 2018).
Nicephore Niepce and Heliography (2009). Available at: http://www.curious-eye.com/photography_pg2.php (Accessed: 30 August 2018).
Greg Gandy | Still Life with Dead Roses (2014) | Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/greg-gandy-still-life-with-dead-roses (Accessed: 30 August 2018).
What are the characteristics of modernist art? – Quora (2014). Available at: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-characteristics-of-modernist-art (Accessed: 30 August 2018).
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