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Edward Weston & "model wife"

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BrianShaw said:
Seems like idle curiosity more than voyeurism. At least l this is better than discussing what junk mail is in one’s inbox.
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I am not sure why that would mean my (or other's) life
DonW said:
Why all this interest in whether someone was married our not, had sex with their spouse or not, was faithful or not blah blah blah. Has your lives become that petty that this is worth your interest?
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I am not sure why that would mean my (or others') life is petty. Are you just a prude who thinks the talk of sex is too titillating for general discussion? Most modern biographers today include the subject's sex life as part of the overall picture when it is pertinent. And for some subjects, it helps expand the understanding of some of their motivations and work.
 
Pieter12 said:
when it is pertinent
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That's the important part. Most times it's irrelevant. In the case of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson, it's pertinent - not only to understand their relationship but his photographs of her, and, by extension, his photographic intent in general at that time.
 
Mike Lopez said:
The first counter-example to this statement that comes to mind, among others, is Brett Weston. He married and divorced multiple times, and none of his wives were crucial to his work. He simply kept producing great photographs through it all.
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Hi Mike, hope you are doing well, and the Amidol is still working.

Brett was married four times; I attended his last in 1969. However, prior to that, I would have to say that his marriage to Dody in 1952 had a strong impact on his life and work. He admitted it many times, and they remained close friends until the end of his life. The last time I saw them together was at his 80th birthday celebration in 1991, the morning of which he threw a few negatives into his Carmel fireplace for the benefit of an international press.

To your point, photography always came first for Brett, something he made clear; not a formula for longevity in a marriage. Agreed, his production of great photographs was astounding!
 
Merg,

Thanks for chiming in. The amidol still works like a champ—I’ve used it in two print sessions this week alone! It’s amazing stuff.

Best regards,
Mike
 
Pieter12 said:
They had me fooled until I realized there probably wasn't a cinematographer tagging along with Edward & Charis at the time.
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The effect of 'reality TV" on our perception of reality! (Edit: I was scratching my head for a moment, also!)

But if one is interested in the movie -- the book is the way to go. California and the West, by Charis Wilson and Edward Weston. I just opened it up randomly and came to Charis' description of photographing in the Sierras near Banner and Ritter peaks -- an area I hiked in almost 50 years ago (before I started to photograph). Cool.
 
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Vaughn said:
The effect of 'reality TV" on our perception of reality!

But if one is interested in the movie -- the book is the way to go. California and the West, by Charis Wilson and Edward Weston. I just opened it up randomly and came to Charis' description of photographing in the Sierras near Banner and Ritter peaks -- an area I hiked in almost 50 years ago (before I started to photograph). Cool.
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One of the prized books in my collection. Charis was as skilled with her typewriter as Edward was with his camera.
 
Me, I don't "prize" or "collect" books. I read them for substance. I re-read them every once a while, often with years in between.

Charis was important in her way, but my guess is that several earlier women had more influence...were themselves more artistically influential.
 
jtk said:
Me, I don't "prize" or "collect" books. I read them for substance. I re-read them every once a while, often with years in between.
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Seems like semantics to me. I read my books as well. And what do you do with your books in the years that pass between readings? You don’t “collect” them…do you “store” them? And why re-read them in the first place? You don’t “prize” the book…but perhaps you “value” what it has to say?

I’m not claiming that Charis Wilson was the most influential woman that ever lived…but she did make one hell of a muse for Edward.
 
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juan said:
I think Margrethe Mather probably had more photographic influence, but Charis wrote it down for us to read.
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In that era, Tina Modotti was also nothing to sneeze at.
 
It is a sort of voyeurism. Maybe someone could start a baseball card-type thing only of famous photographers and their lovers. Then we can trade them and rate them.
 
Alan Edward Klein said:
It is a sort of voyeurism. Maybe someone could start a baseball card-type thing only of famous photographers and their lovers. Then we can trade them and rate them.
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I'll be posting a picture of my prize model lover wife soon... as soon as I become a famous photographer.
 
Pieter12 said:
Aah, the sex lives of famous photographers. Weston had many lovers, most started as his models. Berenice Abbott had many female lovers, Avedon stayed pretty much in the closet. Then there are those who married and (as far as is known) stayed faithful: Irving Penn and Lisa Fonssagrives, Lee Friedlander and Maria de Paoli. Probably would make for an interesting thread.
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Great idea.

I started this particular thread...and even suggested how it seemed (to me) to apply to AA's art. You're a good writer... how about introducing your suggested thread?
 
Charis Wilson was much more than a model. Edward Weston's brief original application for a Guggenheim grant probably would have failed without her rewrite. She also is responsible for the finished version of many of his published articles.
 
Jim Jones said:
Charis Wilson was much more than a model. Edward Weston's brief original application for a Guggenheim grant probably would have failed without her rewrite. She also is responsible for the finished version of many of his published articles.
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Indeed. And World War II notwithstanding, it will forever be a historical shame that the attack on Pearl Harbor abruptly ended their Leaves of Grass travels.
 
jtk said:
Me, I don't "prize" or "collect" books. I read them for substance. I re-read them every once a while, often with years in between.

Charis was important in her way, but my guess is that several earlier women had more influence...were themselves more artistically influential.
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Georgia O'Keeffe for example
 
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Sirius Glass said:
Georgia O'Keeffe for example
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Was EW directly influenced by Georgia O'Keefe? Interesting thought.

She certainly had a huge influence on Stieglitz, as we can easily see in his many and various portraits of her.

I wonder if that's why AA trailed her to New Mexico...obviously not being able to photograph her well.
 
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