Family of Man

One of the most remarkable photographic books I remember viewing as a child was The Family of Man , a paperback version of the exhibit Edward Steichen currated for New York's Museum of Modern History. That exhibit, which debuted in 1955, opened new territory for photography in so many ways. The fact that a major American museum even HAD a department of photography was remarkable. And the exhibit itself broke new grounds, such that it still retains an aura of being "controversial". Yet to me, it was an unqualified success. I gravitated to that book on the coffee table in the living room as if it were my ticket out into the world. It imbued a vision and had an impact that is with me today, over 50 years later. That, in my opinion, is remarkable for ANY photographic book or exhibit.

Edward Steichen came to America from Luxembourg when he was only 18 months old. It is said that his mother determined that her son would NOT face the poverty and lack of opportunity prevalent in Europe in the late 1800s (Edward was born in 1879). They moved to the Midwest, and lived near her sister in Michigan. Thus, he grew up as an American. And what an honor he gives us! The values he embodied in the Family of Man are ones that a teenager could embrace and feel ennobled. And they are values that still stand strong, after 50 years of viewing.

I won't recount all of Steichen's history here, but just include a few links where you can pursue more information on your own. What I WILL focus on is his war experiences. During World War I Steichen was a Colonel in the Army, doing aerial photography, and during WWII, he served as a Captain in the Navy in the Pacific. His photography was used to record enemy action, and then formed the basis upon which other soldiers killed those enemy soldiers. Steichen's war photography ended with Hiroshima, we are told, in the retrospective film we saw in class last night by Kultur (I can't find the exact reference - it's from the Foothill College library). I wonder, did he actually photograph in Hiroshima?

Wayne Miller, who worked with Steichen in WWII, and then was recruited by him for the massive Family of Man exhibit, recalled that Steichen's admonition as a wartime photographer was to use more color, and to focus on the people. The equipment would disappear from history, but the people would be memorable forever. (I hope I recall that accurately). The Family of Man is Edward Steichen's response to his wartime experiences, and indeed to his entire life. Miller said that Steichen had a romantic, almost a heroic image of humanity, and he was a hard task master because he was so PASSIONATE about what he endeavored to do. Yet apparently those are just the qualities that were needed, because the exhibit WAS produced, it was viewed by millions, and it is still viewable today (see below).

An internet source describes The Family of Man thusly: "The 503 photos were selected from almost 2 million pictures taken by 273 photographers, famous and unknown, in 68 countries, and offer a striking snapshot of the human experience which lingers on birth, love, and joy, but also touches war, privation, illness and death. His intention was to prove visually the universality of human experience and photography's role in its documentation." I have read in our text and heard it elsewhere that this exhibit is "controversial". For one thing, many photographers didn't understand the purpose of the exhibit, or how their photographs would be used. Over 700 photographers were invited and informed of the project, and many met in person with Steichen. Nevertheless, many were dismayed to find that the show's perspective was overwhelmingly upbeat; that the images were used outside of their original context; that the photographer's identity and nationality were downplayed; and that Steichen was such an ardent champion of his vision. I submit it is just these characteristics that make the show what it was, and is today.

The Family of Man can still be viewed in Steichen's birthtown of Clervaux. Read how it is described there: "In September 2003, the "Family of Man" exhibition was nominated for inscription on UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register with the following justification: 'Luxembourg - Family of Man. The photographic exhibition mounted by the photographer Edward J. Steichen in 1955 for the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was donated by the Government of the USA to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is preserved in the Clervaux Museum. The exhibition consists of 503 photographs taken by 273 photographers, both professional and amateur, famous and unknown, from 68 countries. It has been described as the “greatest photographic enterprise ever undertaken”. A huge undertaking, with unique cultural and artistic dimensions, it had a considerable influence on other exhibition organizers, stirred public interest in photography and proved exceptional in its ability to communicate a humanist message that was both courageous and provocative. The Family of Man exhibition has become a legend in the history of photography. It went far beyond the traditional view of what an exhibition should be and it can be regarded as the memory of an entire era, that of the Cold War and McCarthyism, in which the hopes and aspirations of millions of men and women throughout the world were focused on peace.'"

This exhibit transcends photography into a statement of hope and a vision for the future that still stands strong today. Steichen's vision, to me, takes the very best of photography, and puts it to the very best of uses. In the end, our individuality and our nationality do not matter, nor what our original purposes may be. It is what we can achieve as a world community, which he describes as "The Family of Man", or what we fail to achieve, that will make or break us in the end. After all, photography, like all arts, performs a social function. But without a socity, it is useless. With the enormity of our technological capabilities for creating death and destruction, and the complexities of the cultures we are trying to live amongst, it is efforts such as Steichen's that point the way for the survival of our species. That makes photography all the more important. Like the military man he was, Steichen corraled our best photographers to select their best photography to accomplish the job. As a teenager in the 1950's in Minnesota, and as a 60-year-old in California today, I still marvel at the beauty and boldness of Steichen's exhibit, The Family of Man.

