Hans Namuth
Hans Namuth | |
---|---|
East Hampton, New York , U.S. | |
Occupation | Photographer |
Hans Namuth (March 17, 1915 – October 13, 1990)
Namuth photographed many other painters such as Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, and Mark Rothko and architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson, and Louis Kahn. Namuth focused on his rapport with his subjects, getting many reclusive figures such as Clyfford Still to agree to be photographed. Namuth's work not only captured his subjects in their studios with their works, but also captured the relationship between photographer and subject as well as the subjects' levels of self-consciousness. Besides famous art figures, Namuth photographed the Mam people of Todos Santos, whose native lifestyles were being overrun by Western influences. Namuth died in a Long Island car crash in 1990.
Early life
Hans Namuth was born March 17, 1915, in
Namuth befriended many German expatriates in Paris, including photographer Georg Reisner. In 1935, Reisner invited Namuth to assist him with his studio in
With the conclusion of World War II, Namuth left the army, having been awarded the
Jackson Pollock
Hans Namuth was not initially interested in the work of Jackson Pollock, but was convinced by his teacher Alexey Brodovitch that Pollock was an important painter.[1] In July 1950, Namuth approached Pollock and asked to photograph the artist working in his studio. Pollock agreed, encouraged by his wife, Lee Krasner, who was aware of the importance of media coverage.[1] The resulting images helped to demystify Pollock's famous "drip" technique of painting, revealing it to be a deliberative process rather than a random splashing of paint.[4] They "helped transform Pollock from a talented, cranky loner into the first media-driven superstar of American contemporary art, the jeans-clad, chain-smoking poster boy of abstract expressionism," according to acclaimed culture critic Ferdinand Protzman.[5] Not satisfied with black and white stills, Namuth wanted to create a color film that managed to focus on Pollock and his painting at the same time, partially because he found more interest in Pollock's image than in his art.[6] His solution was to have Pollock paint on a large sheet of glass as Namuth filmed from underneath the work.[4][7] As Namuth could not afford professional lighting, the film was shot outside Pollock's Long Island home.[7] This documentary (co-produced with Paul Falkenberg) is considered one of the most influential for artists.[8]
In November 1950, Namuth and Pollock's relationship came to an abrupt conclusion. After coming in from the cold-weather shoot of the glass painting, Pollock, who had been treated in the 1930s for alcoholism,[7] poured himself a tumbler of bourbon whiskey after supposedly having been sober for two years.[6] An argument between Namuth and Pollock ensued with each calling the other a "phony", culminating in Pollock overturning a table of food and dinnerware in front of several guests.[6] From then on, Pollock reverted to a more figure-oriented style of painting, leading some to say that Namuth's sessions robbed Pollock of his rawness and made Pollock come to feel disingenuous about doing things for the camera that he had originally done spontaneously.[6] Art critic Jonathan Jones suggests that by filming Pollock, Namuth "broke the myth of trance" and by framing Pollock's work in the larger surrounding landscape, destroyed Pollock's view that his paintings were boundless.[7] Jeffrey Potter, a close friend of Pollock's, described Namuth as commanding, frequently telling Pollock when to start and stop painting.[9] According to Potter, Pollock "felt what was happening was phony."[7] Namuth himself describes Pollock as being "very nervous and very self-conscious" of the filming at the time, but less so when Pollock discussed it in a later interview.[2]
During his time with Pollock, Hans Namuth had created two films and captured more than 500 photographs of the artist.
