Eugene Atget Appreciation Society

[CMoore]

If Stieglitz didn't like Atget's work, it's likely because he didn't discover it himself, and couldn't promote himself with it.
Me? Atget worked hard for many years and was lucky that the Surrealists found his pictures late in his life. Which brought Berenice Abbott into the picture, who saw the incredible pictorial qualities of his best work- which does stand out from the large amount of pure documentary work he did. That doc work has historical interest of its own- but the magic in Atet's best photographs is unparalleled and has been a source of enjoyment to many people, and an inspiration to ninety years of photographers since.

I have one or two of his photo books. I thoroughly enjoy them.

 

[jtk]

fwiw I don't think Stieglitz was driven to promote himself so much as his particular approach to photography, and to elevate the value of prints by the photographers he promoted.

Gallery owners (such as Stiegliitz) are expected to promote the work of the artists / photographers they exhibit. That's fundamental. Even non-profit and "publicly owned" galleries operate that way (they want to attract visitors who will buy gifts and books).

Carelessly allowing your work to be hung in a badly lit gallery means their lack of money or skill reduces visitors, which in turn hurts appreciation of your work.

Stieglitz is an easy target for photographers who wish he'd promoted the work of their own artistic favorites.



.

 

[cliveh]

Another

 

[Pioneer]

Just a few favorites...

- The Seine (with the wagon backed into the corner of the bridge on the left and the barges in the river seen through the arch of the bridge.)

- The Organ Grinder and the Singer

- The Interior with the table set for lunch.

- The Chateau de SavignY, St. Orge

- Que D'Aniou on a misty morning.

- Detail,, Garanciere Fountain

I love studying his photographs of the ragpickers which entirely by themselves is something no one else had the time or the inclination to capture. Records? Certainly! Records of a disappearing lifestyle and city.

There are many other photographs as well, I could go on for a very long time. The detail in his photographs, the play of shadows in many of them, is something that many struggle to capture, including myself. As an example, the shadow play on the Detail of the Garaciere Fountain makes that appear to be a photoraph of a living, breathing demon. And for those development snobs among us, all of this was stand developed. I never cease to be amazed at the body of work that he captured and I suspect this is not all of it since much of it was sold as part of his business. This was literally his life's work.

I will forever be thankful that Ms Abbott thought that his work was important enough to save, especially when you consider that she was a young aspiring artist herself at the time. In fact, if you read her Biography you find that much of her time in later life was spent working to ensure this collection was saved for all of us.

Finally I feel that all beginning photographers would be well served by studying (not just paging through) Atget's work.

 

[cliveh]

Just a few favorites...

- The Seine (with the wagon backed into the corner of the bridge on the left and the barges in the river seen through the arch of the bridge.)

- The Organ Grinder and the Singer

- The Interior with the table set for lunch.

- The Chateau de SavignY, St. Orge

- Que D'Aniou on a misty morning.

- Detail,, Garanciere Fountain

I love studying his photographs of the ragpickers which entirely by themselves is something no one else had the time or the inclination to capture. Records? Certainly! Records of a disappearing lifestyle and city.

There are many other photographs as well, I could go on for a very long time. The detail in his photographs, the play of shadows in many of them, is something that many struggle to capture, including myself. As an example, the shadow play on the Detail of the Garaciere Fountain makes that appear to be a photoraph of a living, breathing demon. And for those development snobs among us, all of this was stand developed. I never cease to be amazed at the body of work that he captured and I suspect this is not all of it since much of it was sold as part of his business. This was literally his life's work.

I will forever be thankful that Ms Abbott thought that his work was important enough to save, especially when you consider that she was a young aspiring artist herself at the time. In fact, if you read her Biography you find that much of her time in later life was spent working to ensure this collection was saved for all of us.

Finally I feel that all beginning photographers would be well served by studying (not just paging through) Atget's work.

Amen. The Vincent van Gogh of photography.

 

[faberryman]

Amen. The Vincent van Gogh of photography.

How is Atget the Vincent Van Gogh of photography?

 

[warden]

I will forever be thankful that Ms Abbott thought that his work was important enough to save, especially when you consider that she was a young aspiring artist herself at the time. In fact, if you read her Biography you find that much of her time in later life was spent working to ensure this collection was saved for all of us.

Ditto. It's a good biography, and worthwhile.

 

[Pieter12]

I have read her biography and it is a good read. However, I am not a big fan of her work, nor that of M Atget.

 

[Pioneer]

I have read her biography and it is a good read. However, I am not a big fan of her work, nor that of M Atget.

Fortunately that is not necessary Pieter. There are a lot of excellent photographers to pick from so we all gets lots of opportunities to find our favorites.

