Argentum Fine Art Photographers was founded with the belief that photography must ultimately work at a level that transcends the subject matter if it is to be artistically expressive. Going beyond portraying a subject, each image in the Argentum portfolio makes use of harmony, form, and value so that the print becomes a new event unto itself. As such, the photographs do not represent the landscapes, the trees, the boats, or any other object that you see in them; rather, each represents an entirely new event that transcends them all—what we like to think of as a light event. This approach does not preclude the use of recognizable subject matter. It simply means that the beauty and power of the photograph must ultimately come from its abstract qualities.

We believe there are new and higher levels of dimension and harmony to be found within the formal visual language. It is a shame that in today’s artistic climate, so many artists and the institutions that support and educate them have abandoned the hard work inherent in this search in favor of work that is political or conceptual—art that is made to be talked about, rather than experienced. Such work is, in the end, quite simple and easily understood. What once pretended to be cutting edge and pushing the boundaries has become the mainstream.

A student who had studied with me for several years and who was creating truly unique and powerful prints decided to get his undergraduate degree in photography at a well regarded university. Keep in mind that this is an undergraduate photography program and my former student had the expectation of being taught photography. He was not encouraged to continue his work, but the student who photocopied comic books and the student who put empty film boxes on the table in order to talk about the pictures that might have been taken were encouraged to continue their “cutting edge” work.

Even if we are to accept such conceptual and political work as valid art, why shut the door on work that has profound formal beauty and that, by virtue of this fact, requires a tremendous amount of skill and dedication to create? It is our belief that we are seeing a dumbing down of the visual arts. If these institutions were to demand truly dedicated artists working from a deep inner vision they wouldn’t have enough students to keep their doors open.

The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the professors at these universities, having come out of these kinds of programs themselves, are not equipped to guide a young artist like my former student. Keep in mind that the student who photocopies comic books and the student who puts empty film boxes on the table may someday be teaching at a university or curating at galleries or museums.

Argentum is not interested in dictating what art is. We are all free to create what we desire. We only want to open minds to the validity of the rigorous search for formal beauty, and to create an environment where all types of work are encouraged, shown and taught.