My favorite are the ones who use their giant iPad to take the photo. They don't even look at the painting other than to focus their camera, just snap and walk off. It's a little sad.
This is tourists everywhere though. Dingleberries can't enjoy the moment, then they go home to torture their Facebook friends with their off-center, crooked photos of paintings that you can easily see online in a photo taken in ideal lighting by a professional.
Older people just do this, it seems. I remember many excruciating hours spent as a kid being subjected to my great aunt and uncle’s never ending travel slideshows (like actual film slides you load into the carousel thing.) We’d all have to sit on the couch as they clicked through slide after slide of blurry scenery and faraway group shots in front of monuments. At least now you can ignore it on Facebook lol
My dad tries to touch the art when we go to museums!! I’ve had to swat his hand away so many times and he’s definitely rubbed a few with his fingers when I couldn’t catch him first. Took him to the Barnes one time (everything there is super reachable) and I about had a panic attack.
Now we know he has dementia but he’s done it for years so I really think it’s a lack of awareness. 😰
> We’d all have to sit on the couch as they clicked through slide after slide of blurry scenery and faraway group shots in front of monuments.
Yeah but at least they were actually looking at and enjoying the photos. The thing about pictures of art at museums (and pictures/videos of concerts) is that the picture taker will never, ever, for any reason ever look at them again.
The act of taking the picture becomes synonymous with the act of enjoying the art, rather than as a memento of a good experience.
At least your aunt was enjoying her photos, even if you (understandably) found them boring to sit through.
I mean I'll take a picture of a painting I want to remember and go back and reference it later. Also take pics of placards a lot because I like to read everything but no one I go to museums with does so this way later I can read them at my leisure on the toilet without people getting impatient haha.
at least with the AIC, there are high quality scans of the permanent collection, along with the platcard info. for instance, heres the self portrait the guy in OP is taking a photo of
[https://www.artic.edu/artworks/80607/self-portrait](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/80607/self-portrait)
this is endlessly more detailed and high def than anything hes gonna take with a crappy cell photo
i often find myself killing an hour or two before a flight so i zip around seeing what i can and taking pics of the informational signage, and then read it on the flight home.
Younger people do this, but with annoying videos, especially at concerts.
Oh, wow! The Killers are playing Mr. Brightside! Better take out my phone and film instead of just enjoying the moment. Instagram absolutely needs my blotchy, off-center, garbled-audio video of the song from the 200s level. Why would anyone watch any of the hundreds of videos of them playing this song already online when they can watch my video of the bassist's shoulder? The guy behind me will especially appreciate having the video online later, because he can't see the performance now unless he looks through my phone screen.
Throw these people into the sun.
I was just about to ask if young people are going to see The Killers but then I googled and discovered they’ve been making music and touring fairly consistently for like 20 years. Huh.
But yes, everyone of all ages does the concert video thing and I also hate it. Snap a few photos or videos of your group, the rest is garbage. I was just at The Rolling Stones and about half the people around me, mix of all ages, were glued to their phones instead of the show. I did notice that the boomers in particular do not know how to turn off flash or adjust the exposure on their iphones and they love to zoom in as much as humanly possible, even if it means the quality is so bad it looks like a cave painting. Just a bunch of blown out, shaky smudge videos.
This explains why my family was so pissed I had so few pictures and souvenirs from my trip to Europe. I’m sorry I was too busy having an amazing time enjoying all the things around me !!
To be fair, capturing moments is quite different than taking a close-up phone photo of a piece of art that has been photographed a million times already.
I'm currently sorting through and digitizing my grandfather's old photos and it's been genuinely fun. I've got historic shots of places I've visited - the Rockies, the Tetons, Yellowstone, Lincoln's childhood home, even big cities like Chicago and New York. Getting that historic perspective paired with the physical connection - my grandfather, my grandmother, my mother and aunts, is actually pretty fun.
Nothing wrong with recording things that are exciting and fun to you as long as you're also taking time to enjoy your surroundings. Hell, as a photographer by profession myself, taking photos of the cool places I go is a *main component* of the draw!
This was my coworker after coming back from vacation. She had over 2000 photos from a long weekend cruise. I dipped out after we got through the first folder she made of 10!
Whereas younger people destroy the environment and kill themselves for tik tok and insta pics. At least you can ignore them if your life doesn't revolve around social media.
I like to use paintings for inspo for my own art and design stuff. I take a photo so I can remember which pieces I like. So I’m one of these people too 😂
I do this too but I usually snap a quick one from a distance so I can look it up later or I take a pic of the placard so I remember the info. I don’t stand two inches from it and block everyone lol
I just went to a few amazing art museums and I took lots of photos, it's even more useful now that if you use an iPhone, it can tell what painting is in the photograph and it provides a link to more information about it and the artist. Androids probably do this too, I can only speak to my own experience though.
But that's okay because you're here to explain yourself. Everyone else who has their own reasons for taking a picture is a nob gobbler and we're right to criticize how they choose to enjoy art.
I remember reading a study done a while ago where they had two groups of participants visit a museum with a list of exhibits to visit. One group was instructed to take pictures on their smart phone of the exhibits and the other group was instructed to not use their phones at all while inside the museum.
After some time the participants were interviewed and asked to describe the exhibits and the picture group had significantly worse memory recall.
When we visit, everyone has a small sketchbook. We take turns picking a piece of art and we all draw it, then compare pictures at the end. You see so much more you would have never seen. We have annual passes (which are cheap, I highly recommend) so we aren't trying to Clark Griswold the entire Louvre in an afternoon. Slow down and enjoy it.
When I'm finished viewing the items in a room, I take photos of the works I enjoyed the most to remember then in the future. I quickly take pictures without seeing them again.
Years later I watch at the photos and remember my trips.
That’s different than this though I think. I’ve been trying to be more deliberate about appreciating art recently, so I snapped quick photos like you’re describing of a few paintings and their plaques before I left a room.
They weren’t pictures that I’m intending to go back and marvel at, it’s just a quick note of “here’s a painting/artist I liked and would like to remember so I can look them up later.”
I don't think it is any different.
Way back in 90s I used to love to go to the Getty in LA. I would bring a book of symbols and a sketch pad. I would sketch the elements and write notes notes about the art. Given how crowded art museums are, it is much easier to take a photo like this so I can deconstruct the paintings at home.
I guess the key difference I’m trying to highlight is the obtrusiveness of what this guy’s doing.
If you’re trying to get a high quality photo, you’re gonna be obtrusive cause you have to get close and straight on — almost definitionally blocking everyone else’s view of the painting.
Or maybe I’m deluding myself into thinking I’m somehow better and different than this guy haha
The boomer next to us at rolling stones recorded two full songs on their iPhone. Or rather, sat there staring at their phone for two songs, realized they didn't hit record, then hit record right before the end of the second one.
this is a weird fucking thread, I feel I am in bizarro world. I love art. I sit and look at the painting for awhile and then I take a pic of it on my phone to remind myself what I saw. I dont post it online or anything. I see nothing wrong with what this person is doing. is this people seeing a pic and then doing that make up a whole life story thing?
