Style

__**Style** __  Edward Weston was one of the masters of 20th century photography. He created sharp focused portraits, abstractions, and richly textured still lifes. He was a master of form and light. Ansel Adams believed that Weston was a great photographer. Adams has written, “Weston is, in the real sense, one of the few creative artists of today. He has recreated the matter-forms and forces of nature; he has made these forms eloquent of the fundamental unity of the world. His work illuminates man's inner journey toward perfection of the spirit.” Eloquent Nude This photograph is of Charis Wilson. She was a big part of Edward’s most productive years. She is perhaps one of the most famous nudes in modern photography.

 Early in Weston’s career he began practicing a popular photographic style called Pictorialism, which is when photographs are made to look like paintings where detail is blurred and softened. He created portraits and nudes with this style, creating little contrast and soft-focused pieces, which created a dream like quality. First Nude, 1918, Edward Weston

 By 1921, Weston broke from the Pictorialist style and embraced Straight photography. Which refers to photography that captures a seen realistically by the medium and has little to no use of manipulation. Sharpness was key for this style of photography. Edward Weston once said,  “…the ultimate end, the print, is but a duplication of all that I saw and felt through my camera.”   Using this style Weston photographed landscapes, architecture, and still lifes. Dancer, 1927, Edward Weston  When photographing landscapes and architecture Weston searches for a discovery that excites him to focus. <span style="background-color: #c99292; color: #000080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"My way of working - I start with no preconceived idea - discovery excites me to focus - then rediscovery through the lens - final form of presentation seen on ground glass, the finished print previsioned - complete in every detail of texture, movement, proportion before exposure - the shutter's release automatically and finally fixes my conception, allowing no after manipulation." Edward Weston, The Daybooks. <span style="background-color: #c99292; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Dunes, Oceano, 1936, Edward Weston

<span style="background-color: #c99292; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> While Weston was creating his still life pieces he was able to give objects human-like appearances, such as his pepper series. A simple vegetable is transformed into a great work of sculpture, one with the muscularity of a human torso. In this period of still lifes, most of Weston’s work is sculptural in effect. <span style="background-color: #c99292; color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Pepper, 1929, Edward Weston negative <span style="background-color: #c99292; color: #000080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">By Alex Kerr