Wednesday, August 22, 2007

In the White

Minor White (1908-76) was one of the greatest American photographers of the period after the Second World War as well as one of the greatest teachers of the medium. One of the best-known names in photography until the end of the 1970s, his life and work has since then virtually dropped out of photographic discourse. Probably for many younger photographers his name means little or nothing.

White was a deeply religious man whose whole life was a spiritual journey. His photography arose out of this and was an inherent part of this pilgrimage. It isn't an approach that has been fashionable in academic circles in recent years.

His legacy to photography has been an important one, but not without its negative aspects, which in recent years have perhaps been encouraged to obscure his great achievements. It is unfair to tar him with the brush of those lesser talents who followed some of the more superficial aspects of his teaching while failing to follow its main thrust, the need to find yourself.

White was a truly great teacher, but one who tended to overpower his students, turning out too many who mimicked his methods but with little real understanding or talent. There are plenty still around, taking out their view cameras as he did and justifying their technically perfect but spiritually empty landscapes and still life with the doctrine of self-expression.

As well as his photography and teaching, White's other vital legacy to photography is the magazine 'Aperture', which has done more than any other publication to improve the quality of photographic publishing in the last 50 years. It was founded by White, together with others including Nancy and Beaumont Newhall, Dorothea Lange, Barbara Morgan and Dody Warren in 1952, and White continued to edit it until 1975.

Aperture is still going strong (since 1963 it has been published by the non-profit corporation, Aperture, Inc) and remains the finest photographic magazine in publication. I've been a subscriber to this quarterly for many years and it now occupies several feet of shelve space in my front room. It isn't the sort of magazine that you read and then throw away, and many issues of the magazine have also appeared as books. Aperture is now the leading photographic book publisher and also publishes some fine limited editions of photographs and photogravures.

Later, in 1978, Aperture published 'Rites & Passages' in which White's pictures are accompanied by a lengthy biographical sketch by James Baker Hall, including lengthy excerpts from White's own writing. As a view of his pictures it was disappointing only when compared to 'Mirrors Messages Manifestations', since it contains much of his best work. Hall's text and the chronology included are the major source for most of the biographical information in this feature. Another fine book on White is 'Minor White: The Eye That Shapes' by Peter C Bunnell, published in 1989.

Descriptions abound of White's unconventional teaching methods, which alienated many of the students. There were some who felt they had come to learn photography and were upset to find they were expected to spend long times in relaxation exercises and meditation. Some assignments would involve activities such as simply standing on a street corner, watching. For most his methods were hard to take at first, but he was an imposing figure, very tall with striking and appropriately white hair that made, a prophet or guru. Those who stayed long enough usually came to admire him, and to take his ideas seriously.

For those who survived the initial shock of his methods, one of the major parts of his method were the field trips where he and the students would go out to photograph together. There was much to be learnt watching the way he worked with his 4x5" Sinar view camera in the field and it was also greatly instructive to see later how the prints they produced compared to his taken in the same place.

Workshops would involve pre-dawn body practice in the fields, vegetarian food, and camera projects such as 'What is your original face?' He aimed to make students aware of what they really felt about the pictures and their lives, asking them to question themselves and probing their responses.

It was a teaching method that was at odds with the normal methods of schools and also with the inhibitions of his mainly male students who were used to hiding their feelings even from themselves. Even many of those who came to benefit greatly from them often had a great deal of initial inhibition to overcome. For many it was a dramatic turning point in their lives; one militant atheist went on to found a Zen monastery.

A very receptive state of mind... not unlike a sheet of film itself - seemingly inert, yet so sensitive that a fraction of a second's exposure conceives a life in it.


essay by Peter Marshell


Coach Factory said...


Coach Factory said...


Coach Factory said...


oakleyses said...

uggs outlet, uggs on sale, ray ban sunglasses, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton, michael kors outlet online, oakley sunglasses wholesale, christian louboutin outlet, louis vuitton, uggs outlet, louis vuitton outlet, polo outlet, prada handbags, nike free, chanel handbags, longchamp outlet, michael kors outlet, replica watches, louis vuitton outlet, oakley sunglasses, michael kors outlet online, prada outlet, michael kors outlet online, longchamp outlet, burberry handbags, michael kors outlet, kate spade outlet, ray ban sunglasses, longchamp outlet, louis vuitton outlet, oakley sunglasses, nike air max, oakley sunglasses, replica watches, ugg boots, polo ralph lauren outlet online, ugg boots, gucci handbags, jordan shoes, cheap oakley sunglasses, michael kors outlet online, christian louboutin uk, burberry outlet, tory burch outlet, tiffany and co, christian louboutin shoes

oakleyses said...

michael kors, nike tn, ralph lauren uk, abercrombie and fitch uk, north face uk, ray ban pas cher, nike free uk, lululemon canada, michael kors, true religion jeans, coach outlet, coach outlet store online, hollister uk, sac longchamp pas cher, vans pas cher, nike blazer pas cher, louboutin pas cher, nike air max uk, michael kors pas cher, nike free run, nike air max uk, new balance, sac hermes, jordan pas cher, true religion outlet, replica handbags, nike roshe, longchamp pas cher, guess pas cher, true religion outlet, north face, polo ralph lauren, coach purses, hollister pas cher, oakley pas cher, timberland pas cher, air max, polo lacoste, nike air force, nike roshe run uk, burberry pas cher, converse pas cher, nike air max, sac vanessa bruno, mulberry uk, hogan outlet, michael kors outlet, true religion outlet, ray ban uk, kate spade

oakleyses said...

beats by dre, nfl jerseys, nike trainers uk, mcm handbags, lululemon, reebok outlet, valentino shoes, wedding dresses, nike roshe run, celine handbags, ghd hair, ferragamo shoes, mont blanc pens, louboutin, giuseppe zanotti outlet, new balance shoes, timberland boots, oakley, soccer shoes, nike air max, iphone 5s cases, nike huaraches, iphone 6 plus cases, herve leger, iphone 6s plus cases, p90x workout, babyliss, vans outlet, north face outlet, iphone cases, jimmy choo outlet, iphone 6 cases, s6 case, abercrombie and fitch, bottega veneta, north face outlet, hermes belt, longchamp uk, ralph lauren, chi flat iron, insanity workout, iphone 6s cases, ipad cases, baseball bats, mac cosmetics, instyler, hollister, soccer jerseys, asics running shoes, hollister clothing

oakleyses said...

doudoune moncler, pandora uk, moncler outlet, vans, converse outlet, montre pas cher, louis vuitton, moncler, moncler, canada goose, canada goose outlet, ugg uk, links of london, barbour uk, supra shoes, replica watches, lancel, nike air max, moncler, moncler, moncler outlet, coach outlet, wedding dresses, canada goose outlet, pandora jewelry, karen millen uk, ugg, marc jacobs, juicy couture outlet, converse, moncler uk, louis vuitton, ugg pas cher, swarovski, pandora jewelry, gucci, canada goose, canada goose uk, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, pandora charms, juicy couture outlet, louis vuitton, louis vuitton, ray ban, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, canada goose jackets, swarovski crystal, canada goose, hollister, thomas sabo, canada goose outlet, toms shoes