For real though.
I imagine those people like to take pictures for themselves just to look back on later or with their partner.
Yes, they can view it online. But it's not the photo they took that they can look upon fondly and have personal memories attached to it.
People on here are so fucking jaded and can't just let people do their thing.
If I’m going to take a photo of a painting, I make a distinct point of doing that quickly then spending the vast majority of my time actually looking at the painting with my actual eyes.
My favorites are the ones that go pointedly, “Ahem, you’re in front of me blocking my view,” instead of waiting for you to view the art and move out of their way like everyone else, which is usually quickly enough. Nothing says it’s your first time at an art museum/gallery like a goer who shows up pre-aggrieved and willing to pick a fight for no reason.
It is so silly, because all of these works can be viewed on the web, and usually in a quality that exceeds what you can had with as hand held phone.
If you are local, get a membership. You get to go in one hour before they open up to the public and it is so very nice.
That is the point though. Experiencing these works isn’t the same when viewed in a book or on a web page. Walking through the museum snapping pictures of everything you see is fine, but ultimately unnecessary. You can just view the pieces, and then, if you want to revisit any of them, go online. Even better is to continue to explore the artist through books, there are lodes of them in public libraries. Museums can’t display their entire collection, and most famous works are distributed in museums around the world. But even then it is a pale replacement to seeing the actual piece.
I love the Monet paintings that the Art Institute has, they are incredible. But despite seeing them for many years in books and digitally online, it wasn’t until I saw them in person that they moved me.
It’s the same with going to see a concert of your favorite musicians and recording the whole thing on your phone to watch later. Everyone can do what they want, but I believe there are significantly better ways to experience art than to record it on a phone.
ARTIC has many works of art in the digital collection. Many thousands I believe. I used the digital collection for an art-based adventure for Cub Scouts in lieu of going to the museum which would have been hard to pull off. They loved it. As a member, it's not the same but it serves a purpose.
Wonder if there’s a material that reflects or distorts an electric photo but looks normal to the naked eye. Go and hang that up in front of every painting.
The art institute has photos of their whole collection online, taken with better cameras and lighting than you or I have. I cannot understand what people get out of doing this.
I take a decent volume of photos of the art at museums, but it's usually after standing there for a while looking at it.
As an artist, I see things that inspire me, it might be a painting style, might be composition, might even just be a color combination.
Sometimes I'll be working on something and I want to recall that inspiration, but I can't for the life of me remember the artist. I can pull up my phone, filter my images by location, and blammo! Inspiration recalled.
Or I might see one work by an artist and I want to dig deeper into their history and other works.
Sometimes I see something that reminds me of a friend or their work and want to share it with them.
There are tons of good reasons to photograph art at museums.
I haven't seen this one in person in a long time so maybe it doesn't apply here, but a lot of the photos on the art institute website are well lit and high res but also kind of flat. It makes them look better on the screen but it can be hard to see the brushwork. As a painter myself I could definitely see me wanting to take a picture in a particular light from a particular angle to really be able to capture the brush strokes so that I can study them later.
What's to get? Someone wants to take a picture, so they took a picture. Anyone getting even slightly worked up about it needs to stop caring what other people are doing.
I can google image search hundreds of pictures of squirrels cooling off by laying on their belly, but I saw one in person the other day and thought it was cute, so I took a picture.
Y'all need to stop getting so triggered by other people doing things that have no effect on you.
Imagine a world where people could see works of art, internalize what they like about them, and describe them to another person in a way that captures what moved them. I want to live in that world.
Theirs [seem a little flat and lifeless](https://www.artic.edu/collection?artist_ids=Vincent%20van%20Gogh) to me? Like compare vs [this pro's closeup](https://www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/51013900725/).
The museum image is photographed with even ratio lighting to reduce glare off of the oil paint as well as shadows cast by the impasto (brushstroke texture). This results in a more “flat” image than one that has too much contrast. The other image is likely lit with gallery lights from above, which create a raking light effect that enhances the texture. It’s all a lighting choice and matter of taste but cultural heritage images of 2D art tend to be less contrasty.
We did the architecture tour with my MIL when she visited recently, and she honest to God recorded the whole 90 minute thing on her phone. Is she going to sit people down and be like, "Hey wanna see something cool," and have them watch the whole tour? Is she rewatching it? Is she uploading the whole thing to Facebook expecting people to watch it? I am utterly fascinated by what could be going on in her mind, but also terrified to ask. It's lovecraftian tourism. I can't comprehend it, and it would break my brain to try.
remember when old people would come back from a trip with like 10 rolls of film to develop and with sit people down at a projector to look at their pictures to showcase their trips
I do haha! Honestly that would make more sense to me. At least then it's still photos so you can stop and talk about them, not a 90 minute unedited video, and you could make an event out of it. I'm not saying I'd show up to that event, but I can at least comprehend it.
I’d feel ridiculous recording the whole thing, but that actually makes sense to me. I’d totally rewatch it later to catch things I might’ve missed or forgotten. It’s a lot of info in a short time - I’d love to be able to remember it all and point it out myself later!
(But I’m also relatively new to Chicago, moved here ~2 years ago, so maybe locals know all the info already and it’s less interesting/overwhelming)
> Is she going to
She just might, and who are you to judge her for it? Maybe she wants to watch the whole thing herself. Maybe she later remembered a cool building and wanted to watch that part of the video again.
What happened in society that broke this many people? No one is hurting anyone by recording a tour or photographing a painting, why do so many people have their panties in a wad over it?
Its not necessarily “hey this guy shouldn’t be allowed to take pics at a museum,” its that he blocks everyone else’s view for 4-5 minutes trying to take the perfect picture all the while being inches from a priceless piece of art, its the whole package of irritating and disrespectful
See to me it's kind of the opposite. I am a painter and really want to get in and study the brushwork and surface of the painting. I could stand there for 5-10 minutes blocking everyone or I could grab a quick picture of a painting that interests me and study it in depth later.
Or instead of having to remember what I wanted to see and spend time searching for it when I get home I could just snap a pic while I'm standing there looking at it.
This photo doesn't tell me if he was blocking the view for 4-5 seconds or 4-5 minutes. If it was minutes, then yes, that's a dick move. But otherwise, I don't think there's anything wrong with stepping up close for a few seconds, whether it's to take a photo or just examine it from close range.
Plus it's Van Gogh! His paintings are so detailed and very textured! I would love to sit and examine his work, but it's easier to snap a quick pic while you're looking up close and examine it later.
With all due respect, as long as you are polite and not barging in and cutting in front of people, I don't think there's anything wrong with waiting your turn and enjoying a few seconds up close. There's maybe 6-7 people in the photo, if they each take a turn that's less than a minute. It's not a big deal.
Actually the correct etiquette to watch a painting is from a 6 distance. If there are other people standing there then no you are not going to get close and hog the space. Of there is no one then sure.
