Atget’s was a commercial photographer working in the 1890’sand early 1900’s in France. He started taking images as studies for artists, and later expanded his work to create basic visual records. It was not until his work was considered, posthumously, and through the response of other photographers, like Berenice Abbot, to his work, that his photography was considered for its artistic value, rather than simply as commercial work, As a result, his work experienced a significant revival, including the analysis of the works, as a whole, and separating the works into seven individual albums, through the research and interest of Molly Nesbit. As such it is interesting and significant to consider the features that make Atget’s work, especially his photography of shopfronts, and the perceptions, artistic choices, aesthetes, and foreground in those photos.
There are two prominent perceptions of Atget’s work. One school of thought, as purported by Abbot, is that these works are humble and commercial in nature, and so should be considered apart from any artistic movement in his images. They simply reflect the world, as Atget viewed it, in a “styleless” way. In contrast Levy, who was a known expert in photography, and among the first experts to actively consider photography art, considered his work “proto-surrealist” in style, asshewing the aesthetic, and instead working to capture a historical moment, rather than focusing in on a particular aesthetic mode.
One of the prominent features of Atget’s work is self-portrait in reflection, as seen in the image above. Atget never edited the reflection that he cast in shop windows from his photography, which places his work in the style of artistry, known as refletage. This means, essentially photography as a mirror, and increases the dimensions of the photography, by changing the depth of the image. According to Bradish, Atget included not only the reflection of his own image, but of other surfaces reflected in the glass store front as well, creating a rich second layer to his work. This is also artistically significant because of the duality that is created between what is reflected, and what is pictured. Abbott said that those who believed the inclusion of these reflections in his work were accidental needed to consider the unique vision of a photographer: “Seeing reflections is as natural for photographers as seeing shadows and the wonders of light. Reflections are mysterious and suggestive. They are a very legitimate montage effect in reality itself.” As such, it increases the styleless honesty of the work, which is indicative of Atget’s work.
Atget’s work has also come to be known as documentary photography because of its efforts to simply document life, as it occurred, rather than by aesthetic, as mentioned briefly previously. In the image above, Atget captured the shopfront of a Parisian brothel. This image is significant not only because of its style, but because it is one of Atget’s earliest shopfront images. In terms of documentary significance this picture tells the story of Parisian law regarding brothels, which stated that brothels could legally operate, but could not advertise with signage. As a result, the only marking feature they could use, to signify their purpose, was to enlarge the street numbers. The exaggerated number five, in the image above, demonstrates this historic moment . It serves to document the truth of the brothel; storefront in this era, without passing judgement or working to create a specific aesthetic.
This image also demonstrates the significance of the fact that Atget was a commercial photographer. This photograph was commissioned as part of a series of photographs that Atget was commissioned to take, in 1921. Andre Digimont specifically asked Atget to capture photos of prostitutes and brothels for a book. This highlights the fact that the subjects of Atget’s photographs were seldom of his own choosing. Rather, he captured images that he had been hired to capture, as they related to a specific project or purpose. This is part of the reason that the photographer may have avoided a particular artistic aesthetic.
Finally, some of the most interesting, or complex images were taken near the end of his career, beginning in roughly 1925. Images like the one below, broke with his general tradition to avoid the modern, and instead focus specifically on modern storefront windows, in department stores. These images were more “surrealist” than his previous works, and were a clear commentary on modern life. The contrast in the reflection between the more traditional architectural shapes in the reflection, and the “absurd” poses of mannequins in modern dress in the window were a significant commentary on how Paris was changing, especially as it related to urban life.
Overall, it is clear that Atget’s work was influenced by his unique point of view, as a photographer, by the work he was commissioned to complete as a commercial photographer, and his unique point of view as a Parisian citizen, witnessing the city’s change as it moved toward modernity.
Bibliography:
Bradish, B. (1995). Notes and Reviews F. Holland Day. History of Photography 19(3): 272.
Nesbit, M. (1993). Atget’s Seven Albums. New Haven: Yale University Press.
McFarlane, D. (2010). Photography at the Threshold: Atget, Benjamin and Surrealism. History of Photography 34(1): 17-28.
National Gallary of Art. (2016). Atget Art of Documentary Photography. 2 May 2016http://www.nga.gov/feature/atget/works_urban.shtm
Philadelphia Museum of Art. (2005) Looking at Atget. Past Exhibitions. 2 May 2016 http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/2005/88.html
