Katyn is a forest in the Russia where several hundred Polish prisoners of war were massacred by the Soviets during WWII. I was in New York City with a friend who wished to photograph this memorial for another friend's grandfather, who had been a soldier in the Polish army during WWII. My friend's digital camera batteries failed and I took these shots.

Irakly made an interesting comment about statue photography below and I thought I'd test his theory.

Which of these are are art, if any? Which comes closest? If no, how could I have made them art?

<img src="http://gallery.photographyreview.com/data/photography/504/234637katyn_1.jpg">
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<img src="http://gallery.photographyreview.com/data/photography/504/234637katyn_2.jpg"
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<img src="http://gallery.photographyreview.com/data/photography/504/234637katyn_3.jpg"
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<img src="http://gallery.photographyreview.com/data/photography/504/234637katyn_4.jpg"
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because of the positioning gives is a feeling of life and palce. it's as if you just caught him at the very moment he was being punctured. it takes all distracting elements off and with the story you shared almost makes me feel that I'm getting the vantage point of one of the other casualities another fallen soldier.

I think the third speaks volumes in emotion and best represents the humaness in the statue.

First, let me say ALL of these are extremely good photographs, you Took one object and gave it so many different compositions, each with its own feel.

My vote goes to the 1st and 3rd.

Katyn is a forest in the Russia where several hundred Polish prisoners of war were massacred by the Soviets during WWII. I was in New York City with a friend who wished to photograph this memorial for another friend's grandfather, who had been a soldier in the Polish army during WWII. My friend's digital camera batteries failed and I took these shots.

Irakly made an interesting comment about statue photography below and I thought I'd test his theory.

Which of these are are art, if any? Which comes closest? If no, how could I have made them art?



http://gallery.photographyreview.com/data/photography/504/234637katyn_3.jpg





This one is awesome. Such life. I can see this man falling. I would call this art.

almo

I would like to see a crop on the first one, crop the top down to leave the same space between gun and frame as there is on the right. The shape would then be perfectly balanced inside the frame, and the shape would take precedence over the subject.

At that point I would call it "art".

JMHO.

I think that #3 is the best shot.

There's always been an interesting debate in the art world about whether or not using someone else's art [i.e. appropriation] to create your own truly is art. In this instance, you're photographing someone else's work of art. So - is your photograph art, or is it a dramatic, evocative photograph OF art?

There was an artist in the 80's - I THINK it was Laurie Simmons - who went and photographed, dead-on, famous works of art, printed up the photos, and called it hers. Very post-modern, very controversial. *Still* very controversial.

So - after all my blathering on - I don't know. Is Vanilla Ice using an oh-so-slightly modified sample of "Under Pressure" recycling, original, or stealing/copyright infringement?

:)

Megan

LL.....I will go against the grain as usual and say....

I think #1 would look GREAT if you had exposed it for the statue and HI KEYED it ;)

NOW that would be art ;)

#3 works best as is due to no BG clutter