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Evaluating Art - The Sea of Steps

"The Sea of Steps", a platinum print by Frederick Henry Evans taken in 1903 inside the Wells Cathedral, is an innocently innocuous image that knocks your socks off. It is a very simple view, of steps that undulate up towards an entrance into an enclosed, well-lighted space (presumably the inside of the Wells Cathedral). The colors are muted gray to milky-white, and they seem to have an almost luminescent feel. The steps are "worn and ragged", yet are presented in a stately manner. The view is upward, and the architectural features predominate. The cathedral, built in 1180 and finished in 1260, is of the style "English Gothic". The lighting comes from the mid-right, such that the eye naturally follows the steps upwards toward the light behind the arched doorway. The steps in the front, in darker tones of gray, add depth and substance to a sublime view of an ancient place of worship. This photograph honors its location, and truly attests to the spiritual vision of art.

One of the versions of this photograph that I came across lists the title as "Wells Cathedral: Stairway to Chapter House, 1903". I suspect that may be the original title, but how more appropriate is its well-known description as "The Sea of Steps". This later is a title that suits and complements the image, just as the photograph suits and complements the Cathedral. Robert Leggat reports about Evans that "it is said he would sometimes wait for months to record the precise effect he was seeking." Seeing this photo, I do believe, for how likely is it that the lighting and luminence showed up in just this way? The walls are fluted like an organ, and one can imagine they hear it sonorously playing in accompanyment to this image. It is truly and simply beautiful.

When I came across this image in our photography text, I thought "What a perfect picture." And then, two pages later, I came across the Stieglitz photo of "The Steerage". That, too, strikes me as a perfect photo. Yet look at the differences! The one is simple and elegant, yet without people; the other is full of humanity, yet retains the flow of line and light and substance. And both were made within 4 years of each other. They speak truly of their subjects, and speak directly to their audiences. They are masterpieces for a reason. One doesn't need to be religious, or to be class conscious, to experience the "meaning" of these two images. They are both powerful as IMAGES, without any extended meanings or symbolic references. As works of art, they are things of beauty. As photographs, they are my ideals. What a joy to come across them, and what a pleasure to write about them.

As I wrote elsewhere, Frederick H Evans is new to me. But, I'll be watching for more of his work, now that I've floated on "The Sea of Steps".

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Finding Out About Frederick...

2/11/06 8:06 PM

I have just been doing some research on the photographer Frederick H Evans, and I find I am more amazed than ever. For one thing, Evans lived from 1853-1943, and he was British! I think I must have confused him with Walker Evans, the American photographer who made so many memorable photographs during the Depression era. Another amazing fact is that Wells Cathedral was built beginning in 1180. This ties in very nicely with my class on the history of the Middle Ages. Here's a link to some more photos of the English cathedral and it's setting: Wells Cathedral.

A third amazing fact is that "he did not take up photography until 1898 when he retired from being a bookseller." This article from Ted's Photographics goes on to say that " Evans was an early advocate of straight photography and produced some extraordinary architectural studies. His classic ‘Sea of Steps’ followed many years of photographing the interior of Wells Cathedral."

Here's what the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia has to say about him: "Evans retired from bookselling in 1898 when he began his photographic career. He became internationally famous for his exquisite platinotype images of architectural subjects, principally English cathedrals, manors, and cloisters. Refusing to manipulate his prints in any way, Evans rendered the cool, massive stone buildings with an unsurpassed grandeur in straightforward contact prints from his plates. He exhibited and wrote extensively and was widely, if unsuccessfully, imitated. He ceased making prints in 1915 when platinum was no longer commercially available. ".


Other information, from the World Wide Arts Resources, says that Evans "became a member of the British Linked Ring society of photographers and was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in 1928. Evans was the first British photographer to be published in Alfred Stieglitz's journal, Camera Work. Because he preferred platinum prints, Evans gave up photography after World War I dur to lack of materials."

Here's a link to more information about Frederick H Evans: Click Here.

I have to say, I am thoroughly intrigued and impressed by this photographer. I'll have to keep my eyes open for more information about Frederick Evans, and I will most certainly be looking forward to seeing more of his photos! Hope I've interested you too...

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Emulation, Parts I and II

One of our assignments is to emulate a photographer we admire. Here is how the assignment reads:

Concept
"Emulation is a tradition that goes back to the earliest educational institutions in the arts. To study an artist that has done something that you admire or has made a piece of art that inspires you is essential to growth in the arts. In our times, there has been negative feedback to students about “copying” others artwork. Emulation in its simplest level is copying, but it is not copying and pretending it is yours, but acknowledging that this is an effort to repeat another piece of art and learn from that repetition. When emulation is taken to its next level, it is a full digestion of the essential qualities of a piece of art or of an artist’s body of work and reaching for these qualities with your own vision, craft, techniques and heart all in the right place. It is something new inspired by another artist’s work."

Assignment
"In this assignment, you will emulate either a photograph or a body of work by a photographer. Do not worry whether you are “just copying” or if your photographs are “original” “really yours.” Use this as an opportunity to see and explore, to enter a visual dialogue with your favorite artist. Play with the ideas, the visuals and the possibilities that present themselves. There is no right or wrong way to do this assignment.
After careful looking and thought, you will shoot a minimum of one roll of film (or 36 digital images) emulating your photographer. In your notebook you will present copies of work by the artist you are emulating, the images you took and a paragraph on what you learned, noticed and experienced in this exercise. You will also provide a one-paragraph biography of the artist you emulated. Follow your vision, your inspiration and share this journey with us in your notebook."

I spent a few mornings photographing with the intent to do it how a "real photographer" would photograph. My efforts can be seen here:
Part I
Part II

Well, I still have a lot to learn! I'll give it a try a little later. Revisit this site later, and I'll hopefully have an update!

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