Other artists
The popularity drawn from his work with Pollock helped Namuth gain access to other members of the abstract expressionist movement including Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko.[10] During the construction of de Kooning's studio over the years, Namuth photographed its progress as well as de Kooning's paintings from this period.[11] Namuth took an especially large number of photos of de Kooning's Reclining Man, possibly indicating the painting's importance to Namuth or de Kooning.[11] Namuth photographed many architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, and Louis Kahn.[12]
Later work
Namuth and his wife had first visited Guatemala in 1946 out of interest in his wife's native land[13] and Namuth photographed the native Mam people of Todos Santos.[14] Namuth returned in 1978 to survey the damage of an earthquake and was shocked to find the native customs of the Mam threatened by influences such as alcoholism.[15] Namuth published these black-and-white photos in his 1989 book, Los Todos Santeros, in an effort to catalog and preserve images of the town's population and customs.[15] He began to work regularly for Art News in 1979, producing 19 covers for the magazine over four years.[10] Namuth died in 1990 in a Long Island automobile accident not far from where Pollock had similarly died in a car crash.[10]
The full archive of Namuth's work is located at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which also manages the copyright of his work.[16]
Subject interaction and technique
Namuth found that the rapport he developed with his subjects was integral to making them feel comfortable being photographed while working.[10] While Namuth was known to be a technically skilled photographer, his sociable and outgoing personality contributed largely to his notability in the New York art scene.[5] Namuth was also persistent when persuading his subjects to agree to be photographed, including sculptor Joseph Cornell, who took two years to be convinced.[5] He generally managed to put his subject at ease well enough so that they could work naturally in their environments without any artificial stiffness.[17] Largely because of this, self-conscious artists such as Clyfford Still and Saul Steinberg agreed to be subjects for Namuth's photography.[12] However, critic Sarah Boxer suggests that it is difficult to view photos of such artists without considering the possibility that they were trying to gain fame in a manner similar to Pollock.[12] Though Namuth developed personal relationships with many of his subjects, art critic Hilton Kramer describes Namuth as "something of a hero worshiper."[18]
Namuth's photographs included objects related to his subjects, such as paint tubes, items from around their homes, and their works of art.[12] His photos also captured his own interactions with subjects, showing how comfortable they were at the time of shooting.[12] Some subjects, such as Frank Stella, seemed to be intoxicated with the idea of being photographed by Namuth,[12] while others, including Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg, ignored Namuth during their photo sessions.[12] Other photographs exude tension between photographer and subject, as if Namuth were an unwelcome guest in their workspace, as in the cases of artists Louise Nevelson and Jasper Johns.[12] Often, Namuth's subjects are uncomfortable in front of the camera, as were architects Eero Saarinen and Buckminster Fuller.[19] Almost all of Namuth's images of male artists, with the notable exception of Pollock, appear to be taking contemplative or otherwise self-absorbed poses.[20]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Carr, Carolyn Kinder. "Hans Namuth: Portraits". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved August 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Cummings, Paul (September 8, 1971). "Interview with Hans Namuth". Smithsonian. Archives of American Art. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
- ^ Richard, Paul (June 6, 1974). "An Eye on the Artists: Galleries". The Washington Post. p. B15.
- ^ JSTOR 776327.
- ^ a b c Protzman, Ferdinand (May 23, 1999). "The Photographer's Snap Judgment; When Hans Namuth Encountered the Superstars of Contemporary Art at Work, Something Clicked". The Washington Post. p. G06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Boxer, Sarah (December 15, 1998). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; The Photos That Changed Pollock's Life". The New York Times. p. E1. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Jones, Jonathan (December 15, 1996). "ARTS: Q: JACKSON POLLOCK CLAIMED HIS LIFE WAS WRECKED BY A FILM. SO HOW COME SO MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE A MOVIE OF HIS LIFE STORY?". The Observer. p. T8.
- ISBN 0-226-40649-0.
- Sydney Morning Herald. p. 26.
- ^ a b c d Myers, Chuck (July 1, 1999). "Hans Namuth's photos of great artists on view at National Portrait Gallery". Knight Ridder.
- ^ S2CID 191583674.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Boxer, Sarah (July 16, 1999). "PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW; Portraits of the Superstar Artists, Displaying Charity Toward None". The New York Times. p. E40. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- ^ Williams, Val (October 29, 1990). "Obituary: Hans Namuth". The Independent. p. 20.
- ^ Harrison, Helen A. (June 1, 2003). "ART REVIEWS; You Can't Drive This Car". The New York Times. p. 14LI-16. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- ^ a b McCabe, Eamonn (January 14, 1989). "Image Makers: The work of Hans Namuth". The Guardian.
- ^ http://www.creativephotography.org/documents/CCP_HN.pdf CCP's "Conditions for Publication of Photographs by Hans Namuth" (PDF file)
- ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (August 13, 1999). "Straight and Twisted Portraits". The Washington Post. p. N59.
- ^ Kramer, Hilton (December 31, 1981). "ART: PHOTOS OF ARTISTS BY HANS NAMUTH". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2007.
- New York Times. p. 16. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- ^ Jones, C. (1996), p.32.
External links
- Hans Namuth: Portraits – An exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
- A postcard by Namuth to artist Joseph Cornell
- Center for Creative Photography website