RE: EW

The name of Morley Baer came up here. Some years ago he and I would get up
many mornings shortly after sunrise and take our cameras out for a ride in
his truck. He was never bitter but he related the many incidents of
anti-Semitism he endured as an architectural photographer. The photography
lesson I learned from him is contained in one word that he encouraged me to
study as the key to photography: LIGHT. For those who might also care about
the influences of Ansel Adams let me direct you to the January 2005 issue of
Art In America for how the senior Alfred Stiegletz influenced the much
younger Ansel Adams. Joachim

-----Original Message-----
From: Christina Z. Anderson [mailto:zphoto@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:57 AM
To: Alt list
Subject: Re: EW

Steve,
I certainly don't rip on him. I devote one whole lecture on EW every
beginning photo class I teach. Whether I like his nude work or not--some I
love, some I don't-- he was incredibly influential to the field. I
personally find his peppers more erotic than his nudes. Not that nudes have
to be erotic to be good, though, of course.

ArtNews or Art in America (i get both) does an article every year of
underrated/overrated artists. I always appreciate this article's
perspective, whether I agree or not. Jeff Koons and Georgia O'Keeffe were
two on the overrated list this time. I agree with the former, not the
latter.

Of course, logically, the only artists that will be labeled "overrated" are
those that are talked about a lot. Whether EW is talked about a lot or too
much is the question, as it is with Adams. Both are talked about a lot, and
in my book, deserve it.

I am all for talking about underrated photographers, too. Now that could
start a whole nuther discussion.
Chris

>I don't understand why Judy and others choose to rip Edward Weston.
> He has a passion for photography, and only offered advice when he was
> asked.
> He was best known, by those of the now dead, God rest the soul of Frances
> Baer who died last year. She was his housekeeper, friend and wife of an
> admirer, her husband Morely Baer.
> She said she'd always remember him for his Sundays. He's open his studio,
> put one photograph on an easil, bres a pot of tea and entertain visitors.
> Rarely would he talk about the picture, and his prices were always
> affordable so the most people could own one.
> His grandson Kim was surprised, and revealed that EW only made 25 prints
> of his most called for picture, Pepper #40. Otherwise, he made very few.
> the end
> S. Shapiro, Carmel, CA
Received on Mon Jan 10 11:41:39 2005