Re: Phil Davis
Thanks Sam for posting this. And thanks to Sam, I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Phil Davis at his home a few years ago. Phil was delightful to talk to and he showed us a number of his prints. I might add that he was playing with Photoshop on a computer when we arrived. Martha, his delightful wife, fed us some wonderful oatmeal cookies all afternoon and even sent a bag of them home with us. Phil's book, Beyond the Zone System, was brilliant. I have a dog eared copy in the other room. I know he had quite an effect on the work of thousands of photographers. Phil was also a great friend and mentor to Dick Arentz. I was honored to have Phil read my book on PDN for technical accuracy prior to publishing it. I remember telling Dick Arentz that I was sending a manuscript of the book to Phil to read. Dick said "Oh my gosh, you didn't do that did you? Phil hates digital!" hehehehe I later spoke with Phil by phone and he enjoyed the book and was intrigued by it. He was a delightful man to talk to. We'll miss him and his genius. Best Wishes, Mark Nelson Precision Digital Negatives - The System PDNPrint Forum at Yahoo Groups www.MarkINelsonPhoto.com In a message dated 7/3/07 10:37:54 PM, stwang@bellsouth.net writes: I've just received word that Phil Davis passed away at his home in Webster Township, Michigan yesterday, July 2. Retired from the University of Michigan as Professor of Art in 1985, Phil was best known to the photography community for his photography text books as well as his Beyond The Zone System books and workshops. Tremendously generous and intelligent, he has taught so many of us not just how to practice photography but also how to live. As one of the early "alt" process users, Phil received two Horace H. Rackham Foundation grants, in 1967 and in 1974 for investigation of historical photographic processes. He was known to have used a rusty nail to coat platinum to prove false the old belief that metal ferrule would ruin platinum. He did extensive research before printing a limited edition of platinum prints from noted cinematographer Karl Struss' original glass negatives. His work is represented in numerous public and private collections, including those of the Detroit Art Institute, Chicago Art Institute, International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House, and the Museum of Modern Art. He will be missed. Sam Wang ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. |