W. Eugene Smith...

[deantaylor]

<p><em>'Two 18-wheel trucks packed with 22 tons of Smith’s material rolled from NYC to Tucson'...</em><br /> http://www.jazzloftproject.org/index.php?s=people&ss=W.%20Eugene%20Smith<em><br /></em></p>

[spanky]

<p>Smith is one of several photographers that I think is long overdue for a major retrospective at the major museums. I never see his work in group shows or for sale in any of the galleries here in LA and I cannot fathom why. Years ago The Museum of Photographic Art in San Diego did have an exhibit of The Jazz Loft Project and it is still one of my favorite exhibits, but other then that despite Smiths standing his work is really under-represented it seems. Someday I'd like to get out to The Center for Creative Photography in Tucson to look at Smiths (and Winogrands) archives.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>I remember the Jazz Loft Project show, mainly because I missed it! :(. And I agree with you about a major retrospective, it is definitely time. I have definite thoughts about where Smith fits in to lineage of Documentary photographers and I think his work has a crucial place, plus he was an amazing printer. I may have seen some photographs of his in one of the "LA Photo" shows in Santa Monica, but I'm not positive.</p>

[spanky]

<p>Bummer Barry, it was well worth the trip to San Diego and yes his prints are amazing! One of his "tricks" was to increase the contrast in very fine, small areas by bleaching the areas with ferricyanide.</p>

 

[Uhooru]

<p>Yep Marc. One of the advanced teachers at OCC (Orange Coast College) used to do a demo with ferricyanide and got amazing results. I think it is a well known darkroom technique and the school actually had it available for use once you had the demo. i never used it being sure i would poison myself or someone else:).</p>

[deantaylor]

<p>extraordinary chronicle by Smith's protégé, James Karales:</p>

<p><em>'Meanwhile, Karales, fresh out of school, had moved to New York to seek work as a professional photographer. He knocked on Magnum’s door and asked [John] Morris whether there was any work for a young photographer. “Do you want to be Gene Smith’s darkroom assistant?” Morris replied.'</em><br /> <br /> http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/11/20/in-the-darkroom-with-w-eugene-smith/</p>

 

[spanky]

<p>I recently saw a video that someone somewhere uploaded that demonstrated how to use ferricyanide. I wonder if Freestlye sells this? I also recently checked out a book on Bill Brandt which described some of the chemicals he would brush onto his prints to give them a unique look. Very tempting to try I must say. </p>

[michael_darnton2]

<p>The Jazz Loft Project links to a radio series about the loft, and it is really worth sitting down and listening to the whole thing if you have any interest in jazz at all.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>Marc, FC can provide you some beautiful touches to the right print. Its safe to use, you just have to know what you can't let it come into contact with in the normal darkroom. Here is a link to a photo the instructor, Walter Urie, did using the chemical. http://www.uriephoto.com/images/photos/48.jpg</p>

[spanky]

<p>How cool, thanks Barry!</p>

[Aoresteen]

<p>Gene was one of the great photographers! When Minamata came out in 1975 I was blown away. I couldn't afford to buy it but I would go to the bookstore and read it.</p>

<p>Gene had a lot of unique methods. He would load two rolls of 35mm with emulsion facing out onto a single 35 SS reel. He would then put 4 double loaded reels into a tank and process 8 rolls in a 4 roll tank. I tried to do this ONCE and I managed to ruin both rolls.<br>

He would carry 6 cameras at a time. He used everything from 4x5 to 35mm RF & SLR. In his later years he seemed to favor Canon rangefinders and Minolta SRT SLRs (<em>Minamata</em>).</p>

<p>Yes, he is long overdue for a big show.</p>