One of the things I have personally found with M Atget's work is that there is so much there it is hard not to find at least a few photographs that tickle your fancy. For that alone it is worth spending some time reviewing what he did.

 

[macfred]

Really love this one ...

Etang de Corot, Ville d'Avray

 

[Arthurwg]

How is Atget the Vincent Van Gogh of photography?

Like The Van, Atget was the greatest of his era.

 

[Arthurwg]

Amazing to me that no matter how many Atget pictures I've looked at, and that's more than a few, I keep seeing new masterpieces. The man had a profound aesthetic sensibility that makes everything he shot look fabulous.

 

[cliveh]

I can't understand how anyone can produce such fabulous art through a photomechanical process. It is almost that some of his images transcend human interaction through a physical an chemical process.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I looked at a lot of his work when I was just getting into photography. He does have some lovely work.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I can't understand how anyone can produce such fabulous art through a photomechanical process. It is almost that some of his images transcend human interaction through a physical an chemical process.

A lot has to do with his eye for composition, and a large part down to materials he used, and a rectilinear lens.

 

[Arthurwg]

I can't understand how anyone can produce such fabulous art through a photomechanical process. It is almost that some of his images transcend human interaction through a physical an chemical proc

It has something to do with a profound sensibility. It's inside you.

 

[awty]

Euro romantics.

 

[cliveh]

It's almost as though he is presenting images observed outside the dimension of time.

 

[Pieter12]

It's almost as though he is presenting images observed outside the dimension of time.

Oh, but time is very much a dimension in his images. Although parts of Paris remain similar, many others he records have changed enormously, dating the scene. I really don't get the obsession with Atget, he had a good eye, but his purpose was to use the new technology of photography to provide stock images for painters and sculptors. Berenice Abbott's incessant promotion played a great part in what has created his status as an icon today. She really loved his work, thought he was an unrecognized genius and bought his negatives from the estate. She had a great financial interest in making his work important and collectable.

 

[cliveh]

Oh, but time is very much a dimension in his images. Although parts of Paris remain similar, many others he records have changed enormously, dating the scene. I really don't get the obsession with Atget, he had a good eye, but his purpose was to use the new technology of photography to provide stock images for painters and sculptors. Berenice Abbott's incessant promotion played a great part in what has created his status as an icon today. She really loved his work, thought he was an unrecognized genius and bought his negatives from the estate. She had a great financial interest in making his work important and collectable.

I disagree with some of this statement. As when I look at some (not all) of Atget's images, I am not concerned with Berenice Abbott's promotion or any hype. I can only comment on what I see before me as pure genius.

 

[Mike Lopez]

I disagree with some of this statement. As when I look at some (not all) of Atget's images, I am not concerned with Berenice Abbott's promotion or any hype. I can only comment on what I see before me as pure genius.

Years ago, I read of a statement that John Szarkowski made. He said that, if MOMA were on fire and he could only save one photograph by each photographer in the museum's collection, he would agonize over which Ansel Adams photograph to save. But in the case of Atget? "That's easy--I would take whichever one was on top of the stack." The point being that he viewed them all as worthy of being spared from the inferno. I'm personally very grateful that Szarkowski held Atget in such high regard, because the various Atget publications in which Szarkowski played a part are priceless, in my view.

 

[Pieter12]

Years ago, I read of a statement that John Szarkowski made. He said that, if MOMA were on fire and he could only save one photograph by each photographer in the museum's collection, he would agonize over which Ansel Adams photograph to save. But in the case of Atget? "That's easy--I would take whichever one was on top of the stack." The point being that he viewed them all as worthy of being spared from the inferno. I'm personally very grateful that Szarkowski held Atget in such high regard, because the various Atget publications in which Szarkowski played a part are priceless, in my view.

Or did he view them as interchangeable, indifferent.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Or did he view them as interchangeable, indifferent.

If you read any of Szarkowski's writings on Atget (literally any of them at all), "indifferent" is the very last word that would come to mind. The man knew his art, he knew his history of photography, and knew quite a bit about quite a lot.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Or did he view them as interchangeable, indifferent.

As a matter of fact, take a look at the last paragraph on the page linked here (the quote by Szarkowski):

http://www.checkerboardfilms.org/films/show/n/eugene-atget

Indifferent? Hardly.

 

[Pieter12]

As a matter of fact, take a look at the last paragraph on the page linked here (the quote by Szarkowski):

http://www.checkerboardfilms.org/films/show/n/eugene-atget

Indifferent? Hardly.

Maybe damning with faint praise...he calls him interesting. Not great, not a genius, not original.