Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thought some of you would find this interesting Chuck Photographing the Paradoxes of Pittsburgh > IN 1948, an international poll named W. Eugene Smith one > of the > world's 10 greatest photographers. He had already taken > what he > considered "the finest set of photographs I have ever > produced, > quality and quantity": his pictures of Pittsburgh. The > Pittsburgh > commission called for 100-plus photographs; Smith worked > for more > than three years, went heavily into debt, produced at > least 11,000 > negatives and ultimately proposed a magazine essay of > approximately > 200 images. > > No magazine had that kind of space, even had this > ever-intransigent photographer not demanded total control > over > layout and text. The essay has never been seen the way he > wanted > it, but the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh will now > try. From > Nov. 3 through Feb. 10, the museum will present "Dream > Street: W. > Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Photographs," 195 works that > the guest > curator, Sam Stephenson, has identified as Smith's > choices. > > Some of his most famous images are here. "Dance of the > Flaming > Coke" is a contemporary version of the fierce beauties of > Hades, > where a man in front of a sheet of flame spars with a > snarling > fire. In "Pride Street," a teenage boy has hoisted > himself up and > curled his body around the hopefully named street sign. > The rest is > Smith's attempt to record the paradoxes of city life in > America — > the clutch of industry, the dogged persistence of both > community > and loneliness, the forces of love, hate, growth and > decay. Not > even the venerated master of photojournalists could quite > pull this > off, but Smith's obsessiveness was harnessed to an > enormous talent, > and he wasn't far from the mark when he wrote that his > essay would > "create history." > > The show, organized by Linda Batis, associate curator of > fine arts > at the Carnegie, will travel to New York and Tucson next > year and > is accompanied by a book by the same name from W. W. > Norton. > > http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/09/arts/design/09GOLD.html?ex=1001050511&ei=1&en=b4674c4508911344 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com