W. Eugene Smith in Japan

[robklurfield]

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbet616kQl1qb09lpo1_500.jpg

 

[hawkeye]

Rob
Funny you should post that photo. I've been thinking about Gene and doing a piece about his work and my encounters with him for a www.pixiq.com posting.

Even odder. I knew Phil too. We'd occasionally meet in the Village.

Steve

 

[flip]

It's pretty funny. When I got to Japan, i only had the one. Now I have 10. Japan is not safe for hobbyists.

 

[Renzsu]

There's a W. Eugene Smith exhibition in the FOAM museum in Amsterdam. So much good stuff, definitely check it out if you're in the city.

http://www.foam.nl/index.php?pageId=9&tentoonId=238

 

[ZeissFan]

Great photographer. From all that I've read, could be difficult as a person and a colleague. But without a doubt, he made some of the finest images that I've ever seen. I've always been inspired and awed by his work.

 

[PaulW128]

I met Gene Smith at ICP in NYC back in the mid '70's, along with Ernst Haas. What a thrill, I was so excited to meet him and talk to him a few minutes.

Best
Paul

 

[robklurfield]

Steve, cool! You should try to contact Sam Stephenson who wrote the book and curated the Jazz Loft show.

Rob
Funny you should post that photo. I've been thinking about Gene and doing a piece about his work and my encounters with him for a www.pixiq.com posting.

Even odder. I knew Phil too. We'd occasionally meet in the Village.

Steve

 

[fotomeow]

great foto of Gene. The articles about him tell how he was very uncompromising in his work, which is why he eventually left Life Magazine to go on his own.
He suffered from pain during his life after sustaining a battle injury from WWII, and had trouble with addiction to pain killers b/c of the pain issues.
While in Japan, he was beat up by some Japanese thugs b/c he was exposing the story about the industrial poisoning of the citizens which caused massive birth defects.
But he had integrity, and stuck to his stories, adhering to his humanitarian and artistic beliefs.

 

[twopointeight]

PKR, what year was that at SFAI? I was there from 72-79.

 

[janosh]

Greg Robinson, San Francisco Examiner photographer killed by Jonestown enforcers (People's Temple) as he was about to fly out. His Canon F1 got buried in the air strip's mud, was dug out. I didn't buy it because I wanted to remember him simply as someone who loved the work. Talk of Eugene Smith brings him to mind. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1998/11/29/MAGAZINE8276.dtl

 

[twopointeight]

PKR, the odd thing for me is that in 1977 I was in charge of the auditorium and guest artist presentations at SFAI. I just can't remember this one, which is extra odd because I met Gene Smith when I was a 17 year student at The New School for Social Research in NYC and the class met in his loft. Also, there was no backstage at SFAI or platform stage.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I've read that during WWII Eugene Smith sustained serious injuries when a mortar explosion blasted the camera he was using into his face. I also read that during his Minimata project, factory employed thugs swung him around by the legs, again causing serious head injuries. The Minimata picture is a master piece and I was surprised to find online that it sold for US$ 13,750 in 2009. http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5236759

 

[dfoo]

That image never fails to bring chills...

 

[meanstreetshooter]

Just a...

Just a...

fantastic photo; always will be. So simple yet so powerfull.