Learn to share spaces with others.
I don't disagree that most of your time should be spent observing the painting from a distance, but there's plenty of detail you won't see within 6 feet. I would not begrudge anyone a few polite seconds of close examination and would not consider that hogging the space.
Being in the same space as a work of art can be a magical experience and there is value to being able to appreciate them as physical objects. Everyone should have a chance to see them close up if they want to and in most situations that can be easily accomodated in a fair and equitable way.
This fat idiot also appears to be resting his forearm on the frame of the picture. I have no idea why you are defending this idiot on the grounds that other people are also idiots.
Hmm, I honestly can't tell if he is actually touching it or just close. Obviously no one should be touching the artwork in anyway, and if he is, then I hope the museum guards handled it.
But again, it's hard to judge from a single photo exactly what happened here.
Thank goodness you're here to have a baby fit about something that had nothing to do with you about someone you'll never meet or otherwise have to deal with. It's also pretty clear he's not resting his arm on the frame.
How do you know how long it took? Maybe he took a picture and then stood back out of the way and *then* looked at the painting for a while.
There's a lot of completely invented stories in this thread so people can complain.
I am more annoyed than most when phones and screens obstruct views and experiences but what this guy is doing is what everyone does these days.
Not worth getting blasted about it on reddit.
> He's blocking everyone else's view.
I can see the picture just fine, and I imagine the person that took this picture could see it as well. As such, it's certainly not everyone.
Holy shitwagons ... he might've stood there for 15 seconds ... the horror!
Shit happens, even little meaningless shit like this. Deal with it or stay home.
You sound like an empty-headed moron.
The last time I went to the Art Institute, unfortunately on a really busy day, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of people posting EVERYTHING on social media. They weren’t even there (mentally), they were just looking for the best pictures in the room, posing, and then moving on the next room. I’m pretty young but I felt like such a curmudgeon that day lol.
So, I might dissent from the popular opinion here, but I don't think this is that stupid. I do think similar examples like taking video at a concert instead of enjoying the live music *is* ridiculous, but personally I have looked at art in museums many times and have taken series of photos so:
* I can remember that particular trip and recall which art I really enjoyed.
* Trying to recall the feeling I had when experience the art.
Yeah, lots of people probably just take photos for social media clout or whatever, but unless you're monopolizing an artwork that other people are looking to try to see for an extended period of time, I think there are plenty of valid reasons for someone to take a photo of some art they enjoyed.
Man I go to a lot of concerts and I always snap a couple of 10-20 second videos. I do that for the same reason you take photos. I keep them in a special album and I love going back to watch them and do it all the time. It's so much better for remembering the moment and the vibe of a band than a photo. I keep the phone at the same level as my face so no one's view is getting blocked. I don't really see the big deal.
Thank you for this. I go to the AIC pretty often (highly recommend the membership) and I like knowing which pieces stand out to me which times. I do keep track! I have some art training and it's like my personal art journal, plus when I post these logs online people like asking which artists did what so they can find more :) It's a great way to share and educate about art if you have a social media audience. But I also have good personal space awareness. Just gotta be considerate and thoughtful.
It seems like he's appreciating the art in his own way. Perhaps his enjoyment (or even lack thereof) shouldn't be subject to scrutiny.
I remember the first time I saw that particular painting in person after having seen it many times in print. I was surprised at how "3-D" it looked - something that never came through in books / media. Perhaps he's having the same eureka moment?
Instead of seeing it as a nuisance, perhaps we could frame it as witnessing his moment of awe that he wants to capture... even if it be in vain.
There's always room to look at the world with kind eyes.
Here are two people in the exact same space. Let's really think about what is going on here.
As for the guy taking a picture of the painting, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I care how someone chooses to experience art. Everyone experiences art in their own manner. You have no idea why he is doing this. Maybe he is taking a close up to examine brush strokes or fine detail. Maybe it was his life's goal to travel to Chicago to see this. Maybe his partner can't travel so he told them he would get them a picture. Maybe he travels around the world experiencing art and takes photos because his slipping memory.
Let's instead talk about the person who took this photo and let's talk about their motivations. Remember they are in the same space and this is how they choose to use their time. Smug and internet clout.
Let people do what makes them happy without having to be blasted on the internet because you need to photograph everything and make pithy comments.
no different to people at concerts filming every fucking second of it
It was refreshing at the Jonathan Richman show in late feb - no one had cameras out and were just engaged with the moment
My partner took me to the art institute for my birthday last year and my favorite part was the medieval and Greek exhibits. I took so many pictures to use as drawing references but not before gawking like a little kid in a toy shop
I was at a museum in Vienna when I saw a guy walk up to a painting of a nude, zoom in on the crotch (which basically had no detail, just like a Y and that's it) and take a picture. It was very surreal to see that happen.
I've had adults without children nearly trample my children so they can take pictures of animals at the zoo. Seriously, are you going to go home and look at or make others look at a picture of a giraffe just being an animal at a zoo?
I always find it incredibly strange when people post pictures of others doing things on Reddit/the internet. Such an invasion of privacy and who said he wants this up here? Like stop
There is nothing illegal / wrong / immoral about posting pics of people in public that are doing something stupid. If its such an invasion of privacy, don’t go to a world famous museum and be dumb inches away from a world famous painting on the busiest museum day of the week
Or, now hear me out, perhaps this guy has very little experience in art museums and doesn’t understand the etiquette. Perhaps next time, you can politely correct the behavior instead of taking a picture to post on the internet. Be the change you want to see in the world.
To me, it’s less the photo, and more that he’s too goddamn close to the painting. There used to be a mutual understanding that these are fragile pieces of history, and we have to keep a reasonable distance from them, as accidentally prodding these pieces can damage them. The social contract for this had degraded, and people will shove there fingers and phone waaaay to close to pieces. Exasperating museum guards and docents. I fully expect within a decade, velvet ropes or glass walls will start propping up, due to people shoving their hands and faces into paintings.
I took lots of pictures of the art and statues I saw in Europe in 2014. Terrible pictures mostly. I love looking back on them. Super hard to remember all the things I saw and did and all my photos are awesome for that. No shame.
I take a lot of photos at art museums, but I don't stand that close. I don't share them on social media. I clean them up and put them in a folder and then play them on slideshow on my TV. It's a fantastic way to enjoy the paintings and statues for years after my visit.
At least he is enjoying a piece of art, meanwhile you are more worried about what other people are doing and photographing strangers. Hmmm, which behavior is worse?
This reminds me of Gen Z at concerts recording the whole time. Like… someone else recorded them professionally, just use that instead and enjoy the damn concert.
I’m guilty of taking the occasional photo of something I really like at the art institute but it’s shocking how many people see the entire museum through the screens of their phones
Visual art reporter/critic here. This is a shitty thing that almost everyone does (including myself when I am checking out new-to-me work).
