Hilla and Bernd Becher :

[Mike Lopez]

Having a copy of New Topographics in hand wouldn't hurt, either.

 

[jtk]

What is it that appeals to you (Mike and Arthur) about books Vs actual viewing of prints or, for that matter, discussion here on Photrio ?

I agree that "we" might not obtain the "correct understanding" on our own, online, however I wonder why we would fail to view the actual prints and fail to listen to Hilla?

I don't doubt that you two, Mike and Arthur, have obtained your own correct understandings.

 

[jtk]

Perhaps the large format book on Christo's Big Air Package, wrapped Pont Neuf, wrapped Reichstag and other beautiful projects would be appealing. The book is multilingual, has lots of finely reproduced photographs of Christo's Running Fence, as well as sketches. And it talks about their huge communities (including a couple of women photographers I knew, who worked on that gigantic Marin County California sculpture (installation?). Stupidly I didn't join in the fun (was nose-to-grindstone studio photographer at the time). Somewhere I lost my few Kodachromes.

big air package photos - Google Search

 

[logan2z]

Having a copy of New Topographics in hand wouldn't hurt, either.

I will, if Steidl ever actually releases the reprint.

 

[jtk]

christos running fence photos - Google Search

The Big Air Package book is as beautiful as anything Steidl has ever printed, imo...

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Official website of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Features photographs and texts about all major projects, early works, and works in progress. Includes biographical and bibliographical information as well as past, current, and upcoming exhibitions.

christojeanneclaude.net

 

[Arthurwg]

What is it that appeals to you (Mike and Arthur) about books Vs actual viewing of prints or, for that matter, discussion here on Photrio ?

I simply enjoy a cogent account of art history, not that I don't enjoy looking at original prints. I do so at every opportunity.

 

[Mike Lopez]

What is it that appeals to you (Mike and Arthur) about books Vs actual viewing of prints or, for that matter, discussion here on Photrio ?

I agree that "we" might not obtain the "correct understanding" on our own, online, however I wonder why we would fail to view the actual prints and fail to listen to Hilla?

I don't doubt that you two, Mike and Arthur, have obtained your own correct understandings.

Please don't get me wrong: I much prefer looking at actual prints in person to looking at reproductions in books, and I've made several trips to other states to do just that. But the biographies of the photographers, the essays by the curators and historians, the personal statements, the artistic philosophies...I like to have those close at hand in books. There have been many times that I've gone to an exhibition, and rather quickly found myself looking to purchase the catalog, because I know that I'll want to read more later, and I'll want a record of what I was able to see that day.

And sometimes memories of having viewed the prints lend themselves to books. Several years ago I took my son to San Francisco for a long weekend, and we viewed a major Walker Evans retrospective at SFMOMA. Although I've long admired Evans' work, it was my son's first time seeing fine prints in person. I have the book that accompanied that show practically within arm's reach as I type this. But more than just a catalog of the photographs, that book now also represents, for me, a souvenir of that weekend with my son. Viewing all those prints was well worth it, but I certainly couldn't take any of them home with me. The accompanying book? I most definitely could and did.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Photography West gallery in Carmel. Knowing in advance that they had a pair of expensive Brett Weston books for sale, and given my status at the time of being the head of a single-income family with a 2 year-old son and a daughter on the way, I asked Michael A. Smith for his advice on which title to purchase if I could only afford one. After thinking about it for a day or two, his response: "Get them both. One can never have too many good photography books." I bought them both. I'll never own a Brett Weston print, but I have some damned nice reproductions on my shelves.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Mike and Arthur... thanks. I'd imagine many here have big photo libraries. My own book library has been purged a bit recently, having gotten far too big. I've recently sold a dozen photo books, selecting those victims using the criteria that they didn't relate to the photography I'm doing and I probably bought them too casually.

Many (or most) of the books I've kept were about professional photographers, such as Avedon, Penn, Bill Brandt,, and Albert Watson... Few were about photographers who are mainly decorative. The only street photographer that immediately comes to hand is Saul Leiter, who was of course a fashion photographer (like Avedon and Penn) but seems to me to be virtually a painter (Thames & Hudson Photofile). In general I've avoided hard back books, preferring books that relate to exhibits...therefore usually soft bound...in other words, I do buy books about photographers whose work I've seen in galleries.

I don't have any photographers who connect in my mind with Monterey area (where my sister lives) other than Edward Weston, whose Daybook Two was the only photo book I wanted to own from about 1968 until maybe 1975 (maybe Danny Lyon's The Bikeriders (Lyon is/was a neighbor and the single most astounding print I've ever seen was big and magnificent at Etherton).

Since you enjoy travel I'll strongly suggest Etherton Gallery in Tucson AZ, which easily rivals anything I've seen in the MOMAs. It's commercial (but no Ansel's, maybe) and much deeper/broader than anything I've seen elsewhere.

Thanks for the lead on the Etherton Gallery. I've been meaning to get to Tucson for years, so that I can go to the Center for Creative Photography, but I will add Etherton to my itinerary, when it happens.

Speaking of the CCP, they published Edward Weston's entire oeurve, give or take, in book form in 1992. I obtained a copy of that book about 6 years ago and while the reproductions are small, the book is well worth having, at least to me (I've read the Daybooks cover to cover twice, since you mentioned the second volume. I'm sure you can appreciate the significance of that record).

