Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Mon, 01 Feb 1999 23:33:52 -0500 (EST)
The NY Times did come through with obit today, Monday, Feb 1. Showing
"Livia," a 1948 portrait and a portrait of the photographer by Jonathan
Clark, written by Margarett Loke, it gave an adequate rundown on the life
and work, & captured, I thought, the flavor of Sommer's disapprobation by
the photo authorities.
I quote in part:
"Several decades before the term 'post-modernism' was coined, Mr. Sommer
photographed his re-creations of other artists' work. An avid student of
art & philosophy who early on displayed a gift for drawing, he formed new
images out of lithographs by tearing parts of them off or slicing them up
or recombining bits and pieces.
"Mr. Sommer's critics in the 50s seemed particularly offended by a
photograph he had taken in 1939 of an amputated leg and foot. His
subjects in the 30s and 40s included dead animals, entrails and other
refuse in the desert near Prescott...."
Etc.
Judy
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