Eliot Porter

[Robert Brummitt]

I've always been a fan of Mr. Porter and his work. He was an early influence for me. I was working in a commercial photo lab that had dye transfer chemicals, matrices and a marble plate. I called Charlie Cramer to teach me. We were about to go forward when Kodak discontinued the material. I traded what I had to Charlie and went back to internegs and C-prints.
I saw the book in the original post and had to have a copy. I bought mine thru the Nature Conservancy. It has a fly page that is signed.
Elliot Porter will always have a special place with me.

[Kirk Gittings]

Well there are at least a FEW different cultures within the photography world, Kirk - I was assuming he was referring to the 'high art' culture of the world this forum concerns itself with (i.e. ansel adams, weston, john sexton and all that - I guess i would call those the 'fine print crowd') so there was that proviso there I guess.

Maybe I'm just tired but I cannot decipher this.

[JW Dewdney]

Maybe I'm just tired but I cannot decipher this.

Sorry- probably being overly subtle. You seemed to acknowledge yourself that there was a separation between the craft oriented traditional photographic community and then the academic based one that caters more to the 'avant-garde'. I was simply unsure which of these communities he was addressing by the language he used. Seems to me anyway - but it's probably moot... if you two are in agreement it's clear enough for me.

[jp]

To me his work contains hues and palettes you don't see munch of, and to me it is very realistic to my minds eye. And when I say "realistic" it's on the level of hyper realistic or meta realistic to use jargon. Emotionally realistic?

I would like to achieve EP's palette and I have been been close..... well that's close but no cigar, if you know what I mean. But it gives me some hope.

I would say it's both realistic and emotionally realistic, at least based on the Maine stuff. I haven't traveled to the others areas he's photographed.

I've gotten close with Ektar color negative film. eg. http://www.flickr.com/photos/13759696@N02/9036423803/ but it's more or equally about the skill in scanning/printing probably.

[Noah B]

I just wrote a research paper on him this past semseter and I watched a couple videos as well. He did make his own dye transfer prints and had his own darkroom. One video I saw he explained the whole process and brought the film crew into his darkroom, which was cool. My favorite pictures by him are the birds, they're great. GTH - the book you picked up is wonderful, the first part where he's writing about his life is really interesting and really funny at times (I laughed out loud). He seemed like a genuine person, I think the MoMA has some of his prints up right now.

[Wayne]

I would say it's both realistic and emotionally realistic, at least based on the Maine stuff. I haven't traveled to the others areas he's photographed.

I've gotten close with Ektar color negative film. eg. http://www.flickr.com/photos/13759696@N02/9036423803/ but it's more or equally about the skill in scanning/printing probably.

Porter had a scanner?

[jp]

Porter had a scanner?

I bet they had one to listen to ambulances with.

My response was to someone looking for contemporary means.

[Brian Ellis]

Sotheby's Auction April 2013:

"ELIOT PORTER
1901-1990
SELECTED NATURE STUDIES
Estimate: 8,000 - 12,000 USD
LOT SOLD. 8,125 USD (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)
a group of 3 mural-sized dye-transfer prints, comprising 'Redbud Tree in Bottom Land, Red River Gorge, Kentucky,' 'Foxtail Grass, Lake City, Colorado,' and 'Pool in Brook, Pond Brook, New Hampshire,' each mounted, signed in pencil on the mount, framed, 1953-68, printed later (3)
Each approximately 36½ by 29¾ in. (92.7 by 75.6 cm.)"

Note size of those dye transfer prints!

$8,000 for three prints ..... how does that compare.....

Why was he denigrated, art politics or some serious critique?

He was denigrated partly because he was working in color at a time when b&w was considered the photographic "artist's" medium, partly because traditional landscapes, birds, animals, etc. in general haven't been considered proper subjects for serious photographic artists by the "high art" crowd (by which I mean galleries, museums, critics, curators, academics, and serious collectors). Which isn't to say he hasn't been popular, he has been popular, just not with those sorts of people.

I suspect his family's wealth may also have played into it on a subjective basis. Academics, critics, etc. tend to like the image of the struggling artist living in a garret and surviving on Sterno and bread rather than an artist whose family was so wealthy that they could afford to buy their own island and build a mansion on it for summer vacations.

[Bill_1856]

Great technician, but with an occasion exception (Kentucky dogwood) his work is repetitious and visually boring. IMO.

[Sal Santamaura]

Yes, that was my point to him. He shouldn't bother asking -- just enjoy it. Changing his perception of Porter's work based what others said/say about is not a positive way to live life, in my opinion. Unless, of course, he's a lemming and not a human.

...I might have been unclear about my motivation. I do enjoy his work - so far- and it speaks to me as I said in my original posting...

That's good to hear.

...I was not seeking other opinions in order to validate mine, or change it, but rather to learn how EP's work has held up, how he has been received over time, and which photographers he might have inspired...

In my opinion, if you're doing that as an academic pursuit (not necessarily formally via a school; satisfying personal curiosity counts too), great. Just as long as what you discover doesn't influence how you respond to his work.

...To me his work contains hues and palettes you don't see munch of, and to me it is very realistic to my minds eye. And when I say "realistic" it's on the level of hyper realistic or meta realistic to use jargon. Emotionally realistic?

To me much of colour photographs today uses a "kindergarten" crayon palette that emits in seemingly narrow band spectra. High impact, but then you go blind...

We share a lack of appreciation for the "Velveeta look." While I only work in black and white, Porter's color has always been beautifully done to my eye. Except I could never get past the unsharpness of dye transfer prints. However, it's only your way of seeing that should be reflected in your own work, whether I or anyone else agree with it.

...I would like to achieve EP's palette and I have been been close..... well that's close but no cigar, if you know what I mean. But it gives me some hope.

Others who do work in color today are qualified to help you with that. Some have posted in this thread. Best wishes on achieving your vision.