Contemporary Photography in the USA (Michael Engler, 1982)

[Alex Benjamin]

Don't know if this has been posted here before.

Michael Engler's 1982 documentary Contemporary Photography in America offers an in-depth exploration of the practices and philosophies of influential American photographers from the mid-20th century. The film features prominent figures such as Harry Callahan, Mark Cohen, Robert Frank, Ralph Gibson, Duane Michals, Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore, Garry Winogrand, Alfred Stieglitz, Lisette Model, Lee Friedlander, and Thomas Roma. Through a combination of candid interviews, observational footage, and photographic works, the documentary captures the diverse methodologies and artistic visions of these photographers. It follows them in various settings—including the streets of New York and Los Angeles, as well as suburban and rural environments—highlighting their unique approaches to capturing everyday life. The film emphasizes their shared commitment to portraying reality authentically, allowing subjects to "speak for themselves" through the lens.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Couple of fascinating things about this documentary.

First, that by "contemporary photography" Engler clearly meant "photographers who followed in Robert Frank's footsteps.

Second, that there is no mention whatsoever of black American photographers active at that time, such as Gordon Parks, Roy DeCarava or Kwame Brathwaite.

 

[Don_ih]

First, that by "contemporary photography" Engler clearly meant "photographers who followed in Robert Frank's footsteps.

I just watched it. I think maybe he misnamed the documentary. It's really 90% about Robert Frank and people directly "descended" from Robert Frank. It touches on Lisette Model, Stephen Shore, and Harry Calahan, but they're mostly peripheral. It really seems to seek a narrative line from Walker Evans to Robert Frank and then onto the street photographers. It was hardly anywhere near comprehensive.

It didn't really include women, either, except Lisette Model. Nan Goldin, Jill Freedmann, Mary Ellen Mark were all available, I'd imagine.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

It really seems to seek a narrative line from Walker Evans to Robert Frank and then onto the street photographers.

Yes, his bias in that direction is clear throughout. I'm curious to know if it was his alone, or if it was shared at the time with a good part of the photographic community.

 

[Don_ih]

Robert Frank was very directly influential on a lot of prominent photographers. But it's hard to buy the idea that Evans begat Frank who begat Winogrand who begat... you get the idea. There are always a lot of sources of influence. I think it was likely mostly a simplification that made for a working documentary theme. If you look down the street from all these guys when that documentary was made, you'd find Mapplethorpe who doesn't fit in there anywhere.

 

[MattKing]

The influences may actually have been stronger amongst the curators and publishers and gallery operators and collectors.
Which in turn had and has a major effect on whether we and other photographers and photographic educators become aware of them

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Robert Frank was very directly influential on a lot of prominent photographers. But it's hard to buy the idea that Evans begat Frank who begat Winogrand who begat... you get the idea. There are always a lot of sources of influence. I think it was likely mostly a simplification that made for a working documentary theme. If you look down the street from all these guys when that documentary was made, you'd find Mapplethorpe who doesn't fit in there anywhere.

I agree, but I don't think it was a simplification made for this documentary, but rather a common narrative that Frank represented a turning point in American photography which went beyond the question of influence.

 

[Don_ih]

I don't think it was a simplification made for this documentary, but rather a common narrative that Frank represented a turning point in American photography which went beyond the question of influence.

I think it was probably both. The documentary interviewed Lisette Model and Harry Calahan and I doubt they said Robert Frank had much impact on either of them. Calahan in particular was pretty shy taking photos of strangers. His first "street" photos were with a long lens so he could maintain a safe distance. And he was doing that in 1950, anyway.

But there is a definite tendency to see Frank as a benchmark. There's the Pre-Frank and the Post-Frank - the latter of which is assumed to be devotees or disciples or acolytes or whatever. It seems there was such a Church of Frank that he himself wanted nothing to do with it after a while.

The Americans is full of great photos, though. It's a pretty amazing book. Factually, it was revolutionary - maybe partly because Walker Evans was unknown to Europeans and considered old hat in the US. Truthfully, I'd take Walker Evans over Robert Frank any day of the week. But I can see more of my own photographic interests in Evans' work than in Frank's, so I'm a bit biased.

 

[CMoore]

That is the funny thing about the word "Contemporary" ....... it has a shelf life