The value of throwaway photos
What good is a digital photo if it never leaves your camera?
Forget about digital cameras — when was the last time you actually printed out a smartphone photo? Delete, delete, delete. Paradoxically, I’m finding throwaway photos make it easier for me to be a working artist.
My smartphone has become my other short-term memory bank. Before I leave the studio for the day, I now take a photo, then type a little text to remind me of where I left off. Even an image without text helps. It gets me back into the creative flow, even when days pass before I can continue a work-in-progress.
And that visual reminder saves time too: I don’t need to un-glue a collage element to fix a preventable mistake. As Jacqui Palumbo noted in a recent article: “We are taking more photos than ever today, but do we really value them?“ Oh yes, yes I do… especially when the rest of my life elbows its way past my studio practice. How do you use your ‘useless’ photos? Tell me on Instagram or Facebook.
Why you'll never get "Untitled" art here
Here’s a question I wish I’d asked first: Why are so many artworks untitled? I mean, you have to call it something besides ‘the thing taking up space on my wall/ at a museum/ in front of the office.’
“Rare & Exquisite” collage series by Lisa Myers Bulmash at Columbia City Gallery
There are good historical reasons to call a piece “Untitled.” But for my work, they’re essential. Here are three reasons I’m pretty sure I’ll never, ever, ever choose not to title my work.
1. Titles help tell my stories.
I’m a bookworm from way back, and I find certain words and phrases help me explore visual stories. So a title is a clue I follow to figure out and explain the ideas I want to express. A title is an entry point into the story for the viewer as well, but one that leaves enough room for you to add your own narrative details. And if you’re a person who likes to get the interpretation “right,” well… how does “Untitled” help you figure that out?
2. Titles help me tell ‘scary’ stories.
It takes careful handling to tell certain stories. I explore complex topics like identity, vulnerability and anxiety. Most people can relate — until they see black bodies experiencing these moments. Then suddenly “certain viewers” have a hard time imagining themselves inside the narrative. Yeah, it’s a thing. I know my work will not connect with some people because I center blackness in my art. Why would I make it even harder to connect by taking away the title?
3. Titles define who we are — and that’s a good thing.
A title’s just a name for the artwork — but people will pay millions for naming rights. That power was why my grandfather used one name for work, and another name at home. Never mind that he was a master plumber. In his day, black men were a lot more likely to be called “boy” (or worse) than their given names. It’s not that much different for an artist: If I don’t tell my story, other people will tell their story about me.
And that’s why I’m having a hard time deciding on a title for the altered book I’m working on right now. Names — and titles — have power, and I’m not willing to give that up.