Stephen Shore on the Color Red

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber

Sep 26, 2025

Short, albeit interesting, essay in Aperture:

Stephen Shore on the Color Red

The color can evoke love, anger, and—especially for photographers—danger. What makes red so tricky?

aperture.org

"To a man who knows nothing, mountains are mountains, waters are waters, and trees are trees. But when he has studied and knows a little, mountains are no longer mountains, waters are no longer waters, and trees are no longer trees. But when he has thoroughly understood, mountains are once again mountains, waters are waters, and trees are trees."

"We look at a thing and think we have seen it and yet what we see is only after what our prejudices tell us should be seen, or what our desires want to see. Very rarely are we able to free our minds of thought and emotions and just see for the simple pleasure of seeing, and so long as we fail to do this, so long will the essence of things be hidden from us."
— Bill Brandt

"The obvious tool of my trade is the tape recorder. But the real tool is curiosity."
— Studs Terkel

Stephen Shore on the Color Red

Alex Benjamin

Stephen Shore on the Color Red

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency