The Art Way of Seeing and the Pride We Are Looking For: The Life and Work of Edward Weston

Abstract

In this article I discuss the life and work of
the American photographer, Edward Weston,
as well as my own life, to show what the
philosophy Aesthetic Realism explains: the way
of seeing that makes for art, and the pride we
are looking for, comes from the desire to be fair
to reality itself, and this desire is the same as
true humility.
The grand and the ordinary, the proud
and the humble, are opposites that mingle in
the content, form, and technique of Weston’s
work, and this has meaning for our lives. “All
beauty is a making one of opposites,” Eli Siegel,
founder of Aesthetic Realism stated, “and the
making one of opposites is what we are going
after in ourselves.” In showing that the purpose
of life and art are the same, this principle
brings new understanding and dignity to
humanity, and possibilities of pride that are
endless.