 

[jtk]

oops, they DO have Ansels, and of course there's a giant collection at nearby University of Arizona (which is underwritten by Avedon).

 

[jtk]

Returning to the OT, Etherton does exhibit some Bechers but maybe only a representative selection...which might be an aesthetic mistake...I don't know how a few Bechers could be genuinely representative.

I did once chat with the gallery owner about that Danny Lyon print...he politely took a few minutes to explain that he was on the way to NYC or similar so what I mainly learned was that the DL print was made by some unknown-to-me technique (involved a scan and wonderful pring that wasn't inkjet) and was flush mounted on aluminum..."Cal, Elkhorn Wisconsin"... page 44/The Bikeriders...

 

[warden]

OT: @jtk if you haven't seen the lovely Leiter documentary it's definitely worth a look.

 

[logan2z]

OT: @jtk if you haven't seen the lovely Leiter documentary it's definitely worth a look.

The entire documentary is available to stream for free on Kanopy. I've watched it 3 or 4 times already, definitely worth the time.

There's also an excellent interview with Leiter by Vince Aletti on YouTube:

 

[jtk]

Thanks Warden and Logan...

One thing that seems to elevate SL over street photographers generally is Kodachrome (or Kodachrome-like).

Of course we do have a replacement for Kodachrome... Unfortunately that seems to go along with autofocus and hard-to-escape extreme depth of field. Even my 300mm zoom at full aperture wants to find detail where I'm not looking (though I'm finding a work-around). Happily, however, I don't seem to do street and even that 300mm on APSC seems to be opening doors (so to speak). I wouldn't be surprised if SL actually loved it.

 

[jtk]

I didn't recognize Vince Aletti, who spoke with Saul Leiter, so I googled him.

vince aletti - Yahoo Search Results Video Search Results

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

video.search.yahoo.com

 

[logan2z]

A pretty comprehensive review of the show at The Met can be found here:

Bernd & Hilla Becher @Met | Collector Daily

collectordaily.com

 

[ic-racer]

Always thought of them as overrated photographers of water towers. Their art misses me completely.

In spite of that, however, I am fascinated by the pictures. I like to look at them for some reason. Hope to see the show if it comes near me.

 

[jtk]

I think the reason I liked the many-print show at Dia was the almost-identical-seeming look, applied to so many nearly-identical subjects.

I think one of the mistakes we (I) make is imagining that they are "of" a subject, which then may even result in their being cursed by labels (such as musical or psychological titles of supposed subjects). That can distract from taking time to think about/meditate-on what we actually see. Some people have a hard time with the Becher couple's prints because they seem so similar to each other.

 

[sasah zib]

now open in SFMOMA
members had nice early viewing[past]

Bernd & Hilla Becher Member Preview

www.sfmoma.org

 

[jtk]

That's a great museum, of course... might overpower the very simple work itself.

 

[logan2z]

now open in SFMOMA
members had nice early viewing[past]

Bernd & Hilla Becher Member Preview

www.sfmoma.org

I'm a long-term member of SFMOMA but haven't been to the city for a few years due to COVID and the fact that SF has turned into a cesspool. It's a shame because I've missed the David Park and Joan Mitchell retrospectives and now the Becher exhibit. Hopefully they'll clean the city up and make it palatable to visit again.

 

[jtk]

I'm a long-term member of SFMOMA but haven't been to the city for a few years due to COVID and the fact that SF has turned into a cesspool. It's a shame because I've missed the David Park and Joan Mitchell retrospectives and now the Becher exhibit. Hopefully they'll clean the city up and make it palatable to visit again.

I've found the problem with SF is Google et al, where people have to work in order to afford life in the Bay Area.

 

[logan2z]

I've found the problem with SF is Google et al, where people have to work in order to afford life in the Bay Area.

I'm not sure I'd blame Big Tech for all of SF"s ills. Organized retail theft, rampant drug use, borderline lawlessness etc. are not the fault of Google et al. But I fear we're about to cross the line into politics so I'll stop here.

 

[Bill Burk]

SF Moma has free admissions, for example a buddy worked at Adobe where they 'gave' every employee free passes.

Last time I was there, was just to use their parking garage and darned if they don't close it at 11. I sprinted from Golden Gate theatre three-quarter miles away and got there as the gates were rolling down. The attendant was nice though and said as long as I was in under the gate he'd let me out.

Getting older has its advantages, when it comes to living in the bay area... but there will come a time when I can't sprint that far.

 

[jtk]

OT: @jtk if you haven't seen the lovely Leiter documentary it's definitely worth a look.

Thanks! Somewhere I saw some of Saul Leiter's nudes, taken indoors near the ocean. Perhaps Zoom magazine?

 

[jtk]

Another thought about San Francisco... I don't go there because I can't travel...and I do cherish my memories from San Francisco State College, my several San Franciso girlfriends, not to mention its longtime challenging intellectual, moral, and artistic community. When AIDS hit San Francisco it was in a certain respect a blessing because San Franciscans banded together, loved and tried to support the victims especially when the were used for political purposes. We had a great city government as well, though the immigrant communities had not yet stepped up to the political plate.