Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye
Review
Dir. Not available. Perf. Alfred Stieglitz. American Century, 2000. Film.
The documentary about Stieglitz introduces a new vision of photography in early 20th century. Father of modern American photography – Stieglitz - aimed at preparing his country for the upcoming century. The film tells about the Visual Revolution of 1900’s. At this time Stieglitz first introduced the avant-garde European artists to American society. Master himself is a complex and a contradictory personality. He is egotistical and fully devoted to inspiration. At the same time, he was the gentlest man, as stated by researchers. His devotion to art bordered on selflessness. Master says that he is American, and photography is his passion; the search for truth is his obsession. He was photographing mostly `in the streets of New York. Everything caught his eye; however, the truth was realistically sad - dirty streets, rag pickers, etc. His heart was in New York, with all the beauty of the city in its transition and greatness. Later he looks at New York as metropolis: a city of the future. During his early years, the idea was to push the possibilities of photography further. He especially liked experiments with tough weather and light conditions. In 1880’s, in Berlin he fell truly in love with photography, and never regretted it. Photographing in Austria and Italy, he got a nickname ‘crazy American’. He could do many things with camera not done before; for example, place it in darkness for recordings. He has always remained a rebellion to American society.
Before the turn of the century, Stieglitz was fighting for the place of American photography. Many impressionist photographers were using camera to make a living: only camera could truly reveal what it saw. Stieglitz’s art differed from pictorial photographers (for example, Brigman, White, Kasebier). His turning point in career came at the beginning of 20th century, when he met Steichen. Their collaboration on “Camera Works” and “Photos Secession” became internationally renowned. First in the history of photography, a salon opened on 5th Avenue. It exhibited masterpieces from Europe and America. Stieglitz was gathering around him creative and intelligent people (Duchamp, Anderson, and Dreiser) to form a circle of friends. They were a new generation of artists, who rebelled against the bourgeois and conventional norms. His big success was the entry of photography into American Fine Arts Museum, in 1911. He said: “Work is not an art, until not enough noise’s been made of it”. When the country joined in the War, Stieglitz met O’Keeffe, who greatly inspired him. Master made hundreds of pictures of isolated parts of her body for a portrait. He recorded different expressions and moods she was in. Master’s personal exhibition of his muse caused a sensation. O’Keeffe also was an outstanding painter. Her works were said to express a sexual energy, from abstractions to close-ups of flowers and fruits. Stieglitz’s photographs were said to have the hypnotism. However, in his darkest hour before his mother’s death, he started to photograph the clouds and landscape. With a dark place in his character, he has a similar place and a moment in his photos: beautiful, sad, and lonely. When he became challenged by precisionists, Stieglitz aimed at raising the spiritual life in America during the Machine Age and materialism.
The artist was alone in his effort and felt betrayed by his students. When his friend Steichen left him to become the highest paid photographer, he never forgave him. He was possessive of what he has created. Only in 1925, the circle of seven artists was formed (O’Keeffe, Demuth, Marin, Heatley, Strands, Dove, and Stieglitz). The Intimate Gallery opened. Stieglitz still followed his grandiose mission of establishing a new art in America.
Stieglitz: an individualist, with an eye for talent, and always in conflict with society. Towards the end of his years as photographer, master said that he felt inadequate to the responsibilities undertaken. He was a rebel, who refused to die and strived to achieve as much as possible. His vision was the freedom of artist and a true expression of art in American works. For this Stieglitz takes an important place in 20th century American culture and abroad.
