Barbara Morgan PDF
Preview Barbara Morgan
I MORGAN BARA 1 "*3 MASTERS O FHOTOG K A PHY I APERT U R PHOTOGRAPHY MORGAN BARBARA ,togra- uthough she h l" her 1930s fluid, >phical luring, . Jose i, have ity the ibioing dwith ntum. >mon- r Long ianying critic. career, .1 hdicfs that informe Pra ,. ;-,-.. 34 APERTURE MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY MORGAN BARBARA With an Essay by Deba P. Patnaik MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY APERTURE UC BR TR657 .M663 999x Frontispiece:Cadenza,1940[lightdrawing] * Copyright@ 1999b)Aperturefoundation,Inc.Photographscopyright©byBarbaraMorganandcourtesyol theMorganArchives.Textcopyright©l1)1)1)byDebaI'.Patnaik.AllrightsreservedunderInternationaland Pan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Nopartofthishookmayhereproducedinanyformwhatsoeverwithout writtenpermissionfromthepublisher. PrintedinHongKong. LibraryofCongressCatalogNumber:98-86911 ISBN:0-89381-825-9 This1999editionisareproductionofKSnemannVerlagsGmbH andApertureFoundation,Inc. ApertureFoundationpublishesaperiodical,hooks,andportfoliosotfinephotograph}tocommunicatewithpho- tographersandcreativepeopleeverywhere.Acompletecatalogisavailableuponrequest.Address:20Fast23rd fork,NewYork10010.Phone:(212)598-4205.Fax;(212)398-4015. TheApertureMastersotPhotographsseriesisdistributedinthefollowingterritoriesthroughKoncmannVerlags GmbH,BonnerSir.12(>.D-30%KKoln,Germany.Phone:(0221)3799-0.lax:(0221)3799-88:Continental Europe.Israel.Australia,andthePacificRim,exceptJapan.Theseriesisdistributedinthefollowingterritories throughAperture:Canada:GeneralPublishing,30IcsmillRoad.DonMills.Ontario,M3B2T6.Fax:(416) 445-5991. UnitedKingdomRobertHale.Itd..ClerkenwellHouse.45-47ClerkenweUGreen,LondonEC1R OHT.Fax:171-490-4958.Allotherterritories:Aperture,20East23rdStreet.NewYork.NewYork10010.Phone: (212)505-55ss.Fax-[2\2)979-7759. ForinternationalmagazinesubscriptionordersfortheperiodicalAperture,contactApertureInternational SubscriptionService,P.O.Box14,HaroldHill,Romford,RM38EQ,England.Fax:(44)1-708-372-046. Oneyear:130.00.Pricesubjecttochange. TosubscribetotheperiodicalApertureintheL'.S.A.writeAperture,P.O.Box3000.Denville,NewJerse)078$4. Phone:1-800-783-4903.On*veat$40.00. K2 K4 K6 (C8 K7 K5 K3 Kl — BARBARA MORGAN DebaP.Patnaik Photographyisalivingartin whichpeople,places, Lettersfromschoolchildren,politicians,housewives, emotions, thoughts,andactsoftodaysworldaretextu- writers,andacademicspackedsteelcabinets. rallyinterwoven. . . . Iwanttomakeitclearthatthe Morgan was born Barbara Brooks Johnson in foremostresourceisthephotographerhimself.Itishis Buffalo,KansasonJuly8, 1900.Shewasninemonths authenticresponsetolifeandhisurgetoembodyitin oldwhenherfamilymovedfromtheKansasplainsto superbphotographicformthatistheactiverootofour the magnificent color, space, and light ofa peach esthetic—s. ranchinSouthernCalifornia.Fromearlyon,herself- BarbaraMorgan,"EstheticsofPhotography" educatedfatherandschoolteachermotherencouraged TheCompletePhotographer her intellectual and artistic curiosity. Later in life, Morganwouldrecallherphilosophicalfatherexplain- BarbaraMorganlivedanincrediblelifeoffriend- ingtoherthattheworldwas"madeofdancingAtoms ship, social involvement, and creative activity. Her . . . andeverythingin itiswhirlinganddancing personal lifeandartistic pursuitswereinformedby evenifitlooksstill."Atouchstoneexperienceforthe similarlyeclecticandinquiringestheticsandphiloso- youngchild,thisthoughtwouldreverberatethrough- phiesdeeplyrooted in humanityand individuality. outherlifeandart. Herroomswerelinedwith bookson subjectsfrom From 1919to 1923,MorganattendedtheUniver- archaeologyandastronomytopoetry, andart. She sityofCaliforniaatLosAngeles (UCLA).The pro- ownedvolumesonphilosophy, religion,andmythol- gramsheenteredwasbasedonArthurWesley Dows ogy from across the globe. She had read them all, principlesofart"synthesis."Theseprinciplesholdthat markingthepagesofeachwithquestions,exclama- arthistoryoughttobetaughtwithequalemphasison tionpoints,andcomments. Filesfullofmethodically theprimitive,Asian,andEuropeantraditions.Ofpar- organizednewspaperandjournalclippingsfilledher ticularsignificanceto Morgan were theconceptsof studio, living room, bathroom, and dining area. "rhythmic vitality" from the Chinese Six Canonsof Piii>ningandtheJapanesenotionofesoragoto,which beenskepticalofphotography,andoncetoldWillard, meansemptyingthemindandbecomingonewiththe "Ifyoujustclicktheshutter,youarestealingreality! I subjectoftheart."Whethermyworkislargeorsmall, cantbeathief. I mustcreate."Butsoonaftermoving abstractorrealistic," shewrote, "theone thingthat toNewYork,shewasgiventheopportunitytophoto- must be present is RhythmicVitality. ... Itdoesn't graphAlfred Barnes'ssplendidcollectionofAfrican matterifitisdanceormontageorpeopleornature. and Europeanart. Shewasstruckbythewaychanges Therealwayshastobethepresenceofenergy." inlightingimpactedthetextureandexpressioninthe It is thisenergy that animates herwide range of works.Othercircumstancesalsoreinforcedhermove activities—painting,graphicarts, photography,book towardsphotography. Barbaragavebirthtotwosons, design,writing,andediting.Aftergraduatingfrom Dougin 1932,and Lloydin 1935,andtheuninter- UCLA,Morganjoinedthefacultyandtaughtdesign, rupted hours required for paintingwere no longer woodcut, and painting. During her time in available. However,assheputit, "Motherhoodand California she exhibited her own paintings and photographycouldwork." woodcuts, and worked in galleries and museums 1935 markedaturningpointforMorgan'scareer. devoted toboth Western and NativeAmericanart. ShesetupastudioonTwenty-thirdStreetandbegan OneoftheexhibitionsMorgan mountedatUCLA experimenting with the technical and darkroom was thatofEdwardWeston.Thiswasacrucialand aspectsofphotography. Itwasalsotheyearthatshe eye-opening encounter with photography and begantoattendMarthaGraham'sdanceperformances. resultedinalifetimefriendship. In 1925shemarried Barbarawasinstantlystruckbythehistoricalandartis- Willard D. Morgan, thepioneerphoto-historianand tic importance ofthe emerging American Modern editor,whