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January 23, 1964

Issue

Four Photographers
ClementGreenberg
AVisionofParis

byEugneAugustAtget,editedbyArthurD.Trottenberg
Macmillan,211pp.,$19.95

ALifeinPhotography
byEdwardSteichen
Doubleday,282pp.,$19.50

TheWorldThroughMyEyes
byAndreasFeininger
Crown,185pp.,$12.50

PhotographsbyCartierBresson
introductionbyLincolnKirstein
Grossman,64pp.,$4.00cloth

Theartinphotographyisliteraryartbeforeitisanythingelse:itstriumphsand
monumentsarehistorical,anecdotal,reportorial,observationalbeforetheyarepurely
pictorial.Becauseofthetransparencyofthemedium,thedifferencebetweentheextra
artistic,reallifemeaningofthingsandtheirartisticmeaningisevennarrowerin
photographythanitisinprose.Andasinprose,forminphotographyisreluctantto
becomecontent,andworksbestwhenitjustbarelysucceedsinconvertingitssubject
intoartthatis,whenitcallstheleastattentiontoitselfandletsthealmostpractical
meaningofthesubjectcomethrough.
Thisiswhytherearesomanypicturesmadewithdocumentaryintentamongthe
masterpiecesofphotography.Buttheyhavebecomemasterpiecesbytranscendingthe
documentaryandconveyingsomethingthataffectsonemorethanmereknowledge
could.Thepurelydescriptiveorinformativeisalmostasgreatathreattotheartin
photographyasthepurelyformalorabstract.Thephotographhastotellastoryifitisto
workasart.Anditisinchoosingandaccostinghisstory,orsubject,thattheartist
photographermakesthedecisionscrucialtohisart.Everythingelsethepictorialvalues
andtheplasticvalues,thecompositionanditsaccentswillmoreorlessderivefrom
thesedecisions.

TheartofEugneAtget,whowasbornin1856anddiedin1927,istheartofthe
CompletePhotographer.Icanthinkofnooneelsewhocanbecalledthat.Atgetsactivity
asaphotographerhehadtriedtobeapainterandanactorwasconfinedtothelast
threedecadesofhislife.HelivedandworkedinandaroundParis,andthetimeandthe
placemusthelpexplainhisachievementastheydothatofalltheothergreatartistswho
werehiscontemporariesandneighbors.Atgetsvocation,ashehimselfwasconsciousof
it,wastomakedocumentspourartists.Ifeveranartisthumbledhimselfbeforehis
subjects,Atgetdid.Hewasnotafterbeautifulviewshewasouttocapturetheidentityof
hissubject,andthesuccesswithwhichhedidsohastobecalledclassical.
Thepassingoftimeaddstotheaestheticvalueofmanyphotographs,anddoesso
legitimately,whichispartofthereasonwhyphotographyisthehistoricalartpar
excellence.Theway,however,inwhichAtgetmakestheanimateandinanimatesurfaces
oftheParisofthebellepoquespeaktranscendsperiodflavorinthewaythatartofthe
remoterpastdoes,andintheway,too,thattheboulevardviewspaintedbythe
Impressionistsdo.Anabstracting,organizingeyehaditspartinthis,andAtgetwasa
tremendouspictorialaswellasillustrativeartistyetitderivedfromhisfeelingforthe
illustratedsubject,andhispictorialismwaslargely,andproperly,unconscious.
Likeothergreatphotographers,Atgetcouldattimesextractamoreintenselyhuman
i.e.,literaryinterestfromsignsandtracesofthehumanpresencethanfromthat
presenceitself.Hisviewsofundistinguishedfacades,andofarticlesdisplayedoutsideor
justinsidestorefronts,wereperhapsthefirstworksofarttodirectattentiontothe
commercial(notindustrial)environmentinacompletelyartisticwayinaway,thatis,
whichwasdistanced.Inthisrespect,asinothers,muchsophisticatedartphotography
sinceAtgethasbeeninfluencedbyhimandso,too,hasPopArt,whetherPopartists
knowitornot.Involvedhereisanattitudeevenmorethanasubjectoramethod.
ThepresentbookoffersafairsamplingofAtgetsart,andisthereforeworthhaving.But
manyofitsplatesarepoorlyprinted,inasepiameanttoapproximatethegoldenbrowns
withwhichtheoriginalprintsweretinted.AndIwouldquestiontheusefulnessofthe
captionquotationstakenfromProust,whichbreatheaspiritofselfconsciousnostalgia
thatisforeigntoAtget.
EdwardSteichensworkcontainsexamplesofalmosteverytrendandfashionin
photographyoverthelastseventyfiveyears.Onlyafewofthephotographsreproduced
inthisbookaresuccessfulyetthisbookmakesmethinkbetterofSteichenthanIdid
before.Hisaccountofhiscareerasaphotographerhas,inadditiontoitshistorical
interest,thecharmofitsplainness,andinthelightofthataccountmanyofthe
photographsinhisbookbecomemoreinteresting.Fourorfiveofthemaresuperbintheir
ownright:an1899portraitoftheartistssister,aSelfPortraitwithSisterof1900,and
twogenrepicturesofhighlifeattheParisracesin1905.Butonewondersatwhatmust

