A Short Story and Observation

This is a short story that happened to me about 30 years ago and the observation it just led me to today.

I was exhibiting my art at an airshow in upstate NY in the late 1980's.  I was doing a lot of aviation art then. I noticed a guy walk by my booth, glance in, hesitate and then continue to walk on without coming in. About 20 minutes later he came back, glanced at my work but continued on without coming into my booth. When he came by for a third time he stopped looked at my work from the isle and actually entered my booth. I just nodded hello to him and let him take his time looking around. After about 5 minute he turned to me and said, "When I walked past your booth earlier and glanced at your work I thought it was all photographs. But just now I took a closer look and realized they are paintngs".  I just smiled and didn't say anything else about that. But inside I was screaming that I DON'T WANT PEOPLE MISTAKING MY PAINTINGS FOR PHOTOGRAPHS! After that show I vowed I would loosen up my style so this would not happen again. It wasn't overnight but eventually I think I achieved my goal.  Until the other day.

I was participating in an online discussion about a certain aspect of art/photography and posted one of my acrylic plein air paintings as an example of what I was trying to explain. An almost immediate response from another participant began by referring to my image as "this photo"! I was completely blown away thinking I have spent the last 30 years developing a painting style that would never be confused with photography and apparently it didn't work! BTW I do post my photography on line also. Just don't want anyone to think I have something against the medium. After a couple of other participants pointed out to him that the image was a painting and not a photograph, he explained that he thought it was a photograph with "a filter applied"  as he does to make it appear to be a painting. First of all I was relieved to hear that was why he "mistook" it for a photo. When I posed the idea of having another discussion about how on line collectors can tell a real painting from a digitally altered photo he said he "wouldn't want his buyers to know! LOL" And this brings me to my observation.

Thirty years ago I was upset and didn't want my paintings to be seen as photographs. Now we have the situation where even (some) photographers don't want people to think of their photographs as PHOTOGRAPHS so they digitlaly alter them with "filters" to make them appear to be paintings! Strange new world.