With the development - and even more importantly - the magnitude in which the diverse forms of developing artistic expression (including photography) is available to the masses, the whole concept of what is art, and how does it affects one’s imagination is in constant revolution.

Moreover, the speed at which so many things are attainable, by whichever means, and become obsolete almost simultaneously is making this line of thought and debate seem almost beyond control.

However, perhaps because of the fact that all of this is so “democratic” nowadays, is making more and more things feasible. Or, even better, is making people believe that things are possible, which could be directed in a very positive way.

Paraphrasing Benjamin’s text, the first use of art was ritual; the drawings were an evocation of what had just happened, and used to describe what has just happened. As Vik Muniz so precisely defined it, once men started painting on the walls, much more started happening in men’s brains: the picture was able to evoke the “real” animal portrayed, even if what “really” was in front of them, was just a picture.

For me, this corresponds almost exactly with what happened to those societies that had embraced literacy. At the beginning - going back to Homeric poems - they were used to keep the memory of a community, a sense of belonging because of the common history. In a sense, “texts” were used for ritualistic reasons. Once this ceased to be the main use of it - and that only happened when people were comfortable enough with it - words became the vehicle to express oneself, regardless of the subject. Or the way in which these thoughts were delivered.

So far, this has happened with all the different mediums of expression that survive the pass of time, such as paintings, sculptures, stories and so on. They started representing reality and slowly but surely, they don’t need to do it any more. It has become a matter of choice.

Would this be the way photography will go? Most definitely. Once we all become comfortable enough with the idea that photos no longer reproduce reality, but basically, what the photographer WANTS them to represent. Or should I say the artist?