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Analysis Of Andrea Kunard's Essay: The Mechanical Art

800 Words4 Pages

In her essay “The mechanical art: Some historic debates on art and photography,” Andrea Kunard (n.d.) studies multiple arguments in favor photography as an art form and against it. From the onset, there were critics, such as Lady Elizabeth Eastlake, who argued that the truthful depiction of objects is exactly that which makes photography art (Kunard, n.d., p. 160). Others, such as Charles Baudelaire, viewed photography as “soulless, cold, and mechanical” (Kunard, n.d., p. 158). Inasmuch as photography just began to take off, people needed some time to look into it more closely and explore its capacities. Kunard (n.d.) points out that mostly critics were put off by the camera’s mechanical qualities; some believed that “art cannot be produced through a mechanical device” (p. 172). The debates on artistic merit of photography have continued to the present date. I can agree with C. Jabez Hughesthat a certain categorization is possible dividing photography into Mechanical, Art, and High-Art (Kunard, n.d., p. 161).I believe that much depends on the photographer and what he or she wants to convey, as well as their mastery of the device and an ability to do in picture what one keeps in mind. A truly artistic picture needs to possess an ability to stir emotions in the viewer and be skillfully made. Henry Fox Talbot made a passing remark about a broom leaned against a door frame implying that it could be equaled to art only due to its resemblance to Dutch masters who were known for

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