Is Photography a Fine Art?

Bill ManningDecember 2, 2018

With 1.2 trillion pictures taken in 2017, how does photography stack against masters of painting and sculpturing? Steven and Bill explore photography as a fine art with the Director Emeritus of Art at the High Museum of Art to discuss photography’s place in the fine art world.

Dr. Michael E. Shapiro, first arriving to the High Museum of Art in 1995, brought to Art to Atlanta in a way many would not expect from a museum in the located in the south. Once described as a ‘gap-toothed’ city, Dr. Shapiro memorable exhibitions, like the Terra-Cotta Soldiers of Qin Shi Huang. During his years at the High Museum of Art, he collaborated in ushering an iconic architectural design to the museum we recognize today.

High Museum of Art, Images courtesy Steven Wallace – Kodak TMAX P3200

In our interview with Dr. Shapiro we ask, “How is photography is considered as a fine art medium?” Dr. Shapiro shares what museum directors, curators, and private collectors are doing to discover the work of contemporary photographers and artists. He also provides insight on what photographers should be focusing on with their works as a ‘fine arts photographer’.

Many artists’ names were referenced in the interview, we have indexed them in the order mentioned in the interview.