By Natalie Taylor
In the early years of photography, a spirited question was whether it ought to be considered art. This led to further discussions of the meaning of “art” itself. The traditional definition is that art is comprised of seven elements: line, shape, value, color, texture, space and form. But each of these can be interpreted in myriad ways, and devolve into endless philosophical discourse.
This had been the way of explaining visual art such as painting and sculpture, until the late 1800s when photography was discovered—an entirely new medium. Some claimed it was «too literal to compete with works of art» and did not «elevate the imagination.» Others objected because it was created by “mechanical means.” None of these arguments holds. The first and second are subjective, and the third fails to consider tools like brushes, chisels, kilns, and everything else human beings have used to create art. Like other creations, photography ought to be judged by its uniqueness, emotional impact, and the skill of the creation. Above all, was it done through “an artist’s eye?” Ultimately any such judgement is subjective, the old axiom that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” can just as easily apply to judging art. Perhaps a more practical definition is to say that art is creative expression, demonstrating a unique skill, where the end result is appreciated because of its beauty or emotional power.
Jack Paulus definitely has an artist’s eye. The images he captures with his camera show an artistic sensibility, and fulfill the traditional seven elements of art. Jack’s interest in photography started in his native Ohio, when he was twelve. He bought a camera with paper route money, and began shooting. In high school he submitted a photo that so puzzled the teacher she threatened to “strangle him” unless he revealed how he had done it! It was a picture of his father’s hand with nails driven into the palm, the appearance so realistic it seemed as if the flash had been ripped. He had simply driven nails into the photo, and taken another picture of the result.
Jack went into math and computer science, and ended up working for Pixar, in California, as technical director. However, he never stopped taking photos. His preference is landscapes, and “moments” captured with his camera. He found the opportunity to shoot amazing scenery around the world, starting in Africa where he and his wife Amy served in the Peace Corps. In 2018, they moved to San Miguel de Allende and are happily living here. During these past few years Jack has given his time and talent to many NGOs, taking pro bono photos of their events. Most of all, he has been shooting numerous photographs around the city, both on the ground and in the air with his drone. His photos of San Miguel showcase the city in truly special ways, either because of the angle of the shot, the capture of a particular slant of light, or the documentation of a unique city event. Honoring the work of San Miguel photographers of yore, like Arturo Suarez who documented with images, the city and events in his day, Jack chronicles today’s city and its life.
Photographers have different ways to arrive at their end product. Some take a photo, then manipulate it to achieve the desired effect—adding extraneous objects, changing the color, altering the image so that it differs completely from its original take. At the other extreme are photographers who simply take a shot, and use it as their final product, without any alterations whatsoever. Along that spectrum, Jack falls closer to the latter, although he does make discretionary changes, in particular when amplifying or reducing light. “It is all about the light,” Jack explained as he told me about the 3am shoots he has done in the city, capturing the first rays of light as they strike the colonial buildings. It was midday, and we sat on a terrace overlooking Centro. “This is not photography time,” he said, and looking around it was obvious why not—the entire scene was bathed in the white light of the high sun, the colors almost extinguished by its brilliance. “Need to wait for the sunset…and hope for the best,” he added.
You can see Jack’s entire portfolio of San Miguel photos, as well as many others, on https://pixels.com/profiles/jack-paulus/shop. The site is also his online store where you can purchase some of his photos.
Natalie Taylor: BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Spanish teacher in the US, English teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
