American versus European Photography?

[tim_atherton2]

However, there have also been some large state/government sponsored commissions of photography in Europe in recent years of a sort not seen since the FSA in N America - such as DATAR (sic) in France (probably the biggest?) - commissioning a complete cross section of photographers to photograph a region on a large scale - basically on their own terms as artists/photographers, not just to illustrate brochures - people like Martin Parr, Gabrielle Basilico, Raymond Depardon, Paul Graham, Harry Gruyaert, Josef Koudelka and many more have photographed under these schemes. Many regional development corporations or cities in Europe seem to commission photographers in the same way they might commission architects or designers - to document a region as creative photographers rather than just illustrators (If you look at a number of Basilicos books, you will see many of them are based on a conmmssion from a city or regional development council) I have a colleague who spent two years basiscally photographing Barcelona - his hoem town - as he wished and how he saw it, commissioned by the City to do so - tye end result being seen as work for exhibit and show in galleries, not illustrations for the tourist guide. In a broad sense, this is something I have rarely seen in N America.

[douglas_howk]

Under influence of Adams, Weston, etc., US photographers are into capturing the perfect negative & use darkroom to make up for defects. In Europe, photographers are more willing to take a less-than-perfect picture, and manipulate it creatively in darkroom ( see Eddie Ephraums "Creative Elements"). Also, the visibility of the "medium" (grain, blur, out of focus, etc.) more appreciated in Europe; and, as correlation, street photography under-appreciated as art form in US.

[anne_williams]

For what it's worth: My husband's great-grandfather was from Maine and NY. You can see a sample of his work at http://www.photographymuseum.com/oldlockl.html

 

All of the photography and paintings of his that I've seen were done in Europe. They are almost all landscape/architecture types of images. I can't speak with any authority, but his books were published both in the US and abroad and there was more than one edition of each of his books published, so there most have been some appreciation of his work both here and Europe. Perhaps in his time, the US didn't have the depth of history yet to make him want to pursue his artistic avocation here, though he practiced his vocation of dentistry in the US.

[julian_thomas]

Tim re your comments on barcelona... I'm in the middle of negotiating a landscape project with the city for a 6 month shoot, what I like how I like. End result ot be exhibited in galleries. Shooting on a borrowed Deardoff.

BTW as this is my second post to the list I should introduce myself - mainly working in Urban and Natural landscape, currently living in Barcelona but a Brit by birth. And the four greates photographers are Friedlander, Eggleson, Metzker and Robert Adams <g>

[robin_coutts]

American art photography began as European photography - ie arguably with Steiglitz, but with Weston and Ansel Adams took on IMO a distinctive character which was not so much to do with the atmosphere, but with the perception of the viewer. As the West opend up, Americans became awed by the primitive natural beauty of their landscape. It was an Eden rediscoverd and the purity of the photographs reflected this. (cf Ansel Adams' Grand Tetons and Minor White's version). Europeans did not have this perception of their landscape, in the late 19th C the view was a romantic one, hence the rise of pictorialism.

 

 

FWIW

Art galleries in the UK are reluctant to show photographs, because they do not sell as well as the other arts and currently photographic galleries are in love with over coloured documentary work. This makes B& W landscape work difficult to show, however it is not impossible and if your work is well preesented and you have a consistant idea in your work, which gives it a fresh appeal, then galleries are interested. Galleries are rarely interested in work which is a repition of other peoples work.

 

Robin