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Author Topic: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography  (Read 2407 times)

RSL

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Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« on: November 14, 2011, 03:18:29 pm »

Hi all, I put this on Street & PJ a couple days ago, but it strikes me that it's worth putting it on LuLa too.

I'm sure all the New Yorkers on LuLa 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. You should have a pretty complete Atget book at hand when you read this part because some of the pictures Tod talks about aren't in Core Curriculum. 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 I've mentioned 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.
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Kirk Gittings

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2011, 04:18:54 pm »

Rob, Thanks for the heads up. You probably didn't intend this, but you make it look like TP is known for who he was friends with! For me personally I have known of his fabulous work for 40 years and never knew who a single one of his friends were! :)
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Kirk Gittings

RSL

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2011, 05:32:53 pm »

Kirk, Yes, Tod's a marvelous photographer in his own right, but he always gets connected with Winogrand.

Best,

Russ
« Last Edit: November 14, 2011, 05:42:09 pm by RSL »
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Kirk Gittings

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2011, 05:47:47 pm »

He did some visiting professor gigs at the school I went to, the University of New Mexico, he had high profile one man shows and group shows etc. there and was talked about often in class by Beumont Newhall. What I am saying is that he had his own sterling career and that his career was not in the shadow of Winogrand. TP is a hugely important figure in photo education-he became a force in the lives of countless students, many of whom have gone on to become eminent artists and teachers themselves, among them Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Abelardo Morell, Gregory Crewdson, An-My L, Anna Gaskell, and Katy Grannan.

Yes they were both street photographers in New York and good friends and went shooting together, but TP's career is not defined by his friendship with Winogrand. His career is defined by his own considerable success.
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Kirk Gittings

RSL

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2011, 07:12:28 pm »

...but TP's career is not defined by his friendship with Winogrand.

Right, Kirk, but if you check back you'll see I never implied that it was.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2011, 08:13:24 pm »

I too have admired Tod's and Winogrand's work for a long time (yes, I do like some photography other than landscape or abstract), but I never connected the two of them either.

I will look up Tod's book. Thanks for the heads up.

Eric
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OnyimBob

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2011, 12:13:31 am »

Do you have any suggestions for a book on Atget's work? He's been on my list of "to get" for too long now.
I've just ordered Core Curriculum so something on Atget as well would be a good gift to give myself.
Bob
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RSL

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2011, 11:01:08 am »

Bob, The books Tod uses as reference are a four volume set: The Work of Atget, Museum of Modern Art. Unfortunately these aren't in my library, they're out of print, and, looking on the web, I can see that acquiring the set -- at least in fine condition -- is beyond my current budget. Also unfortunately, I'm in Florida for the winter and my Atget books are in Colorado with the majority of my photography library, so I'm not sure I have the photographs Tod's using as examples. In Colorado I have several books of Atget's photographs. Top of my own collection is The World of Atget by Berenice Abbott. It's out of print too, but you can get a used copy from Amazon for not too much money. On the other hand there's a plethora of Atget books out there. You might want to check a good used book store. That's where I got almost all my Atget books.
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OnyimBob

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Re: Tod Pagageorge: Core Curriculum, Writings on Photography
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2011, 09:00:59 pm »

Thanks Russ - recently watched a documentary about Berenice Abbot and Atget so I'll try to get a copy of her book.
Bob.
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