the scripted sunset environment can be forced regardless of 'IRL' time

July 17, 2024 12:30 PM

"Perhaps part of the beauty of taking a picture of a sunset is that while you are doing it it’s likely that a million other people are doing it as well – at exactly the same time. I love this idea of collective practice, something we all engage in despite any artistic concern, knowing that there have been millions before and there will be millions after." Penelope Umbrico discusses her artwork Suns from Sunsets from Flickr.
posted by jessamyn (10 comments total)

What a terrific project.

Made me think, all right, how many sunset photos have I posted to Flickr? More than 60, it turns out.
posted by doctornemo at 2:51 PM on July 17 [1 favorite]

I quite enjoyed this project and its various iterations, thanks for posting this!
posted by oulipian at 2:51 PM on July 17

how many sunset photos have I posted to Flickr? More than 60, it turns out.

Did the artist contact you to ask if she could use any of your pics?
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:07 PM on July 17 [2 favorites]

The pull quote is a very interesting way to look at time. Of course, when the almanac says sunset is 830 and many people take a picture at 830 it's taking a picture at the same "time", but in reality there is no simultaneity to those photos unless the people are at the same longitude. It's still collective in the way she's describing it, but not precisely so.

Lovely project, I do love a colorful sunset.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:07 PM on July 17

Ending the day by walking out to the nearby paddock and watching the sunset is definitely a big help to my mental health. Or I'll go upstairs and take a suboptimal photo out the window, insect mesh and smudgy glass. I'll share it in our family chat and my sister and parents will do the same.

This morning I got to see a glorious sunrise, and, even more special, a beautiful rainbow behind me!
posted by freethefeet at 4:35 PM on July 17

Did the artist contact you to ask if she could use any of your pics?

Not that I recall, Greg_Ace.
posted by doctornemo at 7:43 PM on July 17 [1 favorite]

An old photog contest: "Thousands of pretty sunsets, hundreds of dressed-up doggies, and a handful of drunks asleep at parties."
posted by ovvl at 8:33 PM on July 17

Did the artist contact you to ask if she could use any of your pics?

Not that I recall

I may be overly cynical, and I hate to be a Debbie Downer because I think this is pretty neat. But the page at the link didn't mention anything about getting permission from the original photographers and I wondered whether this was another "But honestly Monica, the web is considered 'public domain'" situation a-brewin'. I do know that Flickr users have an option to allow use of their images/videos under a Creative Commons license, and I hope that's the case with all of the however many millions of pictures she used for this project.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:02 PM on July 17 [2 favorites]

Greg_Ace, Penelope Umbrico appears respectful of artist's works. this is another description:
"For, Everyone’s Photos Any License (654 of 1,146,034 Full Moons on Flickr, November 2015), I requested permission from 654 Flickr photographers to use their 'Rights Reserved' photographs in an installation (654 being the number of photographs I needed to fill a wall), offering to pay them one 654th of my commission if the installation was sold. For those I was not granted permission to use, and those from which I did not hear, I substituted full moon images with ‘Creative Commons’ licenses."

jessamyn, thanks, as always! the suns reminded of Olafur Eliasson's Weather Project 🌇
posted by HearHere at 9:25 PM on July 17 [5 favorites]

Thanks for the information HearHere! That's good news, I withdraw my cynicism and will go back to simply enjoying this project.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:39 AM on July 18 [1 favorite]