Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography

RSL

Hi all, I'm sure all the New Yorkers on Street & PJ know who Tod Pagageorge is, but for people who don't know, Tod was a close friend of Garry Winogrand (you all know who he is), and used to shoot on the streets along with Garry, Joel Meyerowitz, and Paul McDonough.

I just happened on Tod's book: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography. It's a fine piece of work for anybody interested in photography as an art form, and particularly in street photography. There's a great interview with Tod in which he reflects on his days on the street with Garry, and describes his own development as a photographer.

Tod reviews Eugene Atget's life and explains pretty thoroughly Atget's seminal contributions to photography. He also deals extensively with Cartier-Bresson, giving his opinion that HCB is "arguably the greatest photographer who's ever lived." You might not agree with that assessment, and I'd have to pause for a serious think before I'd agree, but he makes his case pretty well. He talks about the changes in Henri's photography when he stopped doing street photography and started doing photojournalism, a subject that's come up here a couple times.

Tod wrote poetry when he was in school, and he's the first photographer I've run across who's said what I've said many times; as Tod puts it: "...at their best, photography and poetry can share a near-blood relationship, easier to assert than to explain."

The book digs into the work of Brassaï, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand Josef Koudelka, and many other masters of street photography. If you're interested in street you'll love this book. Tod's a good writer as well as a good photographer.

michswiss

I'll look for it Russ. On a side note (and a little name dropping), I only found out recently that my family is one degree separated from Winogrand. It turns out a close family friend of my parents while I was growing up was a protege of Winogrand. They are still in frequent touch with him and he's still working as a documentary photog. It's possible that Todd Papageorge and my parent's friend are even acquainted. Small world and all that...

richardman

Book ordered. Thanks. I didn't know who he was, but somehow got his book "Passing Through Eden," probably due to a review in photoeye. Excellent (street) photographer.

RSL

I need to warn you all that when you read Tod's article on Atget, which is one of the first things in the book, you need a reasonably complete Atget book at hand. Several of the pictures Tod discusses aren't in Core Curriculum.

Angelo

Russ:

Have you seen our "Portrait in Pictures" threads?

Admittedly they never took off as I hoped but you seem like just the right person to energize discussions, at least on those 'togs you admire. We could expand the list of masters to suit you...


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RSL

Hi, Angelo. No, I hadn't seen it, but it looks like an interesting idea. As far as expanding the list, you might check the bibliography I posted on Street & PJ a while back: http://www.externalconnections.info/lula/NewBib.html. If there's a problem with the idea it's that since none of us knew these guys, we're operating from what we've seen of their work and what we've read about them. It still can be an interesting bunch of discussions.

Angelo

well yes. none of knew Lincoln but we discuss him and our interpretations of his affairs. same with the masters of photography

I'll read the bibliography

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Angelo

Russ, that's an impressive assemblage of books and a fine job of cataloging them in the bibliography.

We have a book review section here on the forum (click on "Photo Craft" in the top navigation bar)
I'm sure your input would be very much appreciated on any or all of the books in your list.