Blumenfeld

Casi se me pasa la exhibicion de Blumenfeld en Somerset House , menos mal que un articulo me la recordo, y alla me fui el sabado pasado.  Muy completa, la primera seccion Colour Revisited informa como se reprodujo el color a partir de las transparencias usadas en la epoca. El resto cubria todos sus periodos, el artistico en Europa , cuando se movia entre los circulos dadaistas y experimentaba con distintas tecnicas . Este video muestra mucho de este periodo, sus collages antinazistas e imagenes que no estaban en la exhibicion. Luego su primer periodo como fotografo de moda en Paris con la iconica foto en la torre Eiffel. Original to publication, donde mostraban fotos sin retocar que posteriormente fueron usadas como portadas. Aqui no podia faltar su archiconocida e imitadisima Doe Eye.  American Colour, con su original uso del color, escenificacion y  referencias a obras de arte europeas. Y finalmente su periodo en America con sus trabajos para Harper’s Bazaar y Vogue. Amerika nos transporta al periodo durant la II Guerra Mundial donde el apoyo a las tropas llego hasta Vogue con su "Women who serve" (en la portada del Harpers' Bazaar de 1943) o en el uso  del color.  La BBC emitio un documental sobre su vida "The man who shot beautiful women" del que se pueden ver los primeros minutos en este video.  Me quedo con un par de sus frases.

Era un aficionado, soy un aficionad y quiero seguir siendo un aficionado. Para mi un fotografo aficionado es al que le encanta tomar fotos, un alma libre que fotografia lo que le quiere, y le gusta lo que fotografia. Segun esa definicion yo soy un aficionado, y esa es la definicion que acepto.
 

El publico quiere calidad y belleza. Es el fotografo quien tiene que darselo aunque sea metiendolo de contrabando en la ilustracion sin que nadie lo note.

Saturday morning rushing around leaving home to see the Blumenfeld exhibition at Somerset House. Divided into 5 sections :  Colour Revisited  explains  the process taken to recreate the original transparency films  Kodachrome and EktaChrome as no colour photographic prints exist from them. Europe shows his 1930s work with the Dadaist movement and his experiments with veiled, solarised and shadow techniques as well as his return to them in the 1950s.  This video shows many of his this early work and collages which were not at the exhibition. Original to Publication, has the original transparencies not selected for publication in its raw state un-retouched. American Colour  reflects its kitsch staging, references to European painting like "Girl with a pearl earring" and unexpected use of colour. Finally,  Amerika  shows us his patriotic series during  1940s such as "Women who serve". More photos here and  here with a view of this exhibition when previously shown at the musee Nicephore Niepce. His influence can still be seen nowdays, like in this video for Channell cosmetics.
For a film on his life see "The man who shot beautiful women" .
I like this two phrases from him :

I was an amateur , I am an amateur , and I intend to stay an amateur. To me an amateur photographer is one who is in love with taking pictures, a free soul who can photograph what he likes and who likes what he photographs. By that definition I am an amateur, so that is the definition that I accept.

People really want quality and beauty. It is up to the photographer to give it to them, even if it has to be smuggled into the illustration when no one is looking.