More Than a Rock

On Significance56

The object becomes aesthetically significant when it becomes metaphysically significant.

—Joseph Campbell

For many years I used the term “meaningful” in my writing and teaching when referring to expressive images, by which I mean images that express something of the artist’s own mind rather than merely illustrating the objective, literal characteristics of subjects or scenes portrayed. Such references often sparked controversy from both representational photographers (generally asking why it is not enough for an image to merely be beautiful or interesting) and from those schooled in the arts, who often subscribe to some variation of “art for art’s sake,” suggesting that art should have no inherent purpose or meaning.

After several ...