![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL70jvs6i4kcXa_iulAbEPGTg6qzQ-D4q38NolrOIyeGtq48nmtrsrRVy2NnJWPs6_bU7hXQl2ylb7aYC1SCeglof3AQMXthSQ9GJ9RjFZW2wqPlFs7j7DyRt-QE9Jobs9XY8MrZutFBf/s400/1.jpg)
Eventually we invented a machine to help record reality. Many people thought of this as cheating, and photography struggled to gain respectability. Still, no one could deny it required great craft and effort.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquTt1tviY1-5_VIjtxTRZjvUxrL9oXnQy0sh_XQ3r_umhyphenhyphenGdHqftvVXRbC1iGDziY79_B_sYFN-pcdcsO6hP1UX26ePah3n5vPGAJ7Xl7KzSzzp8r7zWbOICCvhHJMxMnqHY7Thf0qWjm/s400/Muybridge_HorseGalloping.jpg)
Then people figured out that it was the idea that counted. As long as you came up with a concept you could hire out the nuts and bolts of actually producing a photograph, yet still call the final product your own.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3W8LaDdzb3Ea5AVa0FuUQT7YLlo_b1dNv2Bavk-8oBlnrOjYMiYgiPa9urR1hBfdvq_C8sB3eBTFgm0Fp73GP1U2MHQZRsW5gGl_aa-TilLg23G3RigDvPIvdTAIXHilzCpGLHNLDMXH/s400/gregory-crewdson-1.jpg)
But if it's the idea that counts, why even bother making a photo? Why not take someone else's ready made photo and call it your own?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCERERCarKS2xrN0tygaBrxGi_1iTj9vgmPB7-i-miroLJ_SGx-iG8k63FJOUk26TOR_mhbRlPvVmp7WX8bJkLVwROb0C81vBwuIANtQXgrjMpK5ssN1Jw2Yz6cJRKGW5khCXDRD9Es8H/s400/richardprince070903_560.jpg)
Some people felt this was bad for photography, that it was dragging the whole thing back into the sewer.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPtp99Xv6dQJGv0fzqAcGeWjIlnmyPdui_JnOC_ep3KW6l-jXYF5VBsg325VtdrP442c1rqwXTsrit_a-OcMSv_jP5lVI38-SG7zSqtOhlTSFGDVPIyqqacyoUKQXbu0hCnCUSu4MqhqE/s400/duchampfountain.jpg)
Nevertheless the practice continued. People appropriated all sorts of imagery as their own, sometimes barely changing the original except for the addition of a signature and six-digit price tag.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9blh9H1UGAMTTdg-S-Wpm8_jLk18HPvZYyQXOAVbVWPwzZDrFf8VIGvgLYuUVJrJNZB_Dsunq1CBuG6T_WVHQTAykGXe-xzf79GjiNeA4Ar6yHoAnRt1_5sSfAKwW84ydXSofKeFMPP1/s400/gursk-2010-ocean-i-jpg.jpg)
Then someone decided it wasn't the idea that counted. It was the idea of the idea. Instead of appropriating existing imagery, the thing to do was appropriate the appropriation.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqYpQ4TlrgXlDHYh0DIbBOAgHWD_N4gNecFdpLDiKnase2OIHnBxhw64kW_tM9-V0SPJGyO9gQD-zxRchyJGJr2TjVd_iGgJXpyzdbtAu-nfBxTAzgtrW8sLvLzCKylDmWlxx1UJTub6p/s400/300x404_detail.jpg)
Where was all this leading? The next step was clear.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFaTO3GuI4Bu_pAL986imuApSruF92e9-1yPGoa2T2r7ZN3EWfDDEO0K6KsJ07BGDtY9LIzkK6UudDZXEeLs1dQWN1oE7J1BcWtVwyrG45vYI9GgINSytzrsaBug0kAPJY3GFq_2f5Vvp/s400/7.jpg)
From there it was quickly down the rabbit hole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKnK9kpx8wSvi22PJRMZ9559rK-Y04-kND3OhAn1t1wOCVhAXmsy1nPB1k11QuiSw-yCliYM2GEBorb_WygEFLzeEVZUcyENwSXyXDa08_6KRNBxfVAiMTebu-jOVH9WJgo1lK-6DYg4H/s400/2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpAzI8QX6Q5RsWpDfiqjJSfyBtCNE_9HtW7rF2vqvgN2ED8rlH28hwTUQAIfwmFv3kv2ooSfJ1Bzyjdp7MtnThyZFcJj6mHdme_R9CYJDgjxgdccZKlPCMfbZ5mCTOqNoBYGiXJuLjOy1/s400/8.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgLkfnht9Z25PoYQ9RCIZTH0KlEu9bsDHKSBnNhbhcZTZbXHVdW-8B0Sa4UTEqAHbaLR7oN6PvDwsaJqnJ2RWlXspqIS-5JEXppEtSdjw_T60rKtk7HqjlhhemHpgXwTsfySvduCwZuEe/s400/9.jpg)
We'd like to climb out of the hole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoiguYshmGlJ1lh2XagWARowLmJOTHmwyOK3kieML5x-dl42rapjvvX6huStHDdSNuap5oULRFC27bp3aOfU9zOPczSA0vZiDVsARv_uPrKkBF9Eiw2sUeuKahRRTkZuyH5sualI-EYXI/s400/5.jpg)
There must be a way.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSnnxjFQTIEUOfuarzwwbWQE9qxltwQEg-RDMFwhiO0JP6LyMKLMZqw5hHCwkSKx-EgbGsDcgZvs6SWt2ZNzxurzHWe5D44aCQfcj5xu90nT4uKtIyPmAVNQhvZEldPGZXSjPSNA-daA7/s400/6.jpg)
But this particular cave is proving hard to escape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnD5sxl-yI1-j1A8F219mcdmu7inJiuNYjHS_Bs1WSQdLZ7YETlbohIs9RyoUi7U3xSZK6gu_NhPULZMF6wTta2PXGwH647LwbndAuddBbBxJAhe4MxhENzI4BrRv7Z7Wgf8Q9TJ1G0mX/s400/1.jpg)
5 comments:
I like the last picture. Did you use a Photoshop plugin for that effect?
Bravo.
that pixel's worth a cool million...
Excellent.
Didn't Yves Klein sign the sky in the 40's?
I made the photo using a plug in called Cave Painting. It's for sale at $5/pixel.
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