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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…” quote by Berenice Abbott
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“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.”

Berenice Abbott

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.

Key Takeaway

Balance seeing and shaping images.

Themes

photography objectivity artistic process

Mood

analytical creative

Type

artistic educational

When to use this quote

  • artistic practice
  • visual storytelling

Key Concepts

visual perception creative methodology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does personal perspective influence “objective” art?
  • What methods help you impose meaningful order?
A Different Perspective

Objectivity is limited by personal bias.

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