Laure Albin Guillot (1879–1962)

Sans titre

vers 1937

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection musée Nicéphore Niépce,

Ville de Chalon-sur-Saône.

Lucienne Boyer

vers 1935

Laure Albin Guillot

Collections Roger-Viollet /

Parisienne de Photographie.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Louis Jouvet

vers 1925

Laure Albin Guillot

Collections Roger-Viollet /

Parisienne de Photographie.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Micrographie, bourgeon de Frêne (coupe)

vers 1930

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection Société française de photographie.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Micrographie

vers 1929

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection particulière, Paris.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Micrographie

vers 1929

Laure Albin Guillot

Collections Roger-Viollet /

Parisienne de Photographie.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Illustration pour le Narcisse de Paul Valéry
1936

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection particulière, Paris.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Publicité pour la pommade-vaccin 
Salantale

vers 1942

Laure Albin Guillot

Bibliothèque nationale de France

Estampe pour F. Marquis chocolatier-confiseur,
 Paris sans date

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection particulière, Paris

Étude de nu

vers 1935

Laure Albin Guillot

Collections Roger-Viollet /

Parisienne de Photographie.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Étude de nu

1939

Laure Albin Guillot

Bibliothèque nationale de France.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Autoportrait

vers 1935

Laure Albin Guillot

Collection Musée Nicéphore Niépce,

Ville de Chalon-sur-Saône.

© Laure Albin Guillot / Roger-Viollet

Laure Albin Guillot fue una fotógrafa francesa (nacida el 14 de febrero de 1879 en París y fallecida el 22 de febrero de 1962, también en París) considerada la gran dama de la fotografía francesa. Para muchos críticos y profesionales de la época, fue, en su tiempo, la mejor fotógrafa del mundo.

Laure Manffredi era hija de una familia burguesa acomodada, que estudió pintura y dibujo, y cuyo interés por la fotografía se inició tras su matrimonio en 1887 con el médico y científico Dr. Albin Guillot, y los amigos que los frecuentaban: políticos, intelectuales, arquitectos…, fueron el tema de sus primeros retratos. También realizó paisajes de estilo pictorialista, para practicar algunas técnicas, como la copia al carbón Fresson (muchas de ellas en colaboración con el propio Pierre Fresson) y otras alquimias de laboratorio. Sus copias son impecables.

Sin embargo, no fue una pictorialista, como muchos la han encasillado, sino que pasó del pictorialismo a formar parte de la Nouvelle vision de los años 30.

Desde 1901 y en colaboración con su esposo fotografió especímenes microscópicos, células de plantas y organismos animales, con un resultado espectacular, y fue su primer gran trabajo, que se publicó con el nombre de Micrografie Decorative en 1931, en honor a su marido muerto.

Realizó unas magnificas ilustraciones de desnudo masculino para el poema Narcisse de Paul Valery, que rendido a su talento le escribió «…ha hecho usted simplemente un poema al lado del mío …». Sus desnudos femeninos, son también antológicos, e ilustró 12 Chansons de Bilitis del poeta Pierre Löuys en 1937, y la Deesse Cypris de Henry de Monhterlant. Y con Man Ray y Pierre Boucher, Le Un en Photographie.

Después de la guerra, Laure continuó trabajando para ganarse la vida. Moda, retrato y niños eran sus recursos seguros. Con su edad, sin embargo, los cajones de su estudio estaban llenos de ideas que en su mayor parte no pasaron de ser sólo proyectos.

A final de los años 50, una inundación destruyó gran parte de su trabajo de los años 20 y 30. A Laure le resultó ya muy difícil recuperar las fuerzas tras la catástrofe. Y la llama de la creación, se fue extinguiendo, hasta su muerte.

Sus fotografías se encuentran en numerosas colecciones, incluyendo el Getty Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, National Galery of Canada, George Eastman House, la Biblioteque Nationale y, por supuesto, la Societé Francaise de Photographie.