havebeenthelackofacapacityforselfcriticismthatletSteichenabandonthe
straightforwardnessoftheseworksforthepaintinglikeWhistlerianandCarriresque
effectsofmostofhisotherphotographsofthe1900s.Thesemayhavemadehim
famous,buttheyhavenotwornwellasartnotnearlysowellassimilarpaintinglike
photographsmadebyseveralotherAmericansinthatperiodwhoworkedinthisstyle
withaninspirationwhichwasmissinginSteichenscase.
Onelastphotographinhisbook,however,takenin1921,butunusualinhisworkatthat
time,providesatextintheaestheticsofphotography.ItwastakenintheAcropolisat
Athens.Intheforegroundawomansshapelyarmsareraisedverticallywithhalfopen
handsfrombehindastoneparapetthatconcealstherestofherbodybeyondthearmswe
seethestolidmarblemaidensofthePorchoftheErechthyum.Thepictureisnicely
composedandtheshadelessscenesuppressesanyjarringcontrastsofblackandwhite,
yetthephotographwouldbeartisticallyinertwereitnotforwhatthewomansarmsboth
stateandevokeofattractivefemaleness,ofyoung,firmlysoft,sexedfleshlivingflesh
withrespondingmuscleinsideitbycontrastwiththestonewomeninthebackground.
Thewholethingcouldhavebeenimpossiblyarty,whatwiththe$$$tritelyartistic
gestureofthewomansfingers(shewasoneofIsadoraDuncansgroup)andthesetting,
butthestorytoldoflifeversustrimmedandcarvedstonehasaforce,aswellasa
message,thatcancelsoutartiness.
Ihavesaidthatthepurelyformalorabstractisathreattotheartinphotography.This
threatmanifestsitselfinavarietyofways,ofwhichtheworstisnottheforthrightly
abstractphotographbuttheIrickshotandtheoddshotthelongexposureofmoving
objects,thereversednegative,thecloseupormagnifiedviewthatbringsoutthecurious,
abstractlycurious,configurationsanysortofobjectwillrevealwhenseeninmicroscopic
detail.Thiskindofphotographymaycontributetoknowledge,butithasneverbeen
anythingbutabortiveasartanditisofferedasthatandtakenasthatonlybypeople
whoseexperienceofpictorialartingeneralisdefective.
Gasmasksandinsectsheadsseencloseup,litupChristmastreesonParkAvenueat
dusk,theskeletonofafish,windpatternsinsand,theweblikepatternleftbythelights
ofaclimbinghelicopteratnight,thewheelsandrodsofindustry,treesincolor,the
bulbousbreastsandmidriffofaLachaisebronzeseenatadistanceoffivefeetAndreas
Feiningerthrowsallthisandmoreintothesamebasket.Well,thatswhattheworldis
likeandLifesayssoeveryweek.Butitsnotwhatlifeislike,anditsnotatallwhatart
islike.OntheevidenceofthebookathandFeiningerisnotinterestedinpeople,andhe
isrightnottobeagainontheevidenceofthebookathand,whichshowshimasbeing
veryreluctanttodosuchathingastakeastraightlookatthehumanform.Whenfaces
andbodiesappear,theydosoaspiecesofequipmentamongtheotherpiecesof
equipmentthatclutteruphisotherplanetviewoftheworld.Exceptwhentheyappearas
art.FeiningersphotographsorsculptureareamongthebestsuchphotographsIhave

seen.AllthesculptureFeiningerillustratesinthisbookhappenstobeofthefemalenude,
andhisphotographsoflivingnudesaredisastrousbycomparison.Czannesapproach
tolivefleshwasnotunlikeFeiningersbutCzannecouldnotonlygetawaywithit,he
couldexploitit,andthatwasbecausehewasapainterandthedecisionshemadein
paintingapebbleorachairwerejustascrucial,artistically,asthosehemadeinpainting
aface.Thecaseisnotthesameforphotographers,andtheyoughttobethankfulforthat
whowouldntratherbealiterarythananabstractartist,solongashedidnothaveto
sacrificeambitionorquality?
Photographysadvantageoverpainting,ifadvantageitis,lieslessinitsrealismputto
it,paintingcouldmatchandevenoutmatchthatthanintheenormouslygreaterease
andspeedwithwhichitachievesitsrealism.Thisspeedandeasehaveradically
expandedtheliterarypossibilitiesofpictorialart.Allvisiblereality,unposed,unalerted,
unrehearsed,isopentoInstantaneousphotography.Butitisonlywithinthelastthirty
yearsorsowiththeperfectingoftheminiaturecamerathatmorethanaveryfew
ambitiousphotographerartistshaveconcentratedonthesnapshot.
CartierBressonisoneofthese,andheisoneofthebestphotographersofourday.Like
somanyotherartphotographers,hewastrainedasapainter,butevenamongpainter
photographershestandsoutbythesophisticationofhisartconsciousness,Iamnotsure
thatthisisanaltogethergoodthing.Itinvolvestoomuchofanawarenessofwhat
photographyshoulddointhelightofwhatpaintingandevensculpturehavealready
done.ThereisafrozennessaboutmanyofCartierBressonsimposedpicturesthatstill
suggeststheposed,ifonlybecausetheirpictorialandevensculpturalqualitiesareso
conspicuous,andthisaccountsforasuggestionofthe$$$(thatplagueofart
photography)insomeofthephotographsinthisbook.ThisdoesntmeanthatCartier
Bressonhasnotproducedsomeartthatissuccessfulenoughtobepermanenthehas
indeed.Buthedoesntsetagoodexample.Norarethepicturesinthisbookvarious
enoughintheireffect.Thepictorialvaluesinthesnapshotsofsuchanunsophisticated
artistasWeegee(whoworkedforthetabloids)cannotbecomparedwiththoseinCartier
Bressons,butWeegeesphotographsshowasharpersenseoflifeandmovementand
variety.Weegeeisdemotic,butCartierBressonisalmostconventionallyesoteric,andin
thisartthedemoticeyeistheonemoreapttodiscoverunexploitedpossibilitiesof
literatureAndthisissoevenwhensuchaneyeisacquiredonlybysuper
sophistication,asitisinWalkerEvansscase.

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