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Can Genuine Art Be Found In Ordinary Household Things?

Yes, if you photograph them just right

Mark Ali
Counter Arts
4 min readAug 8, 2023

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A close-up still-life of ordinary thumb tacks
“Sharp as a Tack” (© Mark Ali)

Art is all around us.

And that’s good, because sometimes we just can’t get out of the house.

That was the story during the COVID years, at least. But even now, sometimes you don’t have time to get away to some picturesque place. And, if you’re a photographer, it feels like your options are limited.

But there are still life photo ops all around you, in the form of ordinary household objects. And that’s all you need to make art.

Really?

Yes, really.

Though, to be fair, “art” is in the eye of the beholder.

But I think that when you really isolate an object, cropping it in nice and tight, you can appreciate the aesthetic aspects of it, revealing a certain artistic beauty.

Or something.

Work with me here.

Like office supplies, for instance

Yes, even everyday office supplies can be used to create an interesting artistic image.

The thumbtacks image above is one example. It’s not just a random shot — the lone white tack was placed there on purpose, as a point of…

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Counter Arts
Counter Arts

Published in Counter Arts

The (Counter)Cultural One-Stop for Nonfiction on Medium… incorporating categories for: ‘Art’, ‘Culture’, ‘Equality’, ‘Photography’, ‘Film’, ‘Mental Health’, ‘Music’ and ‘Literature’.

Mark Ali
Mark Ali

Written by Mark Ali

I’m a writer, a photographer, a music lover, and a professional ice sculptor. I’m kidding about that last thing. (View my portfolio at: markaliphotos.com)

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