Edward Weston is the most recognizable of all American photographers, and he has made people think of photography as an art form.
Today, art experts consider photographers who take photographs like Mr. Weston to be part of the modernist art movement. The kind of photographs Mr. Weston took are called "direct photography." No unusual effects were used to change the image of the subject. The photographs seem to present reality in a pure and clear way.
However, Mr Weston did not always use his camera to take pictures in this way. At first, the photographs he took were influenced by the popular photographs of the time. At the time, the photographer's photographs didn't seem clear. Instead, they appear blurry. They resemble paintings and try to be beautiful rather than realistic.
Edward Weston was born in 1886 in Highland Park, Illinois. When he was 16, his father gave him an early camera made by Kodak. Edward soon showed some of his photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago.
In 1926, Edward Weston decided to move west, where he worked for a railroad company. He temporarily returned to Chicago to study at the Illinois Institute of Photography. However, he soon returned to California. He married Flora Chandler in 1949. Later they had four sons.
Edward Weston owns a store in the Glendale area of California. He makes and sells photos of people. He has also published a number of articles on photography.
Several important photographers he met in Southern California had an impact on him. Imogen Cunningham and Margaret Mather are two of them. Miz Mather collaborated with Mr Weston to take several photos. Ms. Cunningham praised Mr. Weston's work. She gave spiritual support that led Mr. Weston to seek far-reaching influences in other aspects of photography.
Edward Weston decided to travel to New York City in 1922. He wanted to meet the most influential American photographer in the East. He expected to be praised by the people in the art world there.
Alfred Stiglitz was the most influential photographer in the United States at the time. He was the reason Mr. Weston had gone to New York City. He is the editor-in-chief of a magazine called Camera Works. Mr. Stiglitz has helped many of his favorite photographers, including Paul Strand and Ansel Adams.
Alfred Stiglitz met twice with Edward Weston. He did not say that he liked Mr. Weston's work. Mr. Stiglitz will point out certain parts of the photographs he likes. Then he would point out things he didn't like.
Edward Weston discovered an artistic community in New York that he had never imagined before. He met many people who, today, are recognized as the most important American photographers and artists. One of them is Georgia O'Keefe.
Mies Okiff became one of the most famous female painters in the United States. Mr. Weston saw some of her work in New York. He wrote that he would remember it for many years to come.
Edward Weston felt good about his trip to New York, although he was criticized there. In a letter to a friend, he said his sense of artistry was changing. He said Alfred Stiglitz didn't change him, just strengthened him.
Photographer Ansel Adams said that in the early 1820s, Mr. Weston's business of taking photographs of people was getting better and better. However, he gave up his business, left his family, and traveled to a foreign land. In February 1923, Mr. Weston wrote, "I traveled to Mexico City in late March to start my life again."
Mr. Weston went to Mexico with Tina Mordotti. The two men established a relationship in Los Angeles. Both are active in the southern California art scene. They spent most of their three years in Mexico. At that time, many artists and writers gathered in this Latin American country.
Mr. Weston relies heavily on Ms. Modotti. With her help, Mr. Weston was able to experience a cultural life that was completely foreign to him. He didn't speak Spanish, so she helped him communicate.
For a time, the two had both a working and personal relationship. Mr. Weston agreed to teach Miz Modotti photography. In return, she managed his photography business and helped organize exhibitions.