Book Information:
| Title | William Mortensen - A Revival |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | |
| Author | Dawson, Michael |
| Publisher | Center for Creative Photography, University of Ar |
| Publish Date | 1998 |
| ISBN | 0938262335 |
| Pages | 136 |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Notes | This collection of essays and photographs marks the first (and hopefully not the last) serious attempt at reviving and redeeming the nearly annihilated and forgotten reputation of the late American photographer, William Mortensen (1897-1965). While it is often true that a great artist never lives to see his ship come in, the opposite was true of Mortensen: In the late 1920s through early 1940s, his star was ascending, seemingly without end. Based in Laguna Beach, California, he was photographer to many of Hollywood's most famous, working with such acclaimed figures as Fay Wray, Cecil B. deMille and Marlene Dietrich. While his "pictorialist" style of photography -- painterly and posh, relying on soft-focus and darkroom knowhow to produced luxuriously toned and finished prints -- was favoured by the stars, clearly Mortensen found himself on the wrong side of history when it came to fine arts photography. The new "purist" movement, which celebrated the "straight," unadorned, print and a more documentarian style, was afoot and found no place for the Gothic-inspired Mortensen. Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| URL | http://lccn.loc.gov/98072304 |
| TRRF Call No. | PH-00199 |
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