Page 91 - Studio International - March April 1975

into English. To write so much about through individual creativity throwing Photo-Secession, founded and edited the
architecture as an academic subject overboard all received cultural models world's finest journal of photography,
probably remains to the English and joyfully accepting the death of Camera Work and ran a gallery '291'
something of a mystery. The intellectual culture as a liberating phenomenon. He which exhibited the best photography to
climate in Italy, the violence of debate is endemically confuses culture with be seen either in Europe or America,
seen AT HOME as something bourgeois culture in whose decay he together with shows by Braque, Picasso,
artificially blown up, if not exotic. It plays such an integral part. We find Matisse and others then unknown in the
must be however partly due to this here a late version of Tart pour l'art' USA. Aside of this, Steiglitz was also a
climate of critical debate, as chaotic as it open this time to everybody. All seems photographer, one of the few to
may seem from outside, which so far has again possible, simple, painless, all completely transcend the limitations of
saved the centres of urban life from the struggles forgotten, a world without the medium and elevate it to
destructions of roadworks and the contradictions. Marinetti walking extraordinary heights. 'Alfred Steiglitz
building industry, which have ravaged the through paradise and whispering Photographer' is a catalogue of those of
British townscape in the last twenty years. Hollein's 'Alles ist Architektur . . . Alles his photographs presented to the
A book like `BOLOGNA: Politica e ist Arch . . Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and as
metodologia del restauro nei centri This book could have been a critical such it presents the most comprehensive
storici' by P. L. Cervellati and discussion of the achievements of a view of his work yet seen in book form.
R. Scanavini, illustrates the depth of Pichler as against the slick public- There is no space in this review to enter
analysis and the possibilities of relation operations of his epigons, the into a critical assessment of the
operation both on a political and apocalyptic visions of a Peintner as against photographs, nor any real need to
cultural level. A translation of this book the candid optimism of the consider the text matter which is simply
is overdue. The continuous analysis of Archigramers, the enlightened a brief biography and chronology. As a
historical centres which goes on in absurdities of Superstudio as against the catalogue, however, it is excellent,
various Italian universities has not only vulgar pomp of a Sottsass. If Branzi spanning the whole of Steiglitz's
resulted in the restoration of complex agrees that this book will hardly change productive life with particular reference
urban structures but forms furthermore the minds of many people, he being made to his portraits of his wife,
the basis of a new approach to the city, as underestimates the seductiveness of his Georgia O'Keefe, and his large series of
outlined by the work of Aldo Rossi and own message. Frustrated architects (to metaphorical images known as
others. whom this book seems dedicated) don't `Equivalents' — both significant not only
It is only against this background that need to change their minds to agree with when considering Steiglitz but also to the
the irrelevance of a book like his beautifying and harmless proposals. development of photography during this
`Architettura "radicale"' can be fully If he succeeds in exorcising their century. There is a great need for a
weighed. By going through the abundant ambitions from the nightmares of definitive work on Steiglitz, this is not it,
pictorial material you remain somewhat `cultural alpinism', they might very well but as an introduction to his photographs
mystified by the fact that only a quarter remain no less frustrated with the it serves well.
of the 120 illustrations can, with some outlook of cultural bricolage. • Producing a monograph on a
imagination, be associated at all with Leon Krier photographer is a difficult business,
architectural subjects. The title then particularly so when the work of the
sounds to you like an accident, as if it person concerned is not easily obtainable
was meant to read Arredamento from a single source. The obvious
`radicale'. Finally we also got in Italy an Folkus drawbacks in attempting a retrospective,
anthology of what Bruno Dardi called the drawing only on a single collection, can be
`Internationale of the picturesque'. It is a Alfred Steiglitz: seen in the book of Steiglitz. With
poor version of P. Cook's 'Experimental `Ben Shahn, Photographer' no such
Architecture' with a narcissistic fixation Photographer by Doris Bry. limitations were present. Shahn, better
on the Italian members of this 62 black and white illustrations. known for his paintings, used a camera to
eccentric Internationale. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. document the social traumas of the
bibliographical part (sixty pages long) is a $12.50 or £7.50. American Depression between the years
very careful documentation on Ben Shahn, 1935-1938 for the Farm Security
personalities and groups as divergent as Administration Project, and thus the
W. Pichler and Archigram, Superstudio Photographer, edited and introduced by greatest part of his work is still held by
and M. Peintner. It is difficult to see Margaret R. Weiss. 82 black and white the US Government in the Library of
anything common to them all but that illustrations. Da Capo Press. Congress. Despite this, and despite
(some against their own will) they have $10 or £5.00. Shahn's considerable ability, the book
been gathered in the same book. From the Picture Press appears curiously uneven. This weakness,
The text written by Navone and Edited by John Szarkowski. 96 pp, however, could be considered almost
Orlandoni as a final thesis at university, 90 black and white illustrations. commendable, for it arises from showing
only becomes interesting and critical in Museum of Modern Art, New York. a combination of his finest and most
the fourth and last chapter. It can be £2.75. memorable images together with those
summed up as how, why, where and which could be categorized as 'notes in
when a number of frustrated architects all Wisconsin Death Trip progress' — surely a more accurate and
over the world, but mainly in Italy (ie in By Michael Lesy. No page or plate historically more valuable assessment of
Florence) have, as if by supernatural numbers. an artist's worth than the bland and
interference, successfully turned their Allen Lane. £7.00. tightly edited versions of a life's work
back on architecture and succeeded in than we are normally given. Ben Shahn
making a living as designers, graphic The nature of photography is such that it was a better photographer than he was a
artists or activists in the art-world. The has suffered more than most visual media painter, a fact overlooked by his
field of 'radical' architecture is by its own from dilution and under-valuing. biographers, and this opportunity to view
consent no longer the building-site but Throughout its history however, there his work is therefore long overdue. If the
the art gallery. Andrea Branzi who have been those who have struggled to book suffers from certain editorial
introduces the book sees in this refusal a preserve and promote pure photography. weaknesses, it does have one overriding
way of overcoming rotten cultural Of these, the American, Alfred Steiglitz strength, in its presentation of Shahn's
models whereas the alternatives which must surely rate as the most important. A commitment to humanity — he once wrote
are his concern are themselves the best man of towering accomplishment, that 'it is the mission of art to remind man
examples of the irrelevance of this same Steiglitz almost single-handed battled for he is human', an attitude that is reiterated
culture, ie gallery culture. Branzi tries to the recognition and establishment of in the photographs.
make us believe in what he optimistically photography as an independent medium `From the Picture Press' is a surprising
sees in reach, the liberation of the of expression during the period from 1890 book to be issued by an institution like
architect (and of mankind !) not through to 1946. Steiglitz's talents were MOMA, for it is an admittance into the
guerrilla action or class struggle but unquestionably great — he instigated the inner circle of what is normally considered
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