Photographer focus - Paul Strand

I picked up an old copy of 'Aperture' this week. It is a special edition devoted to American Photographer Paul Strand, printed shortly after his death in 1994.

I wasn't familiar with Paul's work before, nor his story but the read quickly captivates.

Im not going to get into his story, as interesting as it is but I want to talk a little about his work. The first thing that strikes me is the excellence of the printing, the developing process too seems to have been graced with painful perfectionism. The exposures, the tonal range and balance are some of the best I have seen. From reading through I find this justified as the author explains Paul's lust for the perfect print, his scrutiny and reprinting habits tied firmly to his pursuit of the 'excellent' print. There is a particular brilliance to his portraits of people with deep black skin, the tones are wonderful with dainty highlights shaping the faces and offering lovely skin textures. There is a wonderful series taken of cottage life in the Hebrides and a set of noble portraits and architectural images from Morocco.

As I scan the plates, I feel tension, a few lovely portraits go by, a few graceful landscapes. Then, a somewhat awkward Image seems to invade the series. One in particular sticks in my mind, a shot of a ruined French Church taken not far from his final home in Orgeval. The framing is off, by some margin, the horizontals  and verticals are off and this leaves me a little uncomfortable. The composition isn't especially smart, in fact quite dull. So what is it about thus image that shows Pauls mark? why is this a published piece? I can only guess its the story, a war torn church in post war France, the clock tower face sat mid frame on the floor, frozen in time… the time the bomb hit?

The next photograph, a simple shot taken of the edge of some woodland with a low bush lining the lower third.  There is a focal point, a grave marker, a cross which is barely visible in the shadow of the tree. What is to look at? what is to admire? well to most eyes, nothing. Was he teasing us? that is my first feeling. I felt that someone so established can sometimes just shoot the ultimate vernacular and get away with it, maybe its a right of passage.

Paul leaves me admiring but also puzzled, asking questions and that just may have been his intention.

Aperture - Paul Strand

Publisher - Aperture Foundation 1994