Page 31 - Studio-International-January-1974

the contemporary scene and he began to argue limitations.' attempting to achieve this end, he lost himself
back from a position of new-found confidence. With this, Emerson ceased to play any in trying to establish a relationship between art,
The debate stimulated by his views continued active part in the politics of the medium and nature and science — and he strayed into a
until December 1890 when, in a brave if withdrew unsold copies of 'Naturalistic wilderness of half-understood art history. It is
melodramatic gesture, he suddenly announced Photography' — replacing them later with a new ironic that in making his major thesis — that
that he had been utterly wrong. 'A great painter', edition to which he added a chapter photography had gone astray in becoming an
whom he refused to identify (possibly James `Photography — Not Art'. But despite his own imitation of painting — Emerson advocated a
McNeill Whistler), had convinced him that he renunciation he could not change the similar course of action himself, simply
was in error. In a gesture typical of his earlier excitement that his fresh thinking and ideals rejecting one school of painting for another.
pronouncements, he produced a black-edged had brought to photography. By producing However, through this confusion his clear
pamphlet 'The Death of Naturalistic work of this kind when the medium was thinking on the fundamental strength of
Photography' in which he explained: 'the stagnating he created a minor revolution, and in photography appears time and again. It is this
limitations of photography are so great that, proclaiming that photographic art and reality influence on the medium that is of importance,
though the results may and sometimes do give could not be separated this had far-reaching and for this that he should be remembered. q
a certain aesthetic pleasure, the medium must effects. But for all his sincerity, Emerson was PETER TURNER
always rank the lowest of all the arts . . . No both dogmatic and, apparently, confused. The
differential analysis can be made, no subduing main stream of his thinking was simple and
of parts, no emphasis — save by dodging, and direct: to establish photography as an
that is not pure photography. Impure independent art form by stressing the qualities
photography is merely a confession of that make it unique. Unfortunately, in

1886

1886
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