Monday, February 23, 2009

A Case for Lo-Fi Images

This is an excerpt from Robert Adam's book entitled, "Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values"(Aperture Press, 1996). While the section is not written specifically about lo-fi photography, I would suggest it is extremely applicable to the aesthetic. Adam's writes: "The question of how close a photograph ought to stick to the outward appearance of life, even when describing miracles, is not necessarily best answered by the literal minded. Aristotle argued that it was legitimate for playwrights to include probable improbabilities, things that were unbelievable except within a playwright's imaginary world onstage, provided that the overall production revealed truths about life as we experience it off stage." It is here, within this context that i would suggest that successful lo-fi images should be understood.