Atget's Photos of Paris

[Timmyjoe]

Found this interesting, thought I'd share:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/world/europe/paris-atget-coronavirus.html

This work by Atget makes me think of some of Helen's work in New York. (Although much of Helen's work is wonderfully populated with New Yorkers.)

Best,
-Tim

 

[lynnb]

Thanks for this. It's good to be reminded of Atget's work. I much prefer Atget's 10x8 film images to the modern digital rendering captured by the photographer. Years ago I viewed an exhibition of Atget's contact prints and was immensely impressed.

 

[Dan Daniel]

.... Atget's contact prints.....

[that's all he did, contact prints...]

 

[charjohncarter]

I, somewhere in my failing brain, remember that even when he was doing this work that he was using very outdated equipment and glass negatives which were also outdated.


https://www.clarkart.edu/Mini-Sites/A-City-Transformed/Eugene-Atget

 

[LCSmith]

Thank you for sharing this. The importance of Atget on 20th century photography and art in general is impossible to overstate. These side by side comparisons only prove Atget's astute compositional vision.

 

[traveler_101]

Thank you for sharing this. The importance of Atget on 20th century photography and art in general is impossible to overstate. These side by side comparisons only prove Atget's astute compositional vision.

Could you articulate what the vision is ? . . . if you have time. Thanks

 

[Huss]

Thanks for posting Tim, loved looking at the pics.

 

[LCSmith]

Could you articulate what the vision is ? . . . if you have time. Thanks

I always have time for Atget!

I think Walker Evans said it well:

"His general note is lyrical understanding of the street, trained observation of it, special feeling for patina, eye for revealing detail, over all of which is thrown a poetry which is not 'the poetry of the street' or 'the poetry of Paris' but the projection of Atget's person."

"The Reappearance of Photography," (1931).

 

[MCTuomey]

I think he’s one of a handful of photographers who can swing ... as in jazz.

 

[traveler_101]

I always have time for Atget!

I think Walker Evans said it well:

"His general note is lyrical understanding of the street, trained observation of it, special feeling for patina, eye for revealing detail, over all of which is thrown a poetry which is not 'the poetry of the street' or 'the poetry of Paris' but the projection of Atget's person."

"The Reappearance of Photography," (1931).

Thank you. Here are my untrained observations form this collection of his work https://allthatsinteresting.com/eugene-atget-photos#1
Uses sepia toning to reduce the starkness of black and white, makes effective use of weather, much is about edifice, people are there or are not there, it is much about silence and space. Collectively displaces the momentary quality of photography for a deeper dimension of time.