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The invention of photography provided a radically new…

“The invention of photography provided a radically new picture-making process - a process based not on synthesis but on selection. The difference was a basic one. Paintings were made - constructed from a storehouse of traditional schemes and skills and attitudes - but photographs, as the man on the…” quote by John Szarkowski
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“The invention of photography provided a radically new picture-making process - a process based not on synthesis but on selection. The difference was a basic one. Paintings were made - constructed from a storehouse of traditional schemes and skills and attitudes - but photographs, as the man on the street put, were taken.”

John Szarkowski

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Photography shifts from creating images to choosing what to capture, emphasizing selection over synthesis.

In simple terms: Photography is about choosing what to record.

Key Takeaway

Embrace selective observation.

Themes

art technology perception

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

  • photojournalism
  • curatorial work
  • creative projects

Key Concepts

visual culture ontological shift

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does what you choose to capture shape reality?
  • What might be omitted?
A Different Perspective

Selection can limit representation of diversity.

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