“Modern” Art
Made for MEJO 489: Photojournalism, Lighting and Business Techniques
“There is definitely a conversation about the degradation of what is considered fine art over the years. Currently, there is not one method or form of art that is the most favored, unlike historic art which was often valued for its richness in detail,” said Dani Rodriguez, a sophomore communication studies and journalism student at UNC-Chapel Hill. However, she does not find this change disadvantageous. Rather, she supports it as she believes that it is “important and necessary step to move away from the typical subjects of art, and to move towards more inclusive projects, with diverse protagonists and artists. I would like to look at work, regardless of the medium, and see myself represented.” Rodriguez is pictured here on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, posing as John S. Sargent’s “Head of a Capri Girl” painting.
Carmen Chamblee is a sophomore journalism student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She has been gaining experience with photography and video during her time at UNC. “I think it’s interesting how fluid and changing art is,” she shared. “I think it probably would have been hard to recreate art way back then, but just the thought of pressing one button and it’s done in .2 seconds is exhilarating.” Chamblee is pictured here as a Greek poet on Saturday, Feb.29, 2020 in Carroll Hall.
Merve Rida Bayraktar is a first-year computer science student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is also an avid user of resources on campus that allow her to make art. She believes that the evolution of artistic mediums, such as “photography, laser cutting, 3D printing” has made art more accessible to the public. “As an outcome, art became more representative of the public, rather than a entertainment and representation of the upper class,” said Bayraktar. She is pictured here on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, N.C. posing as Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”
Mollie Goss, a sophomore pre-nursing student at UNC-Chapel Hill, believes that the representation of people in modern-day imagery is moving away from reality. “Photoshop is being used more to make people look like accepted standards of society. Like we all the time feel like we have to use filters or makeup just to look normal and decent in pictures,” said Goss. She is photographed here posing as one of W.T. Benda’s illustrations on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Ellie Crowther, first-year journalism student at UNC-Chapel Hill, poses as Mona Lisa on Saturday, Feb. 29,2020 in Carroll Hall. On the topic of art’s transformation through the centuries, she believes art was better in the past. “Photography is great but you had to be so smart to paint stuff from memory or just seeing it in person where it changes all the time,” said Crowther.