How do I decide how to create my art? Why do I take a photo of this but not that? Of course, we can act based on our feeling in the moment, or there is some external influence that inspires or motivates a particular action, but perhaps there is something more explicit guiding us.
Over the years, I’ve tried to define a framework that underlies my creative decisions which lead me to generate a system of values. A value is simply a statement about a particular concept or aspect in my artwork. For example, I value color in my photos. Based on that value, I strive to create the best colors I can. Of course, we cannot stop there. Each value can be refined into more and more specific details, or sub-values. What do I mean by ‘best’ colors? Should the colors be realistic, retro, muted, vivid, neon?
I can leave any of these decisions undefined by an explicit value. If I don’t explicitly state my values to myself, then in my framework they are still values, just implicit values. An implicit value is not defined by words but by a pattern of actions. If I look at a body of work and I see only monochrome images, I can deduce that the artist values the tones of monochrome and does not value color in their own work. The same is true for my own photography. A pattern of choices can be summarized by an implicit value, but through introspection, any value can be made explicit.
Of course, many aspects of a work are not explicitly defined. Some aspects are just left up to my feeling in the moment, but nonetheless these are expressions of implicit values as well. With diligence and contemplation, I can bring the implicit values to the surface of my consciousness and make them explicit. By doing so, I crystallize a style either for myself as an artist or for a particular subject matter which may eventually develop into a project.
This process may seem overly mechanical and pointless, but it helps me forge ahead in my own unique artistic path. I can learn new techniques and expose myself to innovative and unique artwork without losing sight of my own authentic vision. It also helps me explain my decisions to others. For example, people sometimes ask me if I straighten / crop / edit / manipulate / alter my photos and if doing so is ‘cheating.’ I do some of these things, and others I don’t. For instance, I have no problem with cropping, and of course I master the colors in each image when going from the raw data to the JPEG, and eventually to a print. But sometimes I’ll go a step further and straighten the perspective, which subtly stretches the photo in a way that mimics what a tilt-shift lens would achieve.
I’ve been asked, ‘is this cheating’? Cheating? By whose rules? Are we even playing the same game? The only one you can cheat when creating your artwork is yourself. Of course, there are exceptions, such as in photojournalism where manipulation of a photo is against the ethos of journalism. But I am not a journalist, I am an artist—at least when I am out shooting purely for myself. When it comes to art, it is up to you to set your own rules, and then play within their confines, or alter them as you see fit. And of course, the rules stem from your values, which are the underlying motivation we all have for everything that we do.
For me, it would be against my own values to alter a street photo dramatically. Actions such as adding or removing an element in a street photo are anathema. However, if I am shooting an urban landscape with light trails, I may very well composite a number of photos and selectively remove various elements from each component image in order to achieve a perfect frame. I hold different values for different expressions of my art.
This also explains why I find some work really off-putting. For example, if I see some photos that are similar to my own, perhaps tackling the same subject matter, but they exhibit a quality or characteristic that—and I’m embarrassed to say so—offends my visual or artistic sensibility, then I might vehemently reject this work (drink the ‘haterade’ as a good friend puts it). I didn’t like this way of thinking as I try hard to be inclusive of everyone’s work and maintain a positive attitude towards it. With some introspection I concluded that only work that is similar to my own, but somehow compromises on my own values, inadvertently triggers my negative reaction. Work that is completely different or unrelated, even if it goes completely against my artistic values has no negative effect.
It seems that when I am confronted with a way of creating (i.e., an artistic modality) that hits close to home then I am left with a feeling of doubt about my own decisions. But this is only feels threatening when my values are merely implicit. Strange thoughts arise: I edit my photos this way, and yet this other artist edits them another way, am I wrong? And as irrational as it may seem, this feels like a threat in some odd way. However, if I have made my values explicit, such negative thoughts do not arise. I can easily comprehend and normalize the confronting artwork as an expression of values that are simply not my own. It’s much easier to appreciate the other work and stick to my guns without drinking the proverbial haterade.
To give a concrete example of this: I am not a huge fan of the ‘cyberpunk’ color scheme that has come to dominate urban night photography over recent years. In the past, I actually found it annoying to see this work popularized to such a degree. This is not because it’s bad, but because it went against my implicit values. I value realism in my work, and this popular neon aesthetic is synthetic. Once I understood this fact, and made my values regarding color explicit to myself, the nagging negative feelings when confronted with such work dissipated. Now I can enjoy those works for what they are without comparing them to my work, which simply is a product of completely different values. Now, instead of doubting my creative decision I am instead more invigorated to carve my own path.
I would go on to say that all of our behaviors and decisions are governed by our implicit and explicit values. And the more we work to make our individual values explicit, to ourselves and to each other, the more we can foster understanding and exist confidently and peacefully in the universe. But that’s a topic for another article. For now, I ask that you consider your own artistic values, and strive to make them explicit.
