William Laven (wmlaven@platinotype.com)
Tue, 02 Feb 1999 10:12:51 -0800 (PST)
>"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...."
This is the story I heard from a friend of Terry Pitts (who manages
Sommer's collection in Tucson at the Center). The mentioned photo so
offended Steichen that he blackballed Sommer and many followed the
suggestion of Steichen to keep Sommer's work from exhibiting at the many
institutions where they had clout.
Many know the story of how Ansel "Friend of Photography?" Adams pretty much
squashed Mortenson's work from exihibtion.
This isn't to say Steichen and Adams didn't do other great things for
photography -- I'm not trying to start a foolish little war of "yeah, buts"
-- but that they, like us on the list, are humans and humans can be damned
fine at times and also damned petty.
Sommer was a fine photographer whose work with appropriated images and
found objects and text were not only incredibly moving, but incredibly
"ahead" of their time. Even his "straight" photos -- take a look at his
series of horizonless desert landscapes -- were in a class by themselves.
I'm glad the Times ran something. Sommer deserves that and more.
Bill
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