"A maximum of detail with a maximum of simplification" When Heroes Meet

Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash

I study masters of photography much as a young person might look at Marvel Super Heroes.  Each one individually is amazingly powerful, with their own super power and approach to the world around them. But when two of these super heroes come into contact with one another.....wow! Now you have something resembling legendary!

I have the notes of just one such encounter.  This involved Eduard Weston and Alfred Stieglitz.  Let me begin by introducing them for those who may now know what these gentlemen were and why they matter to us today...

Edward Weston (1886-1958) was a prominent American photographer known for his pioneering work and artistic vision. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, Weston's passion for photography emerged in his teenage years and led him to become one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He experimented with various genres, including landscapes, portraits, and close-up studies, exploring the essence of his subjects through meticulous compositions and precise lighting. Weston's mastery of form, texture, and abstraction revolutionized the medium, leaving a lasting impact on the art of photography. His work continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.

Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) stands as a seminal figure in the history of photography, renowned for his groundbreaking work and profound influence on the medium. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Stieglitz developed a passion for photography at an early age. He was instrumental in elevating photography to the status of fine art and played a pivotal role in the recognition of photography as a legitimate artistic form.

Stieglitz championed the idea that photography was a means of personal expression, going beyond mere documentation. Through his iconic images, he sought to capture the essence of his subjects and evoke emotional responses. He founded the Photo-Secession movement in 1902, which aimed to promote photography as an art form and encourage creative exploration. Stieglitz also established the influential publication Camera Work, which showcased the work of pioneering photographers.

With his masterful use of light, composition, and depth, Stieglitz revolutionized photographic aesthetics. He embraced both pictorialism and modernism, constantly pushing the boundaries of the medium. Stieglitz's legacy is marked by his profound impact on shaping photography as an art, inspiring generations of photographers to embrace its expressive potential and redefine the boundaries of the visual language.

So what happens when these two towers of men meet up?  The following line described their interaction, according to Edward Weston....
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"A maximum of detail with a maximum of simplification" summed up his view of Stieglitz attitude towards photography.  But here is where the usually overpowering Stieglitz found his match in the diminutive Weston. You see, Stieglitz would roll over people with his vision of photography and art, he would rip into monologue after monologue rarely letting anyone else speak.  And most were happy to hear him speak.  Then he would turn to the photographs that the audience brought and would rip them apart.

With rare exception he would latch onto a detail, a wrinkle, a tuff of hair and would demand better.  For "Nothing must be unconsidered, their must be a complete release".  With such blanket statements and hurried speech, no one would challenge and there was his super power. His vision, and his unwillingness to compromise made him THE force of Photography in its first century. 

I saw photographer after photographer work to appease him, to gain his respect that I assumed it was universal.  Then I read Edward Weston's interaction with him where Edward states "In my enthusiasm I do not accept Stieglitz as an infallible master, nor would he want me to."  Stieglitz told him "friends made me out a god, when all I asked was to be treated as a human being, then turned on me the I couldn't be all they asked and 291 closed.".  But Stieglitz never wanted to be taken as an equal. He wanted to have the final word. His love interests and friendships rose and fell based on their willingness to adore him.

But Edward had a super power of his own.  Edward knew where he was in his photographic journey..."I took my work to show Stieglitz. He laid it open to attack, and then discarded print after print, prints I loved. Yet I am happy, for I gained in strength, in fact strengthened my own opinion. I was ripe to change, was changing, yes changed, when I went to New York. I had shown my portfolio of photographs all over New York, and had been showered with praise which meant very little to me, for all the time I knew that I was showing my past.". 

Stieglitz vision and ego were countered by a man who was sure....not sure of where he was as a photographer but very sure of where he was going. He viewed his art in terms of time, and knew that hew as already onto the next phase of growth. So to critique works that represented an old phase of growth was of little value to him.  

But Stieglitz power was strong enough to influence Edward a little. But for ever more, Edward would comment on other photographers such as Paul Strand and how they were over influenced by Stieglitz. 

Two Super Heroes faced off, and both changed the other slightly but neither can claim the victory.