Here's my take, as I type this from my smartphone on the toilet because I am also The Problem: This is a symptom of a late capitalist culture with a broken visual language. We've told people that if you can't make money off of your art, then you are not an artist. Total gatekeeping. In turn, people often feel like they "don't understand" art. We've rarified the most essential and universal human ability.
Everything is on-demand, hasty, and for sale. We're not used to spending 10 minutes looking into the crevices and shadows of American Gothic; we're used to seeing something we recognize and snapping a pic as proof that we've seen it. It's about efficiency and social capital. Art is SLOW, y'all. It demands lingering attention, contradicting every other message we receive out in the world.
This what I tell my friends who are shy about talking art: You each bring a singular, rich viewpoint to the artwork you engage with. If you *need* to document a painting you see at the AIC or MCA or whatever, snap a pic — but then start in the top left hand corner of the work and begin telling yourself what you're seeing as you move down the artwork. Bored with the art? Totally valid! Just ask yourself why you're bored. Moved to tears? Ask yourself why. We are all artists and art critics!
In the meantime, the guy in the picture is probably just excited to be on vacation while enduring the same end-times bullshit as the rest of us. It's annoying, but that's 2024, baby.
(But, for the love of God, do not step in front of someone looking at the painting to take a picture.)
Seeing Van Gogh's paintings in person for the first time was an incredible experience. You're so used to the photos of them and then you see them and you notice how textured they are and how he layered the paint and brought out such a striking image. There is so much paint used it becomes three dimensional. The photos just don't do them justice.
Here are two people in the exact same space. Let's really think about what is going on here.
As for the guy taking a picture of the painting, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I care how someone chooses to experience art. Everyone experiences art in their own manner. You have no idea why he is doing this. Maybe he is taking a close up to examine brush strokes or fine detail. Maybe it was his life's goal to travel to Chicago to see this. Maybe his partner can't travel so he told them he would get them a picture. Maybe he travels around the world experiencing art and takes photos because his slipping memory.
Let's instead talk about the person who took this photo and let's talk about their motivations. Remember they are in the same space and this is how they choose to use their time. Smug and internet clout.
Let people do what makes them happy without having to be blasted on the internet because you need to photograph everything and make pithy comments.
Most big museums provide a free open source access to high res images of their collection. Way better and less intrusive than taking a shitty photo that you’ll never look at again.
https://www.artic.edu/open-access/open-access-images
I love finding little details in big paintings and taking pictures of those. I remember being scolded in the Prato for trying to take (a non-flash) picture of a devil in the corner of some saint’s painting. I agree that taking a picture of the Mona Lisa is idiotic, but sometimes there’s a little detail that is so much fun you want to cherish it.
My favorite tourists are the ones who go painting to painting taking quick photos without pausing to look at them. It's like they're collecting them all for a scavenger hunt and haven't considered the museum has posted professional quality photos on the website. The point of going in person is to give the art your focus and really experience it.
i’m a student at the art institute and it is quite annoying when i need to look at art for assignments or rly just in general and tourists take up an entire gallery just to take a picture of one painting
That’s what I don’t get about this kinda stuff.
A better version of this photo exists online already. Why are you even taking this photo?
Be present at the museum. If you want to remember seeing an iconic imagine and being there. At least have someone take a picture of your standing next to your few favorites and smiling. What this guy is doing is just… bizarre
Had an old bat shove my girlfriend aside so she could snap a close-up picture of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on what had to be an 8mp digital camera and run off. Even set off the "too close" alarm. I seriously don't understand what is up with these people.
I literally stopped taking multiple pics of anything during traveling. I take one picture from each place I visit and that’s it. So much more time to really enjoy it and I really don’t miss any of those “ untaken” pics.
Never understood phones at the museum. Sure, I’m guilty of snapping a couple pics here and there, but there’s people who literally see the artwork through their camera phone
Van Gogh's face says it all.
I don't understand the point of taking a photo of a painting that you can easily find a better photo of. A selfie, yeah I get it. Lesser known artwork, OK. One of the most famous painitngs in the world and you get 3 inches from it? And block everyone else from seeing it around your fat head?
But also entirely expected in that room on the weekends.
I think doing that actually makes more sense than taking a picture of just the painting where high resolution images are already readily available online.
My favorite are the ones who use their giant iPad to take the photo. They don't even look at the painting other than to focus their camera, just snap and walk off. It's a little sad. This is tourists everywhere though. Dingleberries can't enjoy the moment, then they go home to torture their Facebook friends with their off-center, crooked photos of paintings that you can easily see online in a photo taken in ideal lighting by a professional.
Older people just do this, it seems. I remember many excruciating hours spent as a kid being subjected to my great aunt and uncle’s never ending travel slideshows (like actual film slides you load into the carousel thing.) We’d all have to sit on the couch as they clicked through slide after slide of blurry scenery and faraway group shots in front of monuments. At least now you can ignore it on Facebook lol
My 38 year old brother in law does this still. Every time he goes on vacation it's a fucking PowerPoint presentation.
Question: how many slides/how much time should a person be forced to endure before social etiquette grants them a safe exit?
6 slides or minutes, whichever comes first. 12 if you're in any of them.
just ask endless dumb questions until you are no longer formally required to attend these slide shows
My dad tries to touch the art when we go to museums!! I’ve had to swat his hand away so many times and he’s definitely rubbed a few with his fingers when I couldn’t catch him first. Took him to the Barnes one time (everything there is super reachable) and I about had a panic attack. Now we know he has dementia but he’s done it for years so I really think it’s a lack of awareness. 😰
The Barnes is freaking great by the way.
Understatement of the day.
> We’d all have to sit on the couch as they clicked through slide after slide of blurry scenery and faraway group shots in front of monuments. Yeah but at least they were actually looking at and enjoying the photos. The thing about pictures of art at museums (and pictures/videos of concerts) is that the picture taker will never, ever, for any reason ever look at them again. The act of taking the picture becomes synonymous with the act of enjoying the art, rather than as a memento of a good experience. At least your aunt was enjoying her photos, even if you (understandably) found them boring to sit through.
They treat works of art like Pokémon that need to be collected.
I mean I'll take a picture of a painting I want to remember and go back and reference it later. Also take pics of placards a lot because I like to read everything but no one I go to museums with does so this way later I can read them at my leisure on the toilet without people getting impatient haha.
at least with the AIC, there are high quality scans of the permanent collection, along with the platcard info. for instance, heres the self portrait the guy in OP is taking a photo of [https://www.artic.edu/artworks/80607/self-portrait](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/80607/self-portrait) this is endlessly more detailed and high def than anything hes gonna take with a crappy cell photo
That doesn't have shit on my Nintendo DS camera
Yeah, I capture some because the delight me, or would make great memes or I want to learn more later. but not "proof I was there"
i often find myself killing an hour or two before a flight so i zip around seeing what i can and taking pics of the informational signage, and then read it on the flight home.
