The End of Traditional Photography?

For being such a young person (23), I have somehow managed to stay remarkably behind the times when it comes to technology. I, Loren Plunkett, do not own a smart phone, have no idea how to use Instagram, and honestly, couldn't even figure out how to get to the Internet on my roommate's Mac. Pathetic, I know.

My complete lack of technological prowess probably has something to do with my surprise at some statistics that my museum's director recently showed me:

Camera phones are dominating in the photography world and quickly replacing point-and-shoot cameras so much so that well-known companies like Kodak are filing for bankruptcy. As much as 3,500 photos are being uploaded to Facebook each second, and 300 million photos are added every day, as of March 2012.

• What do you think this could mean for traditional photography? 
• Is this just another trend that will level out with time or will camera phones replace point-and-shoot cameras entirely? 
• Do you think this change in technology will affect fine art photography?

Write me back. I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

For more more statistics and colorful graphics, follow this link:

http://mashable.com/2012/06/14/mobile-photography-infographic/

~Loren from Curatorial

Happy Birthday, PMoA!

The original building was an old church on Walnut.

Happy birthday to us! Today, Polk Museum of Art celebrates its 46^th year. We’ve come a long way …

The Museum was officially incorporated as the Youth Museum of Imperial Polk County on June 21, 1966, and opened for business in a small church building at 115 Walnut Street on December 11, 1967.  At first, volunteers from the Junior Welfare League (now Junior League), Junior Woman’s Club of Lakeland, Junior Sorosis Club and Keyettes at Lakeland High “staffed” the Museum. The first director was hired in October 1968. 

In 1970, the Museum moved into a former Publix on
Palmetto Street at College Avenue.

The name was changed to Polk Public Museum at Lakeland: Science, History and Art, Inc. in 1968 and then shortened to Polk Public Museum. In 1970, the Museum moved into a former Publix Super Markets building on Palmetto Street. Eventually, the Board settled on a fine arts focus and on June 13, 1985, renamed the Museum for the last time:  Polk Museum of Art.

The Museum's current building opened in 1988.

The current building – a work of art in itself with soaring 16-foot ceilings and marble-tiled floors -- opened to the public in 1988. It was constructed for $5 million and opened debt-free.

We're Bringing a Bit of the Smithsonian to You

So how do you feel about being part owner in a major cultural institution?

No, I’m not talking about Facebook’s recent IPO. I’m talking about the Smithsonian Institution. Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex, with 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. It’s also about 65 percent federally funded, which means it’s ours.

The Smithsonian is the caretaker of America’s greatest treasures, from the Wright Brothers’ plane (National Air and Space Museum) to inaugural ball gowns worn by first ladies (National Museum of American History) to adorable baby red pandas (National Zoo) to artwork by beloved artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Winslow Homer (American Art Museum).

That’s why those of us at Polk Museum of Art are over the moon-rocks (National Air and Space Museum) about having the opportunity to bring a bit of the Smithsonian to Lakeland. In 2010, Polk Museum of Art became a Smithsonian Affiliate, which allows us to borrow artworks from the Smithsonian and to tap into its resources and training programs.

This fall, we’ll bring in our first Smithsonian show from the National Portrait Gallery, In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits from the Harry Warnecke Studio. It is a collection of color photographs of celebrities who rose to fame at a time when color photography was in its infancy. The show was organized by the National Portrait Gallery, where it is now showing. The exhibition is on view at the National Portrait Gallery through September 9, then it’s coming to the Polk Museum of Art in October, so we’ll be the first museum to get this show outside of the Smithsonian. Pretty exciting stuff!

Meantime, if you get to Washington this summer, you should stop by your Smithsonian. (Visit www.si.edu to plan your trip.) And hey, since you’re a “shareholder,” admission is free.

The Genius of Madness

Jean Dubuffet, a 20th century French artist, coined the term art brut, or “raw art,” after reviewing Hans Prinzhorn’s book, Artistry of the Mentally Ill, a collection of artworks by psychiatric patients. Dubuffet championed the merit of the work and amassed his own collection of artwork by these unconventional artists. According to Dubuffet, art brut is the purest form of creativity because the artists/patients were untainted by society and cultural norms; their work is produced out of a sheer creative need, without being influenced by conventions of the day or a desire to please an audience.

 

In the 1970s, the term “outsider art” was established as the official English translation of art brut and expanded to include art or artists that were “outside of society.” According to Dubuffet’s theory, the more the artists were integrated into society and culture, the more their creativity was stifled.

This chart demonstrates Dubuffet’s theory of the concentration of creativity. The closer to the center, the more “real” or unfiltered creativity was displayed in the artists’ artwork.

 Do you think creativity is linked to cultural awareness?

Artist Vincent Van Gogh is infamous for his severed ear and his tragic end. During his decade-long art career, he produced nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper; however, he only sold one painting during his lifetime. When French art critic Albert Aurier wrote a complimentary article about Van Gogh’s work, the artist wrote a letter arguing the talents of others over his own, claiming himself to be, “of very secondary importance.” Although he spent time in Paris studying art, Parisian life overwhelmed him and he retreated to the French town of Arles, where he began suffering mental problems.

Van Gogh was educated but chose to isolate himself in the country and suffered a mental breakdown. According to Dubuffet’s theory, which category do you think Van Gogh belonged to?

~ Loren from Curatorial

Outsider Vs. Folk

In museums and galleries we are accustomed to seeing the works of success stories, the products of art school graduates or of determined talents. What we are not used to seeing are the underdogs of the art world – those creative individuals that for whatever reason do not seem to fit our idea of a traditional artist. 

Outsider Art and Folk Art both stray from the norm of what we see in art museums. Oftentimes the two terms are used interchangeably, but through the Outsider vs. Folk exhibition, we’d like to illustrate some of their differences. 

Do you think it’s possible for art to be completely uninfluenced by culture?

 

Rodney Hardee, Barking in the Bushes at Night, 1982, Acrylic on canvas board, PMoA Permanent Collection 2006.18.3

Do you think this artwork could be considered outsider art or folk art?





~ Loren from Curatorial