Painting and Photography

From Studio Matters

Somethings just happen on the right days.  This painting by John La Farge struck me as I skimmed over the Studio Matters site.  It is in:
In the Tonalist Mood: Paintings from the 1860s to the Present at Spanierman Gallery, 45 East 58th Street, 212-832-0208.  Maureen Mullarkey's review ( A voice and taste I trust) fills the void I have for this movement in 19th Century art. These paintings have a richness I pursue in my own work.  The beauty of living near NYC is being able to see these works in person.  I will make the trip to Spanierman Gallery soon.
I work with a number of photographers as their printer.  One whose work is very directly connected to the Aestheticism of the 19th century is Larry Lederman.  His recent show at the Four Seasons in New York featured these works that I believe have a strong relationship to Church and La Farge.

Sour Gum at Wave Hill

Katsura Willow, NYBG

Sycamore, NYBG

Gothic in New York

This is a favorite piece of mine.  The marble is especially beautiful.  I had recently been to Paris and was quite taken by the juxtaposition of old world and new world architecture.   I went looking for the closest example of old world that we have in New York and settled on St. Patrick's Cathedral.  This is the only view in which there is not a skyscraper in the background.  I have kept this one in my studio for myself, but now I am ready to share it with you.
Hidden on the website.

The Photograph as Object.

Portraits - Evening, 1903

Artists must represent their work in books and websites through pictures.  These pictures are just a representation. (Ceci n'est pas une pipe) This is particularly difficult when the work is a photograph to begin with.  The self-portrait, with wife, by Edward Steichen is one of my favorite photographs. It is being featured in the current Met exhibit Stieglitz, Steichen and Strand.  The photographs made by Steichen that are displayed there need to be seen in person.  They suffer greatly as images in catalogs or even expensive coffee table books.  This particular photograph starts as a platinum print, and then has a second emulsion of gum-bichromate placed on top.  Many of his early works were made in this manner.  These are special objects as well as images.  The show is up until April 10th.  If you're in New York, make the effort to see it.  These are the clearest examples of why photographs are more than half-tone images (printed pages).  I also like In Memoriam from 1901. I found it hard to believe how much more there was to the tonality of this print, whose image I had always admired in books.
Decanter is an original photograph on marble.  The emulsion is hand applied in the darkroom.  It suffers in this representation also.  I have reproduced this work as a giclee print, too.  The print is very beautiful, but it is a different work than the 12" square marble.   More people are decorating with, and collecting, photographs.  This exhibition, or any exhibition, where the original works are displayed is worth your time.