Does a photo need to say something?

[Ronnoco]

Ronnoco,

Where does ABSTRACT ART fit in your arguement?]

Abstract art still gets into the use of colour, shape, line, texture, lighting, reflection, perspective etc. The very best of abstract art in my opinion is the computer art that is in some American and Japanese museums of art. Some americans have a world reputation as computer artists. By the way, have you seen my primitive example of imaging or maybe art, (still open to question) done with the equivalent of a toy computer (8 meg of ram and a speed of 16 megahertz) in this forum?

If I intentionally create a technically poor photograph, print it, frame it, and put it on an easel while I sit outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Most will pass me by, some will laugh, and maybe a small handful of people will STOP, LOOK, WONDER, SPECULATE, DEFINE, DISLIKE, APPRECIATE, and FEEL what I want to show the public. ?]

If it is technically and compositionally poor, then it will not catch any more than a cursory look from anyone and even that short glance would be only because of your choice of location rather than any interest or quality in the work.

If what I display to the public is not art then what do you call it??]

Well, in an Arts and Crafts Show, it would usually be called "junk" by those passing by, even if it was on an easel, and some certainly would laugh or shake their head in amazement at anyone who considers it art.

Ever heard of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. When I was young, they put up a bunch of yellow umbrellas throughout California in tandem with putting up blue umbrellas in Japan. They put about 3000 umbrellas in total and two people even died in the process. They call that art. ]

Well, Christo and Jeanne-Claude may have called it art, as did probably those that assisted them but I highly doubt that the community of artists that have worldwide reputations and their work in famous museums shared this view. As a matter of fact, I doubt that even a majority of the general public shared that view either unless I am missing some important detail in your example.

Ronnoco