Cotton Chapter 4 Summary

In chapter 4 of her book, entitled “Something and Nothing,” author Charlotte Cotton presents a group of photographs that, in depicting ordinary, everyday things, turns these unassuming objects into something extraordinary, something with significance. The photographer, then, has the power to transform what most people would call mundane into works of art, by seeing the potential in objects to be art. In doing so, these objects obtain the attention of the viewer in a way they never would in the “real world.” Some examples provided by Cotton include photographers such as Peter Fischli and David Weiss, who worked together to create their series entitled Quiet Afternoon. In this series, they photographed images of ordinary objects that have been stacked into interesting sculptural forms. Another photographer interested in delving into the conceptual meanings of ordinary objects is Peter Fraser. In his Materials series, Fraser asks the viewer to reconsider how he/she perceives the everyday world around him/her. All of the photographers in this chapter maintain that everything around us, even (or perhaps especially) those things that may seem unimportant—a drain, a sewing kit, a bow, a mop, a window—have deep significance, indeed can be given an imaginative meaning by presenting such objects to be worthy of our contemplation.