Robert Adams “Beauty in Photography” The second chapter of Robert Adams’ Beauty in Photography looks at beauty at a number of angles and tries to explain in depth what this term can mean by giving certain definitions and examples within the text. The text also discusses the themes of aesthetics and form and what makes an image truly beautiful. Form creates beauty. Robert Adams contrasts the relationship between beauty and art with the artist addressing his thoughts and opinions thought out the chapter. One of the most memorable quotes within the texts of beauty states by Alfred Stieglitz: ‘Beauty is the universal seen’. This can explain that almost everything can be beautiful to a certain person with this being very intriguing and interesting in my opinion. Within the last part of the text it indicates that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” with this stating that every person is different with this allowing both the photographer and viewer to have their own opinions on the subject matter and form of the image. An example of this could be a famous photograph from the photographer Edward Weston ‘Pepper No. 30’ with this showing beauty, form and tone from a simple bell pepper which has been shot in front of a white and black background.
Adam mentions that photography is an imitation of form and how the simplistic of images can be beautiful Robert Adams states that he has “Since learned, however that the word beauty is in practice unavoidable. Its very centrality accounts, in fact for decision to photography with the word beauty seemed the only appropriate word for it” I could relate to this quote because with so many times I have studied a painting or a photograph and have been lost for words but then had realised that the word was just ‘Beauty’ Adams struggles to find an appropriate word to describe certain painting and photographs with a quote stating in the text ‘That opened my eyes’ with this being that beauty is stuck to the theme of the photographs. Robert Adams Cap’s Spain, 1936 death of a Republican solder in the Spanish Civil War photographs opened my views on the term ‘Beauty’ with these images being very disturbing in my opinion but Robert Adams has classed these as beautiful which by reading the text and understanding his point of view I cannot necessary agree but I can understand where the photographer is coming from.
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