Mobile Artistry is a page dedicated strictly to the creative processes behind any type of art created via mobile devices. Whether it be photography, purely digital creations done through means other than photography i.e. editing apps and image production apps, or a mixture of the two. We are fortunate to live in an age that being creative is no longer limited to career artists or people with lots of costly equipment and training. You can literally reach into your pocket and with the touch of a button or two you are now behind the lens of a complex digital camera. Everyone is able to do, on a whim, or at a moments notice what used to require lots of specialized equipment , time and often a fairly large sum of money to even attempt. Mobile technology has advanced to the point that now anyone can become an artist, from amateur to pro levels, be it photography, writing,digital designs, making music or whatever suits your fancy.
Never before was it possible to become even so much as an amateur photographer without some sort of financial investment and connections to galleries willing to put your art out on display so the masses may see the art you went to the trouble of producing. That in itself inhibited many from even attempting to do so. Photography at the consumer level was shot and developed traditionally to
be tucked away in family albums and scrapbooks and used as pictographic memories more than anything else. Certainly not to be seen by large quantities of people.
With the technological advances made in the mobile devices of today’s world all of the trouble that used to be associated with the production of photography, creative or otherwise, has been relatively removed from the equation. “There’s an app for that ! ” All you need is a camera phone and an idea. And through sites like I.G. people realize just how many other share the same interests and are already doing this and it makes you aware of the fact that you could be doing this as well. That’s how it happened for me. I finally got an iPhone and I was off and shooting everything and anything I wanted.
It was then I realized what a great opportunity mobile technology has brought to the world of art, and how easy it has become to get creative. That it is now possible to create magnificent photos and works off art with little or no overhead financially, no way to lose.
The simple desire to create and a little practice and before you realize it you’ve become an amateur photographer. But it doesn’t stop there.
The Internet has made it possible to view other artist’s work the moment it’s created. To publish your work instantly, so that others may view it, critique it, comment on it directly, and even be inspired by it.
But this brings us to a point as a community that we must once again ask ourselves; ” What is Art ? “Has art become so mass produced that we must re-evaluate the question on philosophical terms and redefine it altogether? Is all photography creative ? Is all photography art ? In the traditional sense the answer is yes to both questions; technically speaking. But if all photography is creative and considered art then where do you draw the line between creative photography and ordinary photography? Does creative photography require nothing more than snapping a photo and posting it (perhaps with a filter or something)? It is a very philosophical question, but a philosophers job is really to define things of various sorts, to determine what’s what and what is not in the questions that don’t have just one answer. Everything open to interpretation must ultimately be defined; and because of this numerous schools of thought have arisen and developed over the years spanning all the way back to ancient Greece. These questions without factual answers have given rise to philosophy, psychology and theology. Different interpretations of the same questions create new schools of thought, or new perspectives to put it more simply. We all philosophize regularly, whether you realize it or not is irrelevant to the fact. But we all subscribe to our own various beliefs. Some turn to religion, others to philosophy or psychology. They are in a way forms of art themselves. They represent the multifaceted views of humanity as a whole. I believe that a cultures art in any given time period is a direct expression of the cultures beliefs, functions and feelings. Significant historical events effect the arts just as much as they do us , as individuals or as a nation as a whole.
With all these questions before us ;
with all the crisis’ all over the world staring us in the face in this new age of instantaneous communications ; with all of our individual triumphs and struggles it becomes easy to see that we are standing in the dawn of a new age. A new world. Any type of creative outlet is healthy ( within reason of course ), and never before has it been so simple. Art is one of the oldest most powerful and important outlets we have created as humans. Perhaps creativity is implied by our consciousness; reflective and calculating, naturally inquisitive and forever striving towards the future. We have been given a free will; a welcome alternative to the instinctual behaviors that are almost predictable. A sort of fatalism determined by our species: the ongoing conflict between head vs. heart, spirit vs. body , logic vs. emotion. Perhaps we can not help but create. And create we have. We will continue to do so. I know I will.
Mobile Artistry is all about the inherent creative qualities within us all. It’s about creating for the sake of art, for whatever you want to create for. So is all photography art? Technically yes. Is it all creative? Technically, yes. But what we are looking for is creative photography, more than just another average photo. A photo born of an idea. New perspectives. Thoughtfully created photography. Not the traditional smile and say cheese photography. Not the photography shot simply because of tradition. But art pour lè art. Art for art’s sake. It has become my reason for being long ago. Photography is the newest chapter of my creative outlets. But writing was my first true love, thanks to writers before me that gave me an immense appreciation for language and syntax. With so much focus placed on the individual in this existential world, we want to see your individual perspectives. We want to see the creations you are proud to call your own. What is beautiful? What is extraordinary? What do you consider “creative” ? All photography is technically art and therefore creative to a degree. But we are looking for a step beyond the traditional stuff, a step beyond the average and mediocre. Take a step ( or leap miles ) outside the box. Perhaps a step into the abnormal, a step beyond the ordinary.
Mobile devices have made that possible for us all. They’ve created a new era in the world of art. More importantly, they’ve made it so easy that it requires no previous experience. No courses or classes or studies.
Pictures of total strangers shot without permission hence without the habitual pose people put on for a photo. Pictures of headlights in the black of night and the chromatic aberrations that shine off the spheres like angelic shafts of divine light. Photos of the herd shopping in walmart to where you can feel the angst of a man amidst a mindless crowd. A cloud covered sun becomes an immaculate spectacle to behold, where before it was just another cloudy day.
We, as a brand new generation of artists, have created a new genre of art, so to speak. We have created mobile artistry, unifying artists throughout the world to speak and work with and inspire one another. We have created MobileArtistry, and it’s dedicated to the many applications that the definition implies. Will and I have simply made a page meant to explore and experiment with this new type of art. An art that is easier defined by what it is not rather than what it is. It’s progressive and virtually limitless as to what one can create under this new banner. And we want to see just how far it can go by exploring these multiple avenues. To capture and put on display creative, admirable and inspirational works of art that require more than just the casual glances and vague recollections that more traditional art has been plagued by for all too long. To step completely out of the ordinary and into the purely creative side of photography. Photos you’ll want to gaze at and get lost in.
It can be done with or without edits. It doesn’t have to fit any particular criteria or description. It simply has to be creative. And that leaves a wide avenue of areas to peruse, pursue and experiment with. We are looking for anything extraordinary and would prefer a description to go with it ; whether it be the idea behind it or what the photo means to you, why you created it… surprise us, please! Mobile Artistry was created for us, for you and all the artists that participate in this growing style.
Wade Cox. @antitheist82 on IG