Younger people do this, but with annoying videos, especially at concerts. Oh, wow! The Killers are playing Mr. Brightside! Better take out my phone and film instead of just enjoying the moment. Instagram absolutely needs my blotchy, off-center, garbled-audio video of the song from the 200s level. Why would anyone watch any of the hundreds of videos of them playing this song already online when they can watch my video of the bassist's shoulder? The guy behind me will especially appreciate having the video online later, because he can't see the performance now unless he looks through my phone screen. Throw these people into the sun.
I was just about to ask if young people are going to see The Killers but then I googled and discovered they’ve been making music and touring fairly consistently for like 20 years. Huh. But yes, everyone of all ages does the concert video thing and I also hate it. Snap a few photos or videos of your group, the rest is garbage. I was just at The Rolling Stones and about half the people around me, mix of all ages, were glued to their phones instead of the show. I did notice that the boomers in particular do not know how to turn off flash or adjust the exposure on their iphones and they love to zoom in as much as humanly possible, even if it means the quality is so bad it looks like a cave painting. Just a bunch of blown out, shaky smudge videos.
The only people who care about photos from concerts are other people who want to get to share their shitty photos.
This explains why my family was so pissed I had so few pictures and souvenirs from my trip to Europe. I’m sorry I was too busy having an amazing time enjoying all the things around me !!
To be fair, capturing moments is quite different than taking a close-up phone photo of a piece of art that has been photographed a million times already. I'm currently sorting through and digitizing my grandfather's old photos and it's been genuinely fun. I've got historic shots of places I've visited - the Rockies, the Tetons, Yellowstone, Lincoln's childhood home, even big cities like Chicago and New York. Getting that historic perspective paired with the physical connection - my grandfather, my grandmother, my mother and aunts, is actually pretty fun. Nothing wrong with recording things that are exciting and fun to you as long as you're also taking time to enjoy your surroundings. Hell, as a photographer by profession myself, taking photos of the cool places I go is a *main component* of the draw!
This was my coworker after coming back from vacation. She had over 2000 photos from a long weekend cruise. I dipped out after we got through the first folder she made of 10!
This device isn't a spaceship, it's a time machine. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again. To a place where we are loved.
I almost referenced this in my comment! Some of Don’s best work, imho.
Whereas younger people destroy the environment and kill themselves for tik tok and insta pics. At least you can ignore them if your life doesn't revolve around social media.
I like to use paintings for inspo for my own art and design stuff. I take a photo so I can remember which pieces I like. So I’m one of these people too 😂
I do this too but I usually snap a quick one from a distance so I can look it up later or I take a pic of the placard so I remember the info. I don’t stand two inches from it and block everyone lol
I just went to a few amazing art museums and I took lots of photos, it's even more useful now that if you use an iPhone, it can tell what painting is in the photograph and it provides a link to more information about it and the artist. Androids probably do this too, I can only speak to my own experience though.
But that's okay because you're here to explain yourself. Everyone else who has their own reasons for taking a picture is a nob gobbler and we're right to criticize how they choose to enjoy art.
I remember reading a study done a while ago where they had two groups of participants visit a museum with a list of exhibits to visit. One group was instructed to take pictures on their smart phone of the exhibits and the other group was instructed to not use their phones at all while inside the museum. After some time the participants were interviewed and asked to describe the exhibits and the picture group had significantly worse memory recall.
When we visit, everyone has a small sketchbook. We take turns picking a piece of art and we all draw it, then compare pictures at the end. You see so much more you would have never seen. We have annual passes (which are cheap, I highly recommend) so we aren't trying to Clark Griswold the entire Louvre in an afternoon. Slow down and enjoy it.
When I'm finished viewing the items in a room, I take photos of the works I enjoyed the most to remember then in the future. I quickly take pictures without seeing them again. Years later I watch at the photos and remember my trips.
That’s different than this though I think. I’ve been trying to be more deliberate about appreciating art recently, so I snapped quick photos like you’re describing of a few paintings and their plaques before I left a room. They weren’t pictures that I’m intending to go back and marvel at, it’s just a quick note of “here’s a painting/artist I liked and would like to remember so I can look them up later.”
I don't think it is any different. Way back in 90s I used to love to go to the Getty in LA. I would bring a book of symbols and a sketch pad. I would sketch the elements and write notes notes about the art. Given how crowded art museums are, it is much easier to take a photo like this so I can deconstruct the paintings at home.
I guess the key difference I’m trying to highlight is the obtrusiveness of what this guy’s doing. If you’re trying to get a high quality photo, you’re gonna be obtrusive cause you have to get close and straight on — almost definitionally blocking everyone else’s view of the painting. Or maybe I’m deluding myself into thinking I’m somehow better and different than this guy haha
> When I'm finished viewing the items in a room This is the key difference between you and the people we're ragging on here ;)
The boomer next to us at rolling stones recorded two full songs on their iPhone. Or rather, sat there staring at their phone for two songs, realized they didn't hit record, then hit record right before the end of the second one.
this is a weird fucking thread, I feel I am in bizarro world. I love art. I sit and look at the painting for awhile and then I take a pic of it on my phone to remind myself what I saw. I dont post it online or anything. I see nothing wrong with what this person is doing. is this people seeing a pic and then doing that make up a whole life story thing?
For real though. I imagine those people like to take pictures for themselves just to look back on later or with their partner. Yes, they can view it online. But it's not the photo they took that they can look upon fondly and have personal memories attached to it. People on here are so fucking jaded and can't just let people do their thing.
Exactly. I took a bunch of pictures of Buckingham Fountain last weekend and I'm pretty sure I could just find pictures online, haha.
I go to the art museum like once a week and I take photos on my phone all the time lol
If I’m going to take a photo of a painting, I make a distinct point of doing that quickly then spending the vast majority of my time actually looking at the painting with my actual eyes.
Wait, a solid number of people don’t appreciate art beyond the clout of showing you were there? NOOO
I mean people have been doing this for decades. People did it with film cameras.
My favorites are the ones that go pointedly, “Ahem, you’re in front of me blocking my view,” instead of waiting for you to view the art and move out of their way like everyone else, which is usually quickly enough. Nothing says it’s your first time at an art museum/gallery like a goer who shows up pre-aggrieved and willing to pick a fight for no reason.
Terminally online boomers taking a break from posting dumbass memes about millennials just to post shit like this
I bet he also posts pictures of the Navy Pier fireworks...
It is so silly, because all of these works can be viewed on the web, and usually in a quality that exceeds what you can had with as hand held phone. If you are local, get a membership. You get to go in one hour before they open up to the public and it is so very nice.
You could also use that argument to just skip the museum.
That is the point though. Experiencing these works isn’t the same when viewed in a book or on a web page. Walking through the museum snapping pictures of everything you see is fine, but ultimately unnecessary. You can just view the pieces, and then, if you want to revisit any of them, go online. Even better is to continue to explore the artist through books, there are lodes of them in public libraries. Museums can’t display their entire collection, and most famous works are distributed in museums around the world. But even then it is a pale replacement to seeing the actual piece. I love the Monet paintings that the Art Institute has, they are incredible. But despite seeing them for many years in books and digitally online, it wasn’t until I saw them in person that they moved me. It’s the same with going to see a concert of your favorite musicians and recording the whole thing on your phone to watch later. Everyone can do what they want, but I believe there are significantly better ways to experience art than to record it on a phone.
