William Mortensen, L'Amour
I confess that I have not heard of Mortensen before but his career and creative work is fascinating.
From
Monsters & Madonnas: Looking at William Mortensen An essay by Cary Loren
William Mortensen (1897 - 1965) was one of the most well known and respected photographers in America in the thirties. He worked primarily in Southern California as a Hollywood and studio portraitist and later taught his methods and ideas to younger generations. (See Larry Lytle's online biography of Mortensen.) Mortensen's obscurity today is mainly due to his championing of Pictorialism, a force within photography that promoted retouching, hand-worked negatives, chemical washes, and an artistic, painterly approach that soon faded with the advance of modernism.
The Mad Hatter above is the man himself. While Mortensen's technique has an appeal for modern viewers who have been tempered by the pervasive manipulation of reality in all types of media, his contemporary critics were not as accepting.
From
Monsters & Madonnas: Looking at William Mortensen An essay by Cary Loren
Mortensen was considered an anachronism in photography, an outsider in a field that rejected the theatrical set-ups, retouching and strong imaginative subject matter. Ansel Adams, high priest of the straight print, described Mortensen as both "the devil" and "the anti-Christ." Historians seem to have sided with Adams, as there are few mentions of Mortensen in most of the major photo histories.
From what I can see of Mortensen's subject arrangements, it appears that he worked with live models and props (during the creation of L'amour). My brief perusal of his work seem to indicate he did not alter photos of this period by compositing separate photographic elements. My supposition is Ray posed for the photo but I will have to contact those more learned about Mortensen to lend their thoughts on the matter.
To learn more about William Mortensen read the essay quoted above and also check out another fine page on the artist at The Scream Online. The second article also features a illuminating description of Mortensen's process-well worth checking out.
Hey Gorilla Man,
ReplyDeleteThanks for re-posting this article on Mortensen. Please check out this great she-gorilla poster by artist Cameron Jamie:
http://www.thebookbeat.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=24508
The blogging scene has become more worldwide than ever, with a vast array of competitive topics. Even with the ever-rising social networks, the BLOG will always have its distinct place on the Internet. In retrospect, what platforms are more widely used than others.arinoshoes.com
ReplyDeleteI am looking to examine greater know-how and your articles are so beneficial for me. i can understand them without difficulty. They aren't technological know-how rocket. I even can apply them in regular lifestyles. i'm grateful in your sharing. i'm hoping you'll write frequently and post more articles. interesting statistics, believe or now not trust depends at the situation, however this offers content to acquire a touch more understanding, superb. play return man
ReplyDelete