After listening to so many compelling academic readings over the last few months, deciding what question/ quote to examine has been a mentally straining task. If I had understood a fraction of what was said this task might have been easier.
Finally opting to base my essay on the writing of Walter Benjamin, in particular, the text in his 1936 essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. Examining his quote concerning reproduction on a work of art to be lacking the aura of the original.
“Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence “.
(Bejanin, 1936)
With a desire to work in the sports photography business it is imperative that my work is seen, this relies on duplication and copies being made. If Benjamin’s beliefs are correct then my work is lacking in this unseen entity he refers to as an aura.
I will use my research to examine images from my genre that dispell this type of perception being valid in the 21st century.
While Benjamin may have offered some resistance to the advance of photography, others offer acceptance to the genre as worthy of a place in the arts.i will use this information within my essay to establish my argument. while benjamin voices disdain he does acknowledge the aid photography provided to painters.
While not every image can claim to be a work of art, some are worthy of this title. This is even more relevant in the case in the modern digital lead world, Images are churned out in the millions, no consideration is taken or skills used. However, some photographers take their genre seriously, applying the same dedication to learning their trade as an apprentice of a master painter would.
Images can also receive iconic status in ways Benjiman could never comprehend, these images retain a strong connection to the time and place they were taken. Similar to what Benjinan would say is an aura, in my opinion, life-defining moments that shocked, entertained or educated the world.
As technology advanced cameras could achieve faster shutter speeds, allowing action to be frozen like never before seen, the moments captured perfectly to be studied and scrutinized. This helped the sports photographer step from the studio to location, the sports action genre was born.
6 May 1954, a young photographer Norman Potter captures what is considered to be the worlds first iconic sports image, Sir Roger Bannister crosses the line completing a mile in under 4 minutes. A feat considered humanly impossible till that moment was spread across the world in all forms of print, albeit it took several days back then, the fact it was reproduced in the millions not reducing its impact in the least.
As sports popularity increased in the post-war era more event were covered as fans demanded images from sports events around the world, from Olympic games to world title boxing fights from exotic locations grabbed the attention and produced iconic images.
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man. ‘: John 4:23, the mighty Muhammad Ali floors Sonny Liston and stands taunting his toppled foe. When Neil Leifer was shunned to the opposite side of the ring than the other more established photographers, little did he know he would capture an image that would define a generation? Appearing in print, digital form, on posters, coasters and miby toasters it reached stratospheric staus. with an” aura of greatness” (The Sydney morning herald. 2016) surrounding the fighter, millions clambered for any image of the legend.
Football is my niche, my passion always has been and always will be. Like many, I dreamt of playing for my team as a boy, while that dream never materialised another has major potential to pay off. The final result could see me working in stadiums around the world, watching from the best seat in the house and being paid for that pleasure. The downside, none, zilch, not to a single bit. I forget i’m clicking the trigger as I view the action through the camera’s viewfinder. I grew up with my hero’s iconic images adorning my room walls alongside images of world cups and a scattering of my teams glorious moments. These were all reproductions of an original, events I didn’t personally attend or experience, but they still meant something to me and many more, and as nostalgia grows so does this attachment.
1 man, 1 world cup, 2 iconic images. photographers Powell and Thomas capture the essence of Maradonna, the unimaginable genius and joyous cheat depending on the day. As iconic football images go these are highly regarded, the hand of god image has a larger connection to the U.K. football fans. Celebrated by Scot’s the world over, a mear sight of it can send an England fan into meltdown. If photographic rights per single reproduction worked like music play rights the royalties would be in the multi-millions. This image appears on clothing, banners, painting and even recreated in Lego.
Author, educator and curator Gail Buckland proclaimed in her 2016 book titled “Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present”, “Sports photographers have been left out of the history books,” and “They’re not part of the canon. And that’s ridiculous – because sports photography at its very heart is about the body in movement, which is one of the central themes of art, it’s one of the central themes of who we are as human beings”. (6) (Buckland, 2016). While Benjamin fully accepted photography aid offer to painters in its early incarnations, he massive failed in regards to forward-thinking withs its potential as well as acceptance in the arts.
The main image above titled “Thierry Henry Of Arsenal” carries similarities to the 1872 painting “Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down) ” by Gérôme (bottom right). The victorious gladiator/ player in front of a baying crowd. confirmed confirmation in my eyes of photographs artistic merit. Bob Radford’s image inspiring other genres of art and has since been produced in sculpted form, on display in front of Arsenals, London stadium.
The iconic sport’s image can also come from almost unbelievable moments, away from the main subject matter. Dubbed “the moment that shocked football”(BBC 2017) Eric Cantona launches himself over the advertising boards and lands a Kung gu kick on a fan. As the action was unfolding elsewhere on the park most photographers missed this historical act. The image was on the front and back pages of the world’s press over the following weeks, a hero to Manchester United fans, a villain to everyone else.no matter how long passes its shock value remains, attached to the time and space that mental evening. Iconic yes, shocking yes, impactful yes, art well it’s in the eye of the beholder.
Craig Murray Photography 