Bill, sorry about assuming your questions were down to $$$, which wasn't the case. I'm not sure if that makes the questions easier or harder to address, but either way, it's fun trying
Quote:
Originally Posted by 71buc
Interesting response Lance. Do you think the perception of a photographic image as iconic can be subjective as well? I would think not. However, I often see it used as a descriptor of photos in auctions.
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I guess one's perception of an image as "iconic"
could be subjective depending on one's level of exposure to the image, which could vary geographically, culturally, or even within certain circles of interest, depending on the individual. To me, "iconic" is equivalent to "most recognized." Based on that, a photograph would become "more iconic" the farther its general recognition reaches. (I'm thinking along the lines of baseball card collectors vs. sports enthusiasts vs. general population of the U.S. vs. worldwide recognition). I don't think that "most iconic" necessarily equates to "best" though, and I'm not sure the two should really be compared.
Another way of looking at it would be that while a photograph's visual quality (the "4 C's") is fixed from the moment the print is produced, its "iconic" status is not. Where one image went from the obscurity (literally) of a darkroom to achieve worldwide recognition over the years, an equivalent or better photograph may have been used once (or not at all), and languished unviewed in some archive without gaining comparable status. A lack of notoriety
shouldn't lessen a photo's "worth" either in terms of appreciation, but we often can't help but heap greater praise on the "iconic" photo simply because it is easily-recognized.
And I would strongly agree though that the descriptor of "iconic" is overused in auctions, along with all the other flattering terms and puffery that is all designed to get the reader to loosen their grip on their wallet and bid with fervor. It's all part of the auction (and advertising) game, and I'm sure there are examples of images that have
become "iconic" simply because they were described that way over and over.