Atget show Sydney Aug-Sep 2012

[jonreid]

Excellent news for Australians, and particularly Sydneysiders.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will host a show of 200 of Atget's photographs from 24 August to 4 Nov 2012.
Details here http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exh.../eugene-atget/

Jon

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hello from the other side of the World

My understanding is that this exhibition is either the same as, or shares many pictures with, a unique Atget exhibition now on-going in Paris at Musée Carnavalet. I've scheduled to visit it before the end of June. And there was an Atget exhibition at MoMa / NYC commented here recently.
Besides the interest of the exhibition, and our devotion to Atget's work : I've been told, at least at the Paris/Carnavalet exhibition, that some prints will no longer be presented to the public for many years, due to strict regulations regarding the maximum dose of light that the old and precious original prints can support without fading.
Hence this is another 'technical" reason to visit this exhibition.

Admittedly, it is easier for me to travel 450 km / 2 hours by high-speed train to visit all kinds of Parisian exhibitions ; checking our beloved wikipedia, I suddenly realize that the distance between Perth (Australia) and Sidney is ... 3300 km ...

[jonreid]

Yes I am very fortunate. I will have to travel about 12km! That's why I am excited.

Jon

[mdm]

It goes on until the 4th of November, my work will be busy but slowing so I am considering flying in and out for an exhausing day. We will see. I would love to hear how it is when you go.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hello from France !

As planned, I have visited the Paris-Atget exhibition at musée Carnavalet last Saturday, June 23-rd, 2012.

It is hard to make a comment after seeing Eugène Atget's original albumen contact prints, 18x24 cm format, toned in gold chloride (according to the Taschen book, see below). Their condition in terms of preservation and image quality is outstanding. Most of those prints will be displayed in Sidney, and come from the French collections & museums to which Atget had sold his work to make a living, as any freelance photographer would do.

At the Paris exhibition, there was a section devoted to the so-called "Man Ray album", coming from the Rochester museum; only very few fragile prints out of this collection had not been allowed to travel, and were represented by top-quality copies.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you love large-format architecture photography, contact prints and admire the work of the old masters, by all means you should take the opportunity to visit either the Paris exhibition (closes on July 29-th 2012) .. or the Sidney exhibition (24 Aug - 4 Nov 2012)

Additional notes, ISBN references to books I have bought at the library in Carnavalet Museum

I resisted to the temptation of buying the catalogue of the Atget-Paris exhibition (price : 45 euros.), but here is the reference Eugène Atget, Paris - Catalogue d'exposition du musée Carnavalet Eds Gallimard ISBN-EAN13 : 9782070135165

However, I bought the 3 very affordable books referenced below, that were presented just near to the exhibition catalogue

- Walter Benjamin / 1931 Petite histoire de la photographie, trad. Lionel Duvoy, Paris, Allia, 2012 (ISBN 9782844854445), 6 euros.

Walter benjamin's notes on the history of photography is certainly available in English, I recommend this short essay written in 1931, about of the evolution of photography since the origins, including a short but outstanding analysis of the work by Eugène Atget and Angust Sander, the great German portraitist.

- Eugène Atget ; Paris ; Taschen Eds. Trilingual, English, German, French, Text by Andreas Krase ISBN-13: 978-3836504713 (2008) hardcover 10 euros only !


- About Marville: Marie de Thézy, Charles Marville, Paris, Actes Sud, coll. « Photo poche », 2000, 144 p. (ISBN 978-2-8675-4100-1)

The comparison between Marville's work and Atget's work is very interesting. Marville worked on assignement for Hausmann between 1853 and 1870 during the renovation of Paris. Basically, Marville, as I have understood, was hired to document the work in progress.
On the contrary, Atget worked as a freelance photographer and had a very sensitive feeling about what would soon vanish in the old Paris, old buildings, old "street jobs", etc ...

Other references :
- Laure Beaumont-Maillet, Atget Paris, Hazan, 2003 (ISBN 2850252948). paperback 25 euros.
- Marie de Thézy, Marville, Paris, Paris, Hazan, 1994, 735 p. (ISBN 2-85025-374-X) paperback, same collection as Atget's Hazan book: too bad, out of print and quite expensive on the 2nd-hand market (some outrageous offers at 435 Canadian dollars !!!)

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

The French newspaper "le Monde" has posted some images from the Atget exhibition

http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/portfo...2296_3246.html

Atget's "flatiron' building

[mdm]

I already have the Taschen book, but have never seen the lion and snake door knocker, that is terrific. Maybe I can make it to Sydney, maybe. A once in a lifetime opportunity.