The Art of Photography

Made a quick stop at the MOMA in SF today. Really interesting exhibit of Muybridge shots, including many old photos from SF in the 1860's. There are also a series of stereographs that cemented for me an impression I've had over the years: photography really need a 3rd dimension. There is definitely a place for 2d photographs and what they can convey and how they can move people, but the lack of a real 3d option for photographers means we are missing out on so much that we could experience from other people's viewpoints. So many times I catch something, close one eye, and recognize the loss of the 3rd dimension renders the photo uninteresting. I know there are ways of using the modeling of light to convey the 3d dimension, but often that light is simply not available. The other exhibits reinforced for me my definition of art: art is anything that moves me emotionally. If it has to be explained or placed into an intellectual context, it's masturbation, not art.