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Author Topic: Manet and Street Photography  (Read 1305 times)

John R

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Manet and Street Photography
« on: December 10, 2019, 10:28:31 pm »

Just found this really interesting video on the connection between Manet, the painter, and street photography. At first I thought it would be a dry piece on the life of Manet, but between the excellent narrative, the music and paintings, the video really has good pace and captures your interest. I always thought Manet was an impressionist, but in the video, he is portrayed as a painter of Modern and street life. According to the narrator, Manet and his poet friend, Baudelaire, are the precursors to street photography. But not in a technical way, but as regards capturing street and modern life.  If nothing else, you will see great paintings and learn about painting and street life in Paris of the mid 1800's. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApRv3jEFxsU
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Peter McLennan

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2019, 01:21:38 pm »

Excellent, John.  A good find. Enjoyable to watch and instructive. Thanks!
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RSL

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2019, 02:16:54 pm »

Absolutely wonderful, John. Anybody with a desire to do street photography, or thinks he’s doing street photography should see this presentation. Anderson understands what makes street photography different from a simple depiction of what’s before you. As he points out, what really matters in street painting or street photography isn’t sight; it’s insight. He’s right. Manet began the move toward street, but was accompanied by Degas and a few others of the same period. When the small camera came along, their work culminated in Cartier-Bresson and his successors. If you don’t understand what Anderson is saying in this 30 minute film, you aren’t ready to do street photography.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2019, 07:18:15 pm »

I finally took the time to watch this, and I must agree: This is probably the best introduction to Street Photography I've ever seen.
As Russ said: Absolutely wonderful. Thanks for the link, John.
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Rob C

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2019, 04:55:33 am »

Absolutely wonderful, John. Anybody with a desire to do street photography, or thinks he’s doing street photography should see this presentation. Anderson understands what makes street photography different from a simple depiction of what’s before you. As he points out, what really matters in street painting or street photography isn’t sight; it’s insight. He’s right. Manet began the move toward street, but was accompanied by Degas and a few others of the same period. When the small camera came along, their work culminated in Cartier-Bresson and his successors. If you don’t understand what Anderson is saying in this 30 minute film, you aren’t ready to do street photography.


And how it's been subverted, too.

I believe that the problem is that from catching "insights" of our fellow beings, as it were, it's turned into confrontation, with the objective often being an attempted demonstration of the photographer's daring. Two different beasts.

It's perhaps why I find street "art" more interesting - and certainly more in line with the kind of street work I acually do, when I do, which isn't very often. It is also one of the ways in which Lindbergh, for one, managed to make his street fashion interesting: he focussed on facial expressions and gestures - check out the rich Linda Evangelista catalogue with him - which made the entre picture look alive. (How sad having to refer to him in the past tense.)

Drifting to the latest link to him that I posted, his remark that a laughing face tells you absolutely nothing about character is so true: it's the perfect mask. I think this applies to street as well.

Rob

RSL

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2019, 08:11:27 am »

I’m not sure it’s as much subversion as it is just plain ignorance, Rob. People rush out to do what they think is street photography without bothering to learn what it really is. Considering the fact that the name itself is a misnomer that’s not too hard to understand. Anderson also pointed out another problem: Manet, Degas and the others caught their subjects with a glance, and then in privacy painted the essence of what they saw – an image in their minds as well as in the flesh. As you, of all people, are aware, you can’t do that with a camera. What’s there in the flesh is what ends up in the image. It’s a hell of a lot harder to do good street with a camera than it is to do it with your memory. Imagine this picture of mine done by Degas in the style of his “L'Absinthe.” There’d be overtones that the camera simply can’t grab.
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petermfiore

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2019, 08:22:17 am »

Check out this post for some photographs by Degas...https://www.konbini.com/en/inspiration/edgar-degas-photography/

I have always liked his statement on his approach to subjects. "I paint as I look and observe through a keyhole". Paraphrased!



Peter
« Last Edit: December 12, 2019, 02:49:39 pm by petermfiore »
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RSL

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2019, 09:36:52 am »

Great stuff, Peter. And here's more on the same subject: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frame_maker/4835655383

There's a mention of Edward Hopper in that post. Hopper was into street (painting) in a big way, and a lot of his stuff reaches far below the surface. "Nighthawks" is a demonstration of what street should be.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2019, 11:25:41 am by RSL »
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petermfiore

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2019, 09:00:16 am »

Check out this post for some photographs by Degas...https://www.konbini.com/en/inspiration/edgar-degas-photography/

I have always liked his statement on his approach to subjects. "I paint as I look and observe through a keyhole". Paraphrased!



Peter

Also Degas. A most welcomed influence on a very young me. His seemingly casual compositions are stunning and are camera based. He did photograph, for a brief time, his subjects.

The graphic quality of his mature work was greatly influenced by both the influx of Japanese Woodblock prints, and the camera. Not just Degas, many of the late 19th century artists took that nod.

Peter
« Last Edit: December 22, 2019, 09:44:59 am by petermfiore »
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RSL

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2019, 10:33:14 am »

Thanks, Peter. Degas and Hopper are my all-time favorites. By the way, if you've never run through The Great Courses course: "From Monet to Van Gogh. A History of Impressionism," you might want to give it a shot. I think you'd enjoy it.
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petermfiore

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2019, 10:41:46 am »

Thanks, Peter. Degas and Hopper are my all-time favorites. By the way, if you've never run through The Great Courses course: "From Monet to Van Gogh. A History of Impressionism," you might want to give it a shot. I think you'd enjoy it.

Merry Christmas Russ, and thank you. I have it and watched it with my kids. My kids gave me that set for Christmas awhile back, when they were in single digits. I miss those days.

Peter

RSL

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2019, 10:47:27 am »

Merry Christmas to you too, Peter. Glad to hear you've seen that one. Through a fluke I once had three copies. Gave one away to a local artist. Now all I can find is one copy. Thinking about it makes me think I'll run back through it again. It was fascinating stuff.
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Rob C

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Re: Manet and Street Photography
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2019, 03:11:33 pm »

I recorded a show from the tv a couple of years ago, about artists and the French Riviera; it covers two hour-long sessions and I thought I'd play it again for the umpteenth time a couple of nights back, but now I can't get the tv and video/cd/dvd players to speak with one another. Must be Christmas to blame.

Add that to the fact that the tv sound seems to be getting worse, and none of the various sound settings makes a positive difference, and I see a fresh visit from the guru may be forced upon me. Zap goes more pension! Or it's my ears this time. Where is a granddaughter when one needs one?

:-)

Rob
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