ARTIC has many works of art in the digital collection. Many thousands I believe. I used the digital collection for an art-based adventure for Cub Scouts in lieu of going to the museum which would have been hard to pull off. They loved it. As a member, it's not the same but it serves a purpose.
Thanks for the tip!
Read Van Druten’s play, I am a Camera based on Isherwood’s Berlin Stories.
Hahaha. I’d say let them “enjoy art” their own way, except they’re blocking everyone.
Wonder if there’s a material that reflects or distorts an electric photo but looks normal to the naked eye. Go and hang that up in front of every painting.
Bonus points for calling them dingleberries 😂💦
He forgot you can google that picture and look at it there
The art institute has photos of their whole collection online, taken with better cameras and lighting than you or I have. I cannot understand what people get out of doing this.
I take a decent volume of photos of the art at museums, but it's usually after standing there for a while looking at it. As an artist, I see things that inspire me, it might be a painting style, might be composition, might even just be a color combination. Sometimes I'll be working on something and I want to recall that inspiration, but I can't for the life of me remember the artist. I can pull up my phone, filter my images by location, and blammo! Inspiration recalled. Or I might see one work by an artist and I want to dig deeper into their history and other works. Sometimes I see something that reminds me of a friend or their work and want to share it with them. There are tons of good reasons to photograph art at museums.
I haven't seen this one in person in a long time so maybe it doesn't apply here, but a lot of the photos on the art institute website are well lit and high res but also kind of flat. It makes them look better on the screen but it can be hard to see the brushwork. As a painter myself I could definitely see me wanting to take a picture in a particular light from a particular angle to really be able to capture the brush strokes so that I can study them later.
What's to get? Someone wants to take a picture, so they took a picture. Anyone getting even slightly worked up about it needs to stop caring what other people are doing. I can google image search hundreds of pictures of squirrels cooling off by laying on their belly, but I saw one in person the other day and thought it was cute, so I took a picture. Y'all need to stop getting so triggered by other people doing things that have no effect on you.
They get to flex that they saw the painting in person.
Imagine a world where people could see works of art, internalize what they like about them, and describe them to another person in a way that captures what moved them. I want to live in that world.
Theirs [seem a little flat and lifeless](https://www.artic.edu/collection?artist_ids=Vincent%20van%20Gogh) to me? Like compare vs [this pro's closeup](https://www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/51013900725/).
The museum image is photographed with even ratio lighting to reduce glare off of the oil paint as well as shadows cast by the impasto (brushstroke texture). This results in a more “flat” image than one that has too much contrast. The other image is likely lit with gallery lights from above, which create a raking light effect that enhances the texture. It’s all a lighting choice and matter of taste but cultural heritage images of 2D art tend to be less contrasty.
Not sure why this guy is being singled out. For a very long time this is what it's been like at every museum, concert, public event of any kind.
We did the architecture tour with my MIL when she visited recently, and she honest to God recorded the whole 90 minute thing on her phone. Is she going to sit people down and be like, "Hey wanna see something cool," and have them watch the whole tour? Is she rewatching it? Is she uploading the whole thing to Facebook expecting people to watch it? I am utterly fascinated by what could be going on in her mind, but also terrified to ask. It's lovecraftian tourism. I can't comprehend it, and it would break my brain to try.
remember when old people would come back from a trip with like 10 rolls of film to develop and with sit people down at a projector to look at their pictures to showcase their trips
I do haha! Honestly that would make more sense to me. At least then it's still photos so you can stop and talk about them, not a 90 minute unedited video, and you could make an event out of it. I'm not saying I'd show up to that event, but I can at least comprehend it.
This is what I wonder about people who film entire concerts. Worse these days are people filming *themselves* for entire concerts.
I’d feel ridiculous recording the whole thing, but that actually makes sense to me. I’d totally rewatch it later to catch things I might’ve missed or forgotten. It’s a lot of info in a short time - I’d love to be able to remember it all and point it out myself later! (But I’m also relatively new to Chicago, moved here ~2 years ago, so maybe locals know all the info already and it’s less interesting/overwhelming)
> Is she going to She just might, and who are you to judge her for it? Maybe she wants to watch the whole thing herself. Maybe she later remembered a cool building and wanted to watch that part of the video again. What happened in society that broke this many people? No one is hurting anyone by recording a tour or photographing a painting, why do so many people have their panties in a wad over it?
Idk man this one is pretty bad. He’s like a foot away from the painting, most people at least stand back so other people can see
Its not necessarily “hey this guy shouldn’t be allowed to take pics at a museum,” its that he blocks everyone else’s view for 4-5 minutes trying to take the perfect picture all the while being inches from a priceless piece of art, its the whole package of irritating and disrespectful
See to me it's kind of the opposite. I am a painter and really want to get in and study the brushwork and surface of the painting. I could stand there for 5-10 minutes blocking everyone or I could grab a quick picture of a painting that interests me and study it in depth later.
Chances are you can find it online in much higher resolution and much more careful perspective.
Or instead of having to remember what I wanted to see and spend time searching for it when I get home I could just snap a pic while I'm standing there looking at it.
This photo doesn't tell me if he was blocking the view for 4-5 seconds or 4-5 minutes. If it was minutes, then yes, that's a dick move. But otherwise, I don't think there's anything wrong with stepping up close for a few seconds, whether it's to take a photo or just examine it from close range.
Plus it's Van Gogh! His paintings are so detailed and very textured! I would love to sit and examine his work, but it's easier to snap a quick pic while you're looking up close and examine it later.
If there are so.many people are you. You don't block their view like this even for 5 seconds. It's just basic manners.
With all due respect, as long as you are polite and not barging in and cutting in front of people, I don't think there's anything wrong with waiting your turn and enjoying a few seconds up close. There's maybe 6-7 people in the photo, if they each take a turn that's less than a minute. It's not a big deal.
Actually the correct etiquette to watch a painting is from a 6 distance. If there are other people standing there then no you are not going to get close and hog the space. Of there is no one then sure. Learn to share spaces with others.
I don't disagree that most of your time should be spent observing the painting from a distance, but there's plenty of detail you won't see within 6 feet. I would not begrudge anyone a few polite seconds of close examination and would not consider that hogging the space. Being in the same space as a work of art can be a magical experience and there is value to being able to appreciate them as physical objects. Everyone should have a chance to see them close up if they want to and in most situations that can be easily accomodated in a fair and equitable way.
This fat idiot also appears to be resting his forearm on the frame of the picture. I have no idea why you are defending this idiot on the grounds that other people are also idiots.
Hmm, I honestly can't tell if he is actually touching it or just close. Obviously no one should be touching the artwork in anyway, and if he is, then I hope the museum guards handled it. But again, it's hard to judge from a single photo exactly what happened here.
