Imogen Cunningham

K: Prepare thyself, there may be several postings from me in the next while on the topic of 'photo-history'. Reason? for the past 2 days I've read an entire photo-history text I am expected to present to my class. In this final year Masters class [photo-preservation], you are expected to understand and recognize many, if not all, photo histories, and there are several. One must critically enable yourself to 'take-a-step-back', as coined by my regal French prof, and understand not history, but 'histories'. So far I am 3 out of 6 done. *sigh* As I'm a pro-photo-historian in the making, I've come to admire and greatly love the work of Imogen Cunningham's nude photographs. She's an American photographer, best known for her images of botanicals, nudes, and industry. Her flower portraits are definitely comparable to O'Keefe's paintings of the same nature. She respects the individuality of the sitter and distances herself and her subject from being overly voyeuristic. Highly recommend looking at her work, and others from the west coast f64 group.

Phoenix Recumbent, 1968.

 

Nude, 1923/c1930s. Vintage silver gelatin photograph

 

 Twinka, 1974

 

"Triangles Plus One, 1928"