The word Secession was first widely used by Alfred Stieglitz as Photo-Secession movement that he started around 1900. Through this movement he tried to elevate photography to the level of fine art. He took an approach what he called Pictorial Photography. Later on the famous approach called Straight Photography gradually built over the pictorial approach. We should notice here, at that time painting was taking a leap to new ideas like Impressionism and Surrealism where the pioneering artists started to paint the reality they perceive rather than the real reality they see. Mr. Stieglitz was very close to the painters of that time. However, photography strengthened its direct attachment to reality though, throughout the century. It actually manifested the power of capturing bare reality throughout. People saw what they were not ready to see. And that helped civilizations, helped humanity.

Now after 150 years of photography, capturing reality is no more a prime power of photography. Rather it evolved as a pedestal to build photographers’ vision. The ironical challenge Mr. Stieglitz had to try a century ago, to prove that photography can be a fine art, is still relevant. Photography as an industry is still struggling with the hardcoded attachment to reality. We are still struggling to accept the fact that photograph’s power of mirroring reality is not the only virtue.

It’s time for a new way of vision. A communication style that’s contemporary! It’s time to prove once again, photography can surpass reality and create a vision beyond the bare reality. We should now start to understand the span of a photographic image continues creating itself far after the image is captured. The click of the shutter is the birth of a possibility and it grows and takes shape on it’s own every time it passes before the eyes of a visitor, leaving the thoughts of the photographer as just one variation of the metaverse of discourses.

It’s time for Neo-Secession!

Click to read Wiki article on Photo-Secession.