abstract thursday

There are times when our breakfast table resembles a Parisian salon or a Viennese cafe at the turn of the 20th century.  Today’s subject is ‘abstract photography’.  

I start off by supporting those who say that abstract photography references only itself; in other words, if you can tell what it is, it’s not abstract.  

Anniemay says “tosh” - any black and white photo is abstract, simply because, in a world of colour, it does not represent reality.  

A good point - unless of course you happen to be a dog.  (Or any other mono-vision life-form.) In fact the canine art movement - the Bow-wowhaus group - have strong views about this, although some of their more extreme members are, frankly, barking.

After numerous cups of coffee and, in my case, chocolate buttons - in Anniemay’s case, Pom Bears - we come to the conclusion that abstract photography is ……. a bit of a tricky one.

We travel the length and breadth of the kitchen discussing these ideas.  We visit all the various art forms and artists and photographers we can think off.  (I put that bit in to conform to the ‘theme’ for today).

We arrive at the following; a painter might start with an idea and only when they begin to dollop lumps of paint on canvas does an image emerge.  The photographer usually starts with an image and renders it abstract by faffing around.  The ‘idea’ comes afterwards.

Discuss.  You may use a protractor.