1. Genre

2. Genre:
a class or category of artistic endeavour having a particular form, content, technique, or the like.
So genre is just a fancy way of describing a type or category of artwork.
Examples:
the genre of rap music
the genre of landscape painting
the genre of symphonic music
the genre of portrait photography
the genre of gothic novels (literature)
the genre of science fiction films

3. These paintings are by the artist known as Canaletto, 1697 – 1768.
What genre (type) of paintings are they?

4. These paintings are by the artist known as Canaletto, 1697 – 1768.
What genre (type) of paintings are they?
The genre of landscape painting (or urban landscape)

5. What genre do these paintings by the English artist Thomas Gainsborough belong to?

6. What genre do these paintings by the English artist Thomas Gainsborough belong to? The genre of Portraiture (portrait paintings)

7. How many different genres of painting can you think of?
Discuss

8. Expressionist, Impressionist Cubist, Surrealism, Art Nouveau, Futurism
We can have different genres based on the different type of subject matter, for example:
Landscape (natural and urban)
Portrait
Abstract
And we could also talk about different styles of painting as representing different genres:
Expressionist, Impressionist
Cubist, Surrealism, Art Nouveau, Futurism
Etc.

9. Photographic Genres
We have seen that there are several different genres of painting. Similarly, there are several different genres of sculpture.
The medium of photography is somewhat different because it has many, many, many different genres!
Look at the following images, make notes as to possible names for the different genres of photography which you see

58. Simulated scene

63. How many different categories – or genres of photography did you spot?

64. Here are just a few of the different genres of photography
Which did you spot?
News Portrait
Editorial Architectural
Landscape Sports Abstract
Vernacular Fashion Identity
Street Photography Holiday ‘snaps’
Advertising Product Fine Art
Documentary Medical Forensic
Candid …………………. And more!

65. As we have seen, photography’s versatility means it has many different genres.
Consequently, photography is very hard to ‘pin-down’ as an artistic medium – it has so many different uses, styles, categories, types …. so many genres!
In effect, photography sometimes seems to have no style or characteristics which are unique and specific to the medium itself – its sheer adaptability and versatility seem overwhelming.
Partly because of this, there are some people who argue that photography is NOT a true artistic medium.
Extension Work: What do you think about this argument … can photography be an art? Discuss.