John Hilliard is an English artist who uses photography in his work, which mostly challenges the concept of photography itself. He does this by exploiting things which are specific to the medium such as shutter speed and exposure in order to challenge its truth. By creating multiple versions of the same image, Hilliard proves that photography must be subjective, not objective, as it’s process is defined by controls which, when changed, result in variations in the image which would not allow for a single, ‘true’ version of the photograph.
I am interested in Hilliard’s work because of his work related to time, showing that the camera is not able to present us with, as many describe “an instant” but a discrete measurable moment.
In this image we see how the state of water cannot be objectively defined with the use of the camera. By using two different shutter speeds the camera is capable of rendering the water in two different ways, this leads us to question which one, if either, is the more accurate representation. The image also shows us the technical capabilities of the camera, and its possible applications in relation to time and movement.