A las exposiciones que realizó en vida, se suma la que se realiza estos días, hasta el 12 de mayo de 2013, en la Galería Nacional del Jeu de Paume, en París.

Vivian Maier ( 1926 -2009)

Vivian Maier, New York City, 10 de septiembre, 1955.

No es difícil imaginarla. Alta, morena, pelo corto y vestido largo, un poco arrugado, seguramente demasiado viejo. Con una Roiflex colgada alrededor del cuello, siempre. Distante, enigmática y misteriosa, así nos la describen hoy. Pero ¿quién es Vivian Maier? Lo cierto es que poco se sabe de esta mujer, excepto lo que nos dejan ver sus fotografías: señoras elegantes, parejas felices, niños en la playa, una mujer y su bebé... su propia sombra. Autorretratos frente a espejos, cristales, reflejos en un vagón de tren... Experimentos y encuadres que, en la mayoría de los casos, no llegó a ver nunca.

Vivian Maier, norteamericana de ascendencia francesa y austrohúngara, dividió su vida entre Europa y los Estados Unidos, regresando a Nueva York en 1951. En 1956 finalmente se instaló en Chicago, donde trabajó como niñera durante más de cuarenta años. Pero nunca dejó de fotografiar. Llegó a acumular más de 2.000 rollos de película, 3.000 fotografías impresas y más de 100.000 negativos. Fueron los tres niños a los cuidó en los 50 quienes la ayudaron en sus últimos tiempos. Y en esa época, sin que ellos los supieran, uno de sus armarios se vendió en una casa de subastas de objetos de segunda mano. Lo hizo para saldar deudas y contenía cientos de películas sin revelar. Fotografías de toda una vida, miles de retratos a gente de la calle. John Maloof era el comprador.

__________

Autorretrato de Vivian Maier tomado el 18 de octubre de 1953 en Nueva York.

Vivian Maier en un autorretrato de 1953.

Nueva York, sin fecha.

Chicago, sin fecha.

Chicago, enero de 1956.

Nueva York, sin fecha.

Sin título, 1954.

Sin título, ni fecha.

Sin título, ni fecha.

Autorretrato de Vivian Maier sin título ni fecha.

108th St. East, Nueva York, el 28 de septiembre de 1959.

Philippe Halsman / Trabajando con Salvador Dali (1940s)

In 1941 Philippe Halsman met the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. The two artists began to collaborate and work together in the late 1940s. A famous collaboration between the two great artists was In Voluptas Mors a surrealistic portrait of Dali. In In Voluptas Mors Dali seems to be standing in front of a large skull which is in fact a tableau vivant composed of seven nude models.


It took Halsman over three hours to arrange the models which was done according to a sketch drawn by Dali himself.


Apunte para Fotágrafos y Surrealismo

Kodak / 50 Aniversario de Instamatic (1963)

March 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the Kodak Instamatic family of cameras. These cameras, featuring the instant-loading 126 (Kodapack) film cartridge, were by far the most successful of the time. Instamatics, like the Brownies they replaced, were the entrée cameras for a new generation of photographers.

Some of the accolades associated with this iconic 1960s-era camera are: • The Instamatic provided the amateur photographer an inexpensive, well-made, and easy-to-use camera • The Instamatic was the most successful Eastman Kodak Company camera since the introduction of the Brownie camera of 1900 • More than 50 million Instamatic cameras were sold worldwide between 1963 and 1970, with 7.5 million sold within the first two years of production • It was introduced at a time when camera innovation was dominated by German and Japanese companies, proving American engineering could still produce competitive products • The Instamatic 100 was designed by Frank A. Zagara, who won a Certificate of Design Merit from the Industrial Designers Institute • The cartridge-loading system was a bombshell success, copied by numerous camera and film manufacturers around the world • The 126 cartridge was designed by Kodak engineer Hubert Nerwin, with patent number 3,138,081 granted June 23, 1964 • The name Instamatic name became synonymous with snapshot photography, similar to the Kodak name during George Eastman’s time

We’ve currently got one on display in the entrance gallery – if you’re in town stop in and check it out.

