Re: Pictorialism Exhibition Opportunity

Sandy,

Thanks again for your email.

It is nice to meet someone who has been involved with NPS. Perhaps you know
Ernie Theisen. Ern has been my link to former participants of the
organization and he has been instrumental in handing the baton to me.

I will collect my thoughts and then try to formulate an answer to your Big
Question: What does the term "Pictorial" mean?

Best regards,

Jim Flack

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: Pictorialism Exhibition Opportunity

> Hi Jim,
>
> Thanks for your reply. I was a member of this organization for
> several years and published an article in its journal on the Spanish
> Pictorialist Jose Ortiz-Echague, when the editor was Russ Young. In
> fact, I think I may even have been some kind of officer in the
> organization just before it became inactive.
>
> I wish you well in your work with the organization. Other the
> exhibition, what others ways do you envision promoting Pictorialism?
>
> Just curious if the organization has any kind of statement that
> describes what the term "Pictorial" means, and what it includes and
> excludes? If so I wonder if you might might share the statement with
> us. As someone who has spent a lot of time studying and writing about
> Pictorialism I for one would be most interested in an exchange of
> ideas on the subject.
>
> Sandy King
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >Sandy,
> >
> >Thank you for your question. The New Pictorialist Society was founded in
> >1967 and is incorporated as a Non-Profit Corporation. The organization
> >exists to promote the understanding, appreciation and practice of
Pictorial
> >Photography. The roots of Pictorialism extend back to the 19th century.
> >Indeed, Fox Talbot pursued the invention of photography as a means of his
> >own pictorial expression. As the processes improved and Kodakers
abounded,
> >photo-artists banded together to encourage each other's photographic
> >expression and to set themselves apart from the snap-shooters. Alfred
> >Stieglitz, Clarence White, the Linked Ring, etc., were motive forces in
the
> >late 19th and early 20th century working to establish Photography as
among
> >the fine arts.
> >
> >Modernism, abstractionism and the pursuit of scientific perfection, among
> >other forces in the 1930's, gave rise to the misguided term "straight
> >photography" and those photographers of the F-64 ilk were vociferous in
> >denouncing Pictorialism as not a legitimate style of photography. It is
> >unfortunate that pictorialism was so undermined but, fortunately, there
are
> >still photographers today who continue to work in the Pictorialist style.
> >The New Pictorialist Society is a resource to encourage their work. The
> >organization was quite active throughout the 1970's and 1980's but the
costs
> >of publishing newsletters and serving a world-wide community could not be
> >sustained and the organization reduced its formal activities in the early
> >1990's. Now, with the Internet and desk-top publishing, The New
> >Pictorialist Society is being re-energized.
> >
> >It was interesting to read people's comments about the high cost of
paying
> >to be in a Gallery show. The NPS sponsored Gallery Exhibit is a good
> >example of how NPS as a non-profit corporation can serve the community.
We
> >have selected a venue that has been made available as a promotion for the
> >gallery. The only cost to exhibit, if selected, is 20 bucks paid to NPS,
> >not the gallery. The NPS will promote the exhibit and encourage sales
and
> >will only take 20% of actual proceeds to process the transaction. The
catch
> >is that this is a Pictorialism Exhibition. Although pictorialists used
gum
> >bichromate, platinum, bromoil, carbon and many other "control" techniques
to
> >achieve the Pictorialist image, not all gum bichromate, platinum,
bromoil,
> >carbon or other control process is automatically a pictorial image. Some
> >folks like merlot and some folks like white zinfandel. We are
> >Pictorialists.
> >
> >We believe one important feature of a Pictorial image is the personal
> >involvement by the Photo-Artist in creating the final image. Often this
> >goes well beyond dodge-and-burn tactics of a silver-gelatin print and
makes
> >the resulting image truly one-of-a-kind that would not be easy to
duplicate,
> >much less mass produce. Isn't this a key ingredient in a work of Art.
> >
> >A photograph may be a picture but is it Pictorial? We hope many of you
> >consider exploring your portfolio, perhaps you'll find a Pictorial image
or
> >two that are candidates for this exhibit.
> >
> >Best regards,
> >
> >Jim Flack
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu>
> >To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> >Cc: <jfflack@pacbell.net>
> >Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 9:33 AM
> >Subject: Re: Pictorialism Exhibition Opportunity
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Could you please elaborate on The New Pictorialism Society? Is this a
> >> resurrection of a society by the same name that existed in the 70s
> >> and 80s and, as best I understand, became inactive or defunct in the
> >> early 90s?
> >>
> >> Sandy King
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >Many Alt-Photo workers are familiar with Photo Pictorialism and some
work
> >in
> >> >the Pictorialist style today.
> >> >
> >> >The New Pictorialist Society is sponsoring a gallery exhibit of
> >contemporary
> >> >photo-pictorialism entitled, "EXPRESSIVE IMAGES - INTIMATE
PHOTOGRAPHY".
> >> >This juried exhibition will celebrate the vision and skill of
> >contemporary
> >> >photo-pictorialists who are working in the timeless style which
> >established
> >> >photography among the fine arts of visual expression.
> >> >
> >> >The title of this exhibit conveys that these images reflect a
personal
> >> >expression by the artist in the style of Pictorialism and are
produced
> >> >through his/her intimate involvement with the photographic
image-making
> >> >process. Thus, the classic techniques, such as Bromoil, Gum
Bichromate,
> >> >Platinum/Palladium, Carbon, etc., are especially appreciated.
> >> >
> >> >The Gallery chosen for the exhibition is very well known to the
community
> >of
> >> >serious photography enthusiasts in Northern California. The exhibit
will
> >be
> >> >presented from April 15 to May 30, 2004. So, the application
deadline is
> >> >March 17. If you are interested in receiving application
information,
> >> >please email your request to: pictorialist@pacbell.net
> >>
Received on Fri Feb 6 16:05:47 2004