Shelby Lee Adams

I believe that Shelby Lee Adams will follow the footsteps of many famous artists that used to be disregarded as not real artists. It seems to be a common pattern among the art community that you do not become famous for your hard work until after you have died. Shelby joins the revolutionary artist group. I do not understand why he is disliked because there are other famous photographers that produce work like him but are praised in the art community. He may not be shooting gorgeous black and white scenery shots but his photographs send a message. In time he will be referred to a visionary for stepping outside of the box and photographing normal people instead of chasing around celebrities. The only reason why he is disregarded is because his subjects aren’t the beloved celebs who are plastered all over every magazine cover. Also, art is a subjective form that heavily relies on the personal tastes of the audience. I agree that I do not like his photographs but that is because I do not like portraits because I prefer scenery and nature pictures over ones of faces. On the other hand, some people have no desire to look at trees or water and would rather purchase or take photographs of someone. Everything in life is unique to the individual. I personally commend Shelby for having the courage to photograph an unpopular subject because no one ever thinks to stop and take a look or think about the fact that the United States does have impoverished areas. I love how he is showing the old American ideal of hard working individuals. I think it's ironic that people are getting upset about photos of "ugly" people when the exact opposite occurs too. There are critics of "beautiful" people photos too, you cannot please everyone because someone will always be upset.