Sunday 26 August 2012

Channeling Atget


An exhibition of the photographic work of Eugene Atget (1857-1927) commenced yesterday at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The images in the exhibition focus on small trades, shops, streets, ornaments, interiors, vehicles, gardens, and the River Seine. Sydney is the final city for this exhibition, having already visited Madrid, Rotterdam, and Paris. It shows until 4th November.

His general note is a lyrical understanding of the street, trained observation of it, special feeling for patina, eye for prevailing detail, over all of which is thrown a poetry which is not 'the poetry of the street', or 'the poetry of Paris', but the projection of Atget's person. Walker Evans, 1931



My two images here are the stairs up either side of the old tramway bridge, known as the 'Cutler Footway', which links Darlinghurst and Paddington.

10 comments:

Thérèse said...

Very inspiring.
Atget had such a way to focus on his subjects as the way you focused yourself on these stairs.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Love the sense of "presence" in that first photo! You can feel the many who have trod those stairs! Quite haunting! And love the darkened perspective in your second one!

Ann said...

I must get to that exhibition it sounds wonderful.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Have never heard of Atget but the exhibition seems like it might be worth going to .,, seems to have inspired you. That top shot does not a look like a place I would like the visit, the other with the way out on display is much less "scary".

biebkriebels said...

It is a beautiful exhibition, I have seen it in Rotterdam.

hamilton said...

Atget seems to be someone I would have modelled my photos after, but I was not familiar with him until now.
I love the gritty feel of that top photo.

Alan said...

I assumed that bottom photograph was from the exhibition... great shot, Julie.

Julie said...

*blush* , thank you, Alan. Actually, I took these photographs during a walk last Sunday, six days before seeing the Atget exhibition.

raf said...

Yes, I too, assumed the images were from the exhibition, but wasn't surprised to find that a certain flaneur took them.

Julie said...

Thank you, Raf. Most appreciated ...