Forget the Tools: Concentrate on the Art!
2001-10-15 by Steadman Uhlich
Imagine that two painters have produced art. One uses a cheap brush from a home depot type store, another painter uses an expensive sable art brush. One uses cheap paints that are known to fade quickly. Another uses the most expensive paints that show little fading even after a year of direct exposure to the sunlight. One paints on newsprint paper. The other paints on the most expensive 100% rag cotton fine art papers. Are they producing the same? Using the same method (painting) with similar tools (brush, paint, paper)? Or is there something that is separating the two (aside from the image they produce)? Could it be that a fine art Quadtone digital print maker is using a tool (printer) that is common with the average print maker (home or office user) but it is all of the other things that really makes the big difference? I think so. A construction worker and a sculptor both use a hammer and chisel. One creates art. In my opinion, the tool (Epson printer) is not the deciding factor...no more so than the brush is what separates the two painters. It is simply a tool and one of several elements that must be effectively used to elevate an image from a piece of office paper to a piece of fine art. Put another way, I am not enamored with my Epson printer. It is a tool. (Now if I spend $10,000 on a 7000 system I may be a little more enamored...wink). I am much more impressed by the ink and paper and software I use and the results....results...I get with them in concert. In the same way, I am not impressed if someone has a more expensive camera than I do...only if they can produce results that make me go "wow" and then I am really admiring their ability to use the tool...not the tool. (I guess I am not the typical "tool guy") I am much more inclined to tell my visitors about the ink and paper that I use...and even have them touch and hold the papers and see my ink-stained fingers.... It is what they see as the result...it is tangible. They don't care about the model of the printer or scanner or lens used or software used or monitor used or film or etc... Sorry if this ramble missed its mark with anyone...it made perfect sense to me at the time. (tired wink) I hope someone gets something positive out of it. Steadman [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]