Alfred Stieglitz

Biography of Stieglitz seen here ...

Alfred Stieglitz    was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, 1864.  He was schooled as an engineer in Germany. He returned to New York in 1890 determined to prove photography as a medium capable of the same artistic expression as paintings and sculpture.

As the editor of Camera Notes he espoused his belief in the potential of the medium and published the work of photographers who shared his conviction.

He broke away in 1902 to form the 'photo secession'.. He was renowned for making pictures subtle and varied tonal range and the pictures achieved the desired affiliation with paintings.
Alfred edited Camera Work from 1902 - 1917 and organised exhibitions.
Stieglitz supported photographers and other modern American artists whilst aspiring to modern European Modernism.
His thinking finally began to shift and finally, photographs are as much an expression of the photographers feelings for the subject as they are a reflection of the subject depicted.

In the later stages of his life he devoted his time to running galleries.  He photographed less and when he did it was usually out of his gallery window of the city below.


Alfred Stieglitz .. The Eloquent Eye .. the new way of seeing watch this video .. ...

I have watched the video and made the following notes ..


WINTER ON FIFTH AVENUE

On Washington's Birthday in 1893, there was a blizzard in New York.. and it was whilst watching the commotion that Stieglitz wondered if he could capture what was happening by camera. The light was bad and the weather appalling.  He waited three hours for the above shot to produce itself, as the coach struggled with the snow he took the shot.  He was delighted and excited but others laughed and said it was all blurred and a poor image.

He had a new vision for the modern world, he wanted to teach others to 'SEE'.
The 1900 was a visual revolution. Stieglitz wanted to introduce avant garde shots.  He was a contradictory character, devoted to art and his own fame.

He was intensely human and searching for the truth was his obsession.