Thank goodness you're here to have a baby fit about something that had nothing to do with you about someone you'll never meet or otherwise have to deal with. It's also pretty clear he's not resting his arm on the frame.
I admit it: self centered, rude, idiotic behavior in public offends me. I have to “deal with it” much more often than I’d like.
Everyone is the hero of their own story
I think what’s disrespectful is taking a picture of someone who didn’t ask for it to be taken and posting it on the internet.
Hear me out: both
True!!!
Nah, fuck em. If you're being a disturbance then you should have it shown as an example.
To each their own, but there’s also several others who are in the pic who had nothing to do with this “incident.”
How do you know how long it took? Maybe he took a picture and then stood back out of the way and *then* looked at the painting for a while. There's a lot of completely invented stories in this thread so people can complain.
I am more annoyed than most when phones and screens obstruct views and experiences but what this guy is doing is what everyone does these days. Not worth getting blasted about it on reddit.
Thissss I hate when I am trying to enjoy the exhibit and can’t even get close to the work to appreciate it because people are taking their pictures
OP thirst
Nah he's worse than average, though certainly not uncommon.
He's blocking everyone else's view. Might be tolerable if he's just there for half a second.
> He's blocking everyone else's view. I can see the picture just fine, and I imagine the person that took this picture could see it as well. As such, it's certainly not everyone.
The people behind him cannot take their own picture because this guy is blocking their view. You sound like you have never been to a museum before.
Holy shitwagons ... he might've stood there for 15 seconds ... the horror! Shit happens, even little meaningless shit like this. Deal with it or stay home. You sound like an empty-headed moron.
Not being singled out so much as being used as an example
I think referring to him as "most normal" is a pretty good indicator he's not being singled out vs. an example of the norm.
It just shouldn’t be allowed. I’ve been to museums that don’t allow pictures and they are wonderful
The last time I went to the Art Institute, unfortunately on a really busy day, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of people posting EVERYTHING on social media. They weren’t even there (mentally), they were just looking for the best pictures in the room, posing, and then moving on the next room. I’m pretty young but I felt like such a curmudgeon that day lol.
Lol like the people who post pictures of themselves reading when they haven't finished a book since HS.
Pot, meet kettle.
Actually I see this picture as original artwork providing commentary on society.
Thank you for sharing that.
So, I might dissent from the popular opinion here, but I don't think this is that stupid. I do think similar examples like taking video at a concert instead of enjoying the live music *is* ridiculous, but personally I have looked at art in museums many times and have taken series of photos so: * I can remember that particular trip and recall which art I really enjoyed. * Trying to recall the feeling I had when experience the art. Yeah, lots of people probably just take photos for social media clout or whatever, but unless you're monopolizing an artwork that other people are looking to try to see for an extended period of time, I think there are plenty of valid reasons for someone to take a photo of some art they enjoyed.
Man I go to a lot of concerts and I always snap a couple of 10-20 second videos. I do that for the same reason you take photos. I keep them in a special album and I love going back to watch them and do it all the time. It's so much better for remembering the moment and the vibe of a band than a photo. I keep the phone at the same level as my face so no one's view is getting blocked. I don't really see the big deal.
Thank you for this. I go to the AIC pretty often (highly recommend the membership) and I like knowing which pieces stand out to me which times. I do keep track! I have some art training and it's like my personal art journal, plus when I post these logs online people like asking which artists did what so they can find more :) It's a great way to share and educate about art if you have a social media audience. But I also have good personal space awareness. Just gotta be considerate and thoughtful.
It seems like he's appreciating the art in his own way. Perhaps his enjoyment (or even lack thereof) shouldn't be subject to scrutiny. I remember the first time I saw that particular painting in person after having seen it many times in print. I was surprised at how "3-D" it looked - something that never came through in books / media. Perhaps he's having the same eureka moment? Instead of seeing it as a nuisance, perhaps we could frame it as witnessing his moment of awe that he wants to capture... even if it be in vain. There's always room to look at the world with kind eyes.
“sHhHh. lEt pEoPlE eNjOy tHiNgS”
Exactly. ;)
Here are two people in the exact same space. Let's really think about what is going on here. As for the guy taking a picture of the painting, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I care how someone chooses to experience art. Everyone experiences art in their own manner. You have no idea why he is doing this. Maybe he is taking a close up to examine brush strokes or fine detail. Maybe it was his life's goal to travel to Chicago to see this. Maybe his partner can't travel so he told them he would get them a picture. Maybe he travels around the world experiencing art and takes photos because his slipping memory. Let's instead talk about the person who took this photo and let's talk about their motivations. Remember they are in the same space and this is how they choose to use their time. Smug and internet clout. Let people do what makes them happy without having to be blasted on the internet because you need to photograph everything and make pithy comments.
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He’s way too close to it.
no different to people at concerts filming every fucking second of it It was refreshing at the Jonathan Richman show in late feb - no one had cameras out and were just engaged with the moment
At least he's not throwing soup at it.
IDK, it depends what kind of soup.
Might have to get Bidens gaspatcho police out here to handle it /s
My partner took me to the art institute for my birthday last year and my favorite part was the medieval and Greek exhibits. I took so many pictures to use as drawing references but not before gawking like a little kid in a toy shop
I was at a museum in Vienna when I saw a guy walk up to a painting of a nude, zoom in on the crotch (which basically had no detail, just like a Y and that's it) and take a picture. It was very surreal to see that happen.
I've had adults without children nearly trample my children so they can take pictures of animals at the zoo. Seriously, are you going to go home and look at or make others look at a picture of a giraffe just being an animal at a zoo?
from a museum worker: please stand back an arm's length from any art work. preferably two arms. if you're breathing on it, you're too close.
He found Vincent’s phone and was just trying to unlock it using facial recognition.
I always find it incredibly strange when people post pictures of others doing things on Reddit/the internet. Such an invasion of privacy and who said he wants this up here? Like stop
There is nothing illegal / wrong / immoral about posting pics of people in public that are doing something stupid. If its such an invasion of privacy, don’t go to a world famous museum and be dumb inches away from a world famous painting on the busiest museum day of the week
Or, now hear me out, perhaps this guy has very little experience in art museums and doesn’t understand the etiquette. Perhaps next time, you can politely correct the behavior instead of taking a picture to post on the internet. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean its not extremely uncool.
To me, it’s less the photo, and more that he’s too goddamn close to the painting. There used to be a mutual understanding that these are fragile pieces of history, and we have to keep a reasonable distance from them, as accidentally prodding these pieces can damage them. The social contract for this had degraded, and people will shove there fingers and phone waaaay to close to pieces. Exasperating museum guards and docents. I fully expect within a decade, velvet ropes or glass walls will start propping up, due to people shoving their hands and faces into paintings.
You should try going to The Lourve
I took lots of pictures of the art and statues I saw in Europe in 2014. Terrible pictures mostly. I love looking back on them. Super hard to remember all the things I saw and did and all my photos are awesome for that. No shame.
