Paul Strand Reese Matheney

Paul Strand lived from 1890–1976. Strand was introduced to photography as a high school student at New York City’s Ethical Culture School.

His pictorialist studies of the 1910s, followed by the coolly seductive machine photographs of the 1920s, like the contemporary work of Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped define the canon of early American modernism and set a premium on the elegant print.

Within a few years, Strand was "whistlering," as he called the technique of overlaying a fuzzy Romanticism onto views composed with flattened space, pattern, and high contrast.

Strand also became acquainted with Alfred Stieglitz, whose 291 Gallery in New York provided inspiration for Strand and other aspiring modernist photographers and artists.

Strand set out for Five Points, the heart of the immigrant slums on the Lower East Side, with his camera rigged with a false lens to distract attention. Approaching a potential subject, Strand turned ninety degrees away and aimed the false lens in the direction he was facing.

When applied to the rhythms of city life, this "space-filling" approach created highly elegant images, such as "Winter, Central Park" in 1913-14. In this photograph, a tree's dark branches were shown against a snowy field while framing a single figure in the distance.

Alfred’s 291 Gallery was an inspiration to Paul and other upcoming artists and modernist photographers.

His diverse work in 60 years covers many genres and subjects throughout Africa, Europe, and America.

I like Paul Strands work because it photographs how people feel. Which is mainly sad, that is probably why most/all of his pictures are in black and white.

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.