Benedict Brain is a UK-based photographer, journalist and artist. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and sits on the Society’s Distinctions Advisory Panel. He is also a former editor of Digital camera Magazine, and the author of At the end of this book you will be able to take great photos.
The above pictures were taken with my iPhone. I have recently started using it as a a more serious photographic tool – partly because I just upgraded to a fancy iPhone 15 Pro Max and partly because I’m pitching a book on iPhone photography to a publisher, but mostly because it’s a damn good photographic tool. I used to use my phone to “sketch” ideas, take shots, or spontaneous family pictures. But lately, I’ve been reaching for my iPhone as my go-to for creative purposes.
These images show small sections of a billboard advertising a local beer somewhere in the South Pacific. I was initially fascinated by how time, light and weather had damaged, faded and eroded the advertisement. The cracks and scars in relative close-up took on a new aesthetic that I liked.
I also enjoyed the act of taking an existential step back, or in this case forward, to isolate parts of the image and take them out of context. When you focus on parts of the smiles in an extreme close-up, they seem more demonic, manic and deranged than the happy and carefree mood they were meant to evoke. In a mischievous way, I enjoy that.
I admit that this is a form of appropriation and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I’m not the first. These images follow in the tradition of the controversial American artist Richard Prince, who was known for using appropriation in his work. Prince became famous in the 1980s for his “Re-Photography” series, in which he took photographs of existing photos, often from advertisements or magazines, and presented them as his own art, challenging notions of originality and authorship in the art world. His work often raises questions about copyright, consumer culture and the nature of art, which is interesting in itself, especially in the context of the current climate, where there are some parallels to Ways AI references art online.
Like Richard Prince, AI can reuse existing images or information in new contexts. However, while Prince’s work often contains a conscious commentary on issues like authorship and consumer culture, AI’s online referencing of art is usually driven by algorithms and data without the same level of intentionality or conceptual depth. I find this incredibly interesting and perhaps these images raise more questions than they answer. What do you think?
• More articles in the Art of Seeing Series
Read more: • The 50 best photographers of all time • The 120 best photography quotes from famous photographers • The best illustrated books on photography
The best camera deals, reviews, product advice and essential news from the world of photography straight to your inbox!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Jana-Duggar-and-Stephen-Wissmann-Wedding-856-08162024-a451c58abca441a89812f78fd33b44a8.jpg "Photos from Jana Duggar’s wedding to Stephen Wissmann (exclusive)")
