Art can be viewed in two parts: idea and technique.
I believe that when Walker Evans states, "First of all, I tell [students] that art can’t be taught..." he's talking about the idea part.
And when he states, "but that it can be stimulated and a few barriers can be
kicked down by a talented teacher, and an atmosphere can be created which is an opening into artistic action..." he's talking about the technique/technical part of creating art.
Ideas
Ideas can't be taught. Our
ideas are our ideas. We can't be taught what ideas to have or how to think about our ideas. Our ideas are unique thoughts that seem to appear randomly out of nowhere. These ideas/thoughts are the start of our creative expression.
Technique
But the technical/technique part of what we do can be taught. We use the technique as essential to our artistic action/creative expression. And we should learn as much as we can about technique because technique serves creativity.
The primary tool we use as photographers is a camera. And we use cameras in the execution of the technique. A camera to us is like a pen to a writer.
But unlike a pen, our cameras are complex tools
that are best used if we understand how to use the tool thoroughly.
Do we understand what a meter does?
And do we know the differences between the metering modes and how they affect our photographs?
What about the focusing modes?
And, of course, what about the exposure modes?
It's one thing to understand these things intellectually.
But it's another thing to take that intellectual understanding into the practical application of
camera technique to make the best pictures possible.
Study and practice photography with me.
