Charles Sheeler modernist photographer

[nicholas_f._jones]

I just picked up Karen Lucic's "Charles Sheeler in Doylestown,

American Modernism and the Pennsylvania Tradition", Allentown Art

Museum 1997. Preface, chapters on "C.S., Modernism, and National

Identity", "The Doylestown House", "Bucks County Barns",

and "Doylestown Revisted". Beautifully written, illustrated, and

produced, with a number of fine b&w photographs esp. of the House and

the barns. But unless I missed it in the fine print, there is little

here on Sheeler's photographic technique in both the narrower and

broader senses of that term.

 

Can anyone comment on Sheeler's photographic work from the

practitioner's point of view? Format, camera and lens, lighting,

chemistry, contact printing or enlarging, and so on? And,

esthetically, what do we know about his photographic philosophy, esp.

in relation to his painting?

[Troll]

Sheeler used all the FSA equipment from a Leica to an 8x10, often sharing them with Walker Evans. I don't believe that he did his own darkroom work. He considered his photographs as "Sketching" rather than as definitive work (much like HC-B).

[Troll]

My apologies on the above post. I seem to have confused Sheeler with Ben Shshn. Sorry.

[philip_glass]

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has mounted an excellent exhibition of Charles Sheeler's Photographs - that is on now. They are some of the best photographs I have ever seen. It's worth the trip to see them in person. www.mfa.org.

[william_hahn1]

There is an interview with Charles Sheeler at

the Smithsonian archives:

 

http://artarchives.si.edu/oralhist/sheele59.htm

 

He talks more about painting than photography, but

does talk about learning with a Brownie.

 

As an aside, the oral history archives at that site

are a rich resource. For giggles read the interview

with Imogen Cunningham...