Art Quote by Berenice Abbott
“The challenge for me has first been to see things as they are, whether a portrait, a city street, or a bouncing ball. In a word, I have tried to be objective. What I mean by objectivity is not the objectivity of a machine, but of a sensible human being with the mystery of personal selection at the heart of it. The second challenge has been to impose order onto the things seen and to supply the visual context and the intellectual framework - that to me is the art of photography.”
About This Quote
Source Interview on Photography
The photographer describes striving for objective observation and then imposing order and context, defining photography as a blend of perception and artistic structure.
In simple terms: Seek objectivity, then create order.
Balance seeing and shaping images.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- artistic practice
- visual storytelling
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal perspective influence “objective” art?
- What methods help you impose meaningful order?
Objectivity is limited by personal bias.