We all have different goals and ideas of what we want our images to be. Many photographers are content allowing their captures to be memories or a simple photograph for themselves and their immediate family to enjoy. I can certainly see how this can be a healthy approach to your photography! However, there are still photographers out there that desire for their art to be upheld on a larger scale, and to perhaps be revered as masters of photography.
What longevity means (staying power)
So, what does it mean to have images with the staying power to be viewed long after we are gone? A spinning hard drive lasts for around 3-5 years. If you are lucky enough, you will live to be around 100 years old then images stored in this format will be quickly lost. There is technology like that of SSD storage and online backups that will survive longer, but who will advocate for sharing or displaying your art after you are gone?
While one could easily default to the life of a digital file or how long physical prints can avoid fading on walls, there is something more important to the way something is stored. The way your photography is remembered is vastly more significant than how many backups or prints you make. Thinking of some of the most important art in existence it is clear that having photography that is culturally, artistically, or historically relevant outweighs the medium of display or storage.
How long art lasts
There is a lot of art, in general, out there in the world. There is a good rule of thumb that tells us that the older a piece is the more rare it becomes. The older something gets, the less likely there are other pieces like it from the same era and the more difficult it is to keep the artwork in good shape.
If we look at how long most art lasts we can look to the refrigerator. Children make a lot of art and it lasts an extremely short amount of time. We are talking days or weeks because they make a lot of it. Most images, paintings, drawings, and everything else will be forgotten within months to be certain. Lasting longer in people’s minds and on display is truly an accomplishment for something you create.
I have forgotten most of the images I have taken, but I have also taken thousands of images. If I had 10 images that outlive myself by even a generation would be a huge artistic accomplishment. Thinking about Pablo Picasso who made thousands of pieces only really has around 100 that are prominently displayed or held in high esteem. Picasso is a legend and even he only has a fragment of his work of over 50,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures to achieve critical acclaim.
Why is it important
An important question we should all be asking ourselves is why would we desire more from our art. We ought to, as artists, understand what it means and why art that has ‘staying power’ achieves this trait. What about our imagery makes it valid as something to be valued by someone other than ourselves and those close to us that have the metaphorical fridge space.
Some things to think about are the traits of those powerful pieces of art out there. An important subject that people already feel connected to such as religious figures, major events, and locations that are captured in their truest essence. Similarly, historical events can have a way of creating an immediate connection. As an example, if someone were to have a great image or rendition of the pre-2001 New York skyline it would create a historical significance with the viewer.
The sentiment of artistic direction can make imagery stand out and outlast much of what exists is art that is especially moving on an emotional level. Whether it is documenting climate change with glaciers, having implied mood/gesture in a forest scene, compellingly leveraging colors or any other way to create emotions in landscapes. It helps the viewer to connect emotionally immediately!
Unseen Beauty is also how one can gain immediate acclaim for capturing a location in a new way or more perfectly than those that came before. What is new and came first is typically going to be held more highly than the copy-cat art that follows. Art that pushes the medium, age, or art industry itself is going to stick out more than derivative works. Think of well-known artists like Banksy, Picasso, Warhol, Van Gogh, and Dali who have completely changed what we think of as art and been revered for it.
Conclusion
In the photography world, we have Ansel Adams in the landscape photography genre. There is also Michael Kenna, Andreas Gursky, Hans Strand, and Art Wolfe who have influenced the community over the last couple of decades in a significant way. Today, we have a new generation of landscape photographers rising. This includes the likes of Thomas Heaton, Chris Burkard, Erin Babnik, Joshua Cripps, and Rachael Talibart who are currently leading and influencing with and ever-changing landscape of artists, imagery, and the world.
To have your art stick around for as long as possible you need to consider a lot of things. Most importantly, whether you even want to strive for this as an end goal or you are content with something less. There is nothing wrong with ‘fridge art’ as most things won’t last longer than the blip on the timeline that is our existence. If you do want your art or yourself as the artist to be remembered and put on display long into the future there needs to be consideration given to much more beyond the technical details.
Nobody cares about archival quality prints of something that doesn’t connect with the viewer. If you are interested in your art having a long life of its own you need to stop asking the wrong questions. Don’t wonder ‘how’ you are going to make it exist in 100 years or longer. Question ‘why’ someone in 100 years should even care about the imagery you create in the first place.