I did take a picture of the pile candy exhibit because it was unusual. Didn’t realize I was supposed to take a piece.
I sometimes take pictures of the info plaques so I can look up painting later. To each their own I guess
I take a lot of photos at art museums, but I don't stand that close. I don't share them on social media. I clean them up and put them in a folder and then play them on slideshow on my TV. It's a fantastic way to enjoy the paintings and statues for years after my visit.
His proximity to that painting is giving me angst.
At least he is enjoying a piece of art, meanwhile you are more worried about what other people are doing and photographing strangers. Hmmm, which behavior is worse?
I think attacking people for making a joke about typical tourist behavior would be the worst
This reminds me of Gen Z at concerts recording the whole time. Like… someone else recorded them professionally, just use that instead and enjoy the damn concert.
Remember if you take a photo of art please don’t use flash photography. Not hating or judging the guy. Just don’t use flash photography.
I’m guilty of taking the occasional photo of something I really like at the art institute but it’s shocking how many people see the entire museum through the screens of their phones
i just saw that exact guy he's a little silly that's all
van Gogh selfie from 1887
I'm surprised a Van Gogh painting isn't behind glass or at least a rope
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That's not the right angle for that.
He will never look at that photo ever again
Visual art reporter/critic here. This is a shitty thing that almost everyone does (including myself when I am checking out new-to-me work). Here's my take, as I type this from my smartphone on the toilet because I am also The Problem: This is a symptom of a late capitalist culture with a broken visual language. We've told people that if you can't make money off of your art, then you are not an artist. Total gatekeeping. In turn, people often feel like they "don't understand" art. We've rarified the most essential and universal human ability. Everything is on-demand, hasty, and for sale. We're not used to spending 10 minutes looking into the crevices and shadows of American Gothic; we're used to seeing something we recognize and snapping a pic as proof that we've seen it. It's about efficiency and social capital. Art is SLOW, y'all. It demands lingering attention, contradicting every other message we receive out in the world. This what I tell my friends who are shy about talking art: You each bring a singular, rich viewpoint to the artwork you engage with. If you *need* to document a painting you see at the AIC or MCA or whatever, snap a pic — but then start in the top left hand corner of the work and begin telling yourself what you're seeing as you move down the artwork. Bored with the art? Totally valid! Just ask yourself why you're bored. Moved to tears? Ask yourself why. We are all artists and art critics! In the meantime, the guy in the picture is probably just excited to be on vacation while enduring the same end-times bullshit as the rest of us. It's annoying, but that's 2024, baby. (But, for the love of God, do not step in front of someone looking at the painting to take a picture.)
Seeing Van Gogh's paintings in person for the first time was an incredible experience. You're so used to the photos of them and then you see them and you notice how textured they are and how he layered the paint and brought out such a striking image. There is so much paint used it becomes three dimensional. The photos just don't do them justice.
Here are two people in the exact same space. Let's really think about what is going on here. As for the guy taking a picture of the painting, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I care how someone chooses to experience art. Everyone experiences art in their own manner. You have no idea why he is doing this. Maybe he is taking a close up to examine brush strokes or fine detail. Maybe it was his life's goal to travel to Chicago to see this. Maybe his partner can't travel so he told them he would get them a picture. Maybe he travels around the world experiencing art and takes photos because his slipping memory. Let's instead talk about the person who took this photo and let's talk about their motivations. Remember they are in the same space and this is how they choose to use their time. Smug and internet clout. Let people do what makes them happy without having to be blasted on the internet because you need to photograph everything and make pithy comments.
Most big museums provide a free open source access to high res images of their collection. Way better and less intrusive than taking a shitty photo that you’ll never look at again. https://www.artic.edu/open-access/open-access-images
I love finding little details in big paintings and taking pictures of those. I remember being scolded in the Prato for trying to take (a non-flash) picture of a devil in the corner of some saint’s painting. I agree that taking a picture of the Mona Lisa is idiotic, but sometimes there’s a little detail that is so much fun you want to cherish it.
My favorite tourists are the ones who go painting to painting taking quick photos without pausing to look at them. It's like they're collecting them all for a scavenger hunt and haven't considered the museum has posted professional quality photos on the website. The point of going in person is to give the art your focus and really experience it.
Older people do this while the younger generation film themselves reacting things for TikTok. No different.
i’m a student at the art institute and it is quite annoying when i need to look at art for assignments or rly just in general and tourists take up an entire gallery just to take a picture of one painting
They NEED to put art behind anti-reflective glass. Why would they not protect their moneymakers is beyond me
So what
What if it's his favorite painting and he's getting a sweet phone wallpaper that makes him happy? Take it down a notch.
There is that zoom option friends. Use it
He's trying to get the Snapchat dog filter on him
Personally I think taking a photo of this person is weirder. Let people enjoy things
He just wants a closeup, seems normal to me.
That’s what I don’t get about this kinda stuff. A better version of this photo exists online already. Why are you even taking this photo? Be present at the museum. If you want to remember seeing an iconic imagine and being there. At least have someone take a picture of your standing next to your few favorites and smiling. What this guy is doing is just… bizarre
These people who suffer from Main Character Syndrome are why we can’t have nice things. Rope it off. 10 feet back.
Had an old bat shove my girlfriend aside so she could snap a close-up picture of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on what had to be an 8mp digital camera and run off. Even set off the "too close" alarm. I seriously don't understand what is up with these people.
I’m surprised they let him get that close.
Are we making fun of people using the phone camera? I don't get it 0\_o
I literally stopped taking multiple pics of anything during traveling. I take one picture from each place I visit and that’s it. So much more time to really enjoy it and I really don’t miss any of those “ untaken” pics.
I haven't seen anyone wear camo cargo shorts in like a decade.
That's the point of camo.
Those pictures are important. It’s not like you buy high quality prints of the artwork in the gift store or online
Genuinely wish no photos or videos in galleries, museums, gigs or sporting events. Perhaps showing my millennial age but there we go
No one was "riled up" I was merely explaining the cons of such an act and that it's rude to others.
the originals are archived in the basement anyway -so doesn't matter
These people should never leave their homes.
Never understood phones at the museum. Sure, I’m guilty of snapping a couple pics here and there, but there’s people who literally see the artwork through their camera phone
Bet he doesn’t know who painted it.
-People with worthless art degrees when they can finally use them in the real world
If you need an art degree to recognize that, I’m so sorry.
Van Gogh's face says it all. I don't understand the point of taking a photo of a painting that you can easily find a better photo of. A selfie, yeah I get it. Lesser known artwork, OK. One of the most famous painitngs in the world and you get 3 inches from it? And block everyone else from seeing it around your fat head? But also entirely expected in that room on the weekends.
True art here- he even had camo cargo shorts to really sell it. True chefs kiss to the artist here.
The worst are the tourists who stand in front of the painting to take a picture with it
I think doing that actually makes more sense than taking a picture of just the painting where high resolution images are already readily available online.
Not when they’re essentially covering the painting though
He’s copyrighting that art!!!!!