Tomado del blog de George Eastman House.

Stephen Hodgetts: «Vintage Tools»

Stephen Hodgetts, Vintage Tools, England. 2014

Chema Madoz: «Una alcantarilla convertida en escurreplatos»

Chema Madoz: Una alcantarilla convertida en escurreplatos

Hebe Robinson / «Echoes of Lofoten»

Around 1950, families in small and remote fishing villages in Lofoten, Northern Norway, were offered a lump sum from the Government to leave their homes and relocate to more central places. They also committed never to return and resettle.

This was part of the governmental plan to centralize and modernize the nation after the Second World War. Communities that had survived for centuries in a hostile environment on the border between steep mountains and rough sea, totally isolated during the winter months, collectively decided to leave.

Neighbors and friends through generations packed everything they owned and left their homes and each other. Villages were totally abandoned within months. Due to shortage of building materials, they dismantled their houses and brought their homes with them as well, leaving only foundations. The traditional self-sufficient ways of life were lost, and a part of the coastal culture with it.

Today, 60 years later, nature has reclaimed the areas. Looking closer however, signs of lived lives still remain; stone fences and foundations still stand, surrounded by hidden paths and traces of gardens with herbs and flowers.

In this photographic project, I am bringing families and their lives back to the villages they once lived. Historic photographs from these places are returned to where they once were taken, linking past and present. The project is about passing of time, history, destinies and changes in society. Pictures and their histories are from descendants of those in the pictures.

Hebe Robinson



Johan Kristian Alfred Nilsen married Hanna Sofie Petersdatter. They had seven children and a foster son. Kristian was killed in 1944 by a mine that had been washed ashore by a storm. He was standing outside his house when it exploded. Three days before the accident, he wrote a letter to his daughter where he praised God for having such patience and not punishing them for their sins, but protecting them from accidents and illness.



Edle, Anne and Fredrik were the last generation growing up in Hermannsdalen. From November until April the family lived completely isolated. When Edle was eight years old, her grandfather took her and her sister Anne to the top of the mountain. From there, they could look down on their neighbours in the village Vinstad. She had never seen other houses before.



The wood gathering party poses for a group photograph.



Kalle and Astrup drinking outside the barn. After a long and isolated winter, it was time to enjoy the company of friends and family. Parties were arranged, although the guests had to walk for four hours to get there. In the midnight sun they danced to music from the wind up gramophone and drank homemade rhubarb wine.



Haying in Hermannsdalen. The hayfields were rich and fertile, but hard to get to. The men had to tie ropes around their waists on the steep hillsides. Two of the girls from the farm in Hermannsdalen are posing with three young men helping out during the haying.



Heiderg, Jacob and Fredrik are visiting the Myhre family. Visitors were rare, and a good opportunity to bring out the camera to document the happening.



Jørgine gave birth to eight children in this house, and she herself was born there. She lost three of her daughters there, too. Her daughter Fredrikke died in the winter at the age of 16. They had her lying in a shed as it was impossible bring her to the churchyard until spring. Every night her little sister Anne went to her to say goodnight. Jørgine is projected on the wall of her home for 90 years.



German soldiers are in Hermannsdalen to detonate mines that had been washed ashore. Gustav and his son Fredrik did not want the soldiers to enter the house. They were not considered guests. And inside, Jørgine, now close to ninety years old, laid in bed pretending to be ill with an illegal radio hidden under her blanket.



Mathilde was shy in front of the camera.



Alfred, Arne, Roald, Arnolda, Nanna, Torleif, Jon, Finn and others, out walking, probably on a Sunday after church.



Klara with her brother Almar.



Fair weather party.


(Interesante la manera en que esta técnica de collage se empieza a utilizar, para rescatar historias)