“To paint from a photo is to do steroids.”
Yesterday Odd Nerdrum posted this comment on his Facebook page and generated quite a lot of discussion.
Working from photographs — I don’t think anyone prefers to use them. In my case I don’t have the luxury to work from a model. Since I work during the day, my only chance to paint is at night. It is entirely impractical to have a model. I also feel like when you pay a professional model, you lose some of the emotion in the painting. The painting may turn out perceptually better, but you can tell that you are using a model. Now, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Odd Nerdrum balances painting from life and painting from imagination beautifully. His work is a like poetry. He is able to express metaphors, address issues of human nature, and create a unique visual world of his own. However, even though painting from photographs may be easier and enhance someone’s performance, I don’t think it is like steroids because it can’t make you a better painter.
If you use a photograph and the viewer can tell that from your work, you haven’t created a successful image. Most paintings that look like a photograph are not impressive at all. For this reason, I would advise people to use photographs at their own risk. Using a photo does do some of the work for you. It is easier to use a photograph because what you are painting from is already in 2D. You can see in advance what works by analyzing the composition. But, most likely the painting will look flat and photographic. You will miss the beauty one captures from life. The problem with painting from life is that a lot of times your subject matter is limited. A still life can be beautiful but may lack meaning; a portrait from life may look posed; or the location available to you might not be the setting you want to paint.
This morning, I saw my daughter sleeping in her bed. The morning light fell on her beautifully. She was resting so peacefully as only a child can. I would have loved to start painting the scene from life right then. I was unable to do so. Veronica needed to get ready for school and I had to go to work. I grabbed my camera and took a picture of the room, of Veronica sleeping, and a close up of her face. I hope to go back and paint this image as I saw it that moment. Will my photographs help or hinder me? It’s an individual choice for each artist. One must decide on the tools needed to create beautiful art. It’s the end result that matters.
Please feel free to add to the discussion. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
William Harris
25.06.2010 at 16:53I agree; Nerdrum’s analogy is weak, because as you say, working from photographs doesn’t make one a better painter. They help to study an object as does being able to hold in position a live object/model. I guess Nerdrum’s problem with photography, from the painter’s perspective, is it being one more step/aid removed from depicting reality. The eye should be the only camera to him not necessarily because it’s more accurate or practical but because it’s more natural.
I can understand wanting to work with a more natural environment and process. However, to compare working from photographs with doing steroids, if the name of the game is Illusionism, is a bit like saying the better magician is the one who uses fewer, more natural tools to perform his/her tricks. While I can admire the use of a bare minimum set of tools, ultimately, the trick’s effectiveness is the true judge in the quality of the magician for me. Likewise, the manipulation of paint in creating illusions is what fascinates me as a painter, regardless of what tools were used prior to putting paint to canvas.
Stephanie
26.06.2010 at 08:34Very well said, William.