From: Ross Chambers (maelduin@ozemail.com.au)
Date: 09/29/02-01:00:53 AM Z
Shannon wrote, amongst other points:
<< From what I've read about this book, Evans was not always comfortable
with what Agee wrote. For example, Agee had a serious crush on one
of the young women they were living with and photographing, and he
talked about her in a rather lascivious way in the book.>>
There is a new and handsome edn. of the book published by Violette Editions,
London, I read it after reading a paper discussing James Joyce's influence
on "Let Us Praise Famous Men' , particularly that of the "Ithaca" chapter of
"Ulysses" which is remarkable for its dry objectivity and relentless
rationality. However, apart from a delicate exercise in gazing between Agee
and 10 yo Louise Gudger, which follows a passionate chapter on the damage
inflicted upon children of this place and time by a very poor educational
system, and a frankly told day or so of nonspecific carnal lust (such as
might be found in a prisoner or sailor, Agee was a long way and time form
home) there is no particular lasciviousness.
<<Also, while the people were away working, he went through their drawers
and things. Evans thought this was an invasion of their privacy, and I
agree.>>
He does describe the houses, inside and out, down to the last rusty nail.
His politics are something approaching communism, and the original
commission from "Fortune" was retracted. He doesn't say what Walker Evans
thought about that. His approach was certainly tendentious; rightly or
wrongly (probably the latter) he sought change by exposure of the bitter
lives of these folk.
<<Also, it seems that the people consented to be photographed because
they thought the photographs would draw attention to their problems,
and cause somebody to do something about their poverty. Indirectly
this did happen, eventually, but they expected more help personally
than they got.>>
I haven't seen the first edition of the book, but the recent one has all the
Evans photographs in the front, with no identifications. I note today that
quite a few of them are of people other than Agee's subjects.
I'll try to find the "Dustbowl Descent" book, and Thom's recommendation with
the very long title, for now it's an interesting
text and photograph collaboration to ponder.
My apologies for a subject off the list syllabus--I did see some bromoil
prints today in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, by Sydney photographers
of the 1920s - 1930s.
Kind regards - Ross
===========================
Ross Chambers
Sydney NSW
Australia
maelduin@ozemail.com.au
===========================
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