Hulyss, if you create a place to talk about ideas and concepts then I would love to be a part of it.
I still think my intention to discuss and learn about the concept of sublime in art is being confused with peoples perception as it relates to the dictionary definition, as in someones personal idea of something being so nice that it transcends in to sublime, not what I was talking about or wanting to get to know about, although the notion of creating something that you consider to be sublime in that sense is obviously a worthy endeavour.
Thanks to some really nice people who have messaged me, sent links and pointed me in the direction of new things to look at, I am beginning to get the idea and how it could relate to modern scenes or the idea of capturing something that represents sublime in it's original artistic form.
I found some things that I like and will quote here for those interested. I like this from an artist which I think highlights why I believe we are talking about something different..
"...as the painter of a canvas to which many viewers have responded with mentions of ‘the sublime’. They do so, I should add, to describe the tradition to which they feel the painting relates, rather than to praise it."
I think this is the thing some are missing, it is not about praise, it is the sublime as a description of the idea or notion of the piece of art or photograph. I found this really interesting body of work by Edward Burtynsky, exhibited under the title, The Industrial Sublime, a really incredible collection of images that would be difficult to class as sublime as it relates to the dictionary definition but the work really appears to relate to the previous quote I posted from Burke, the work deals with environmental devastation.
The project is here
http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/site_contents/Photographs/Oil.htmlI also found this text discussing it an interesting read..
http://www.academia.edu/1025404/Are_the_Oil_Sands_Sublime_Edward_Burtynsky_and_the_Vicissitudes_of_the_Sublime"The sublime experience verges on threatening the subject with complete annihilation, yet intrinsic to the experience itself is a sense of security and safety. It reveals to us our very minuteness and insignificance yet simultaneously seems to expand the boundaries of the ego. "
This to me is interesting, with my limited reading, it seems like the idea of sublime is a mixture of attraction and revolution, this is a good description from the above text..
"... On print after print, we are presented with panoramic photos of industrially wrecked and ruined landscapes possessed by a surreal beauty and frightening gran-deur. Frequently, the viewer is entranced by spectacular landscapes, which upon first glance could almost seem to be of natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, only to realize moments later that what one is witnessing is a toxic dump..."
I am sure that there is a lot to read on the subject, it interests me and may not anyone else, that's cool, we all like different things but thought it worth posting something. I think that this notion of sublime is deeper than what a lot of people posting above think it is, I don't think personally that it relates to the black point on your monitor for example, I don't think it necessarily relates to technique at all, not that it matters what I think, it could just as easily be entirely about transitions from zone to zone, ultimately it's just photography and the desire to learn new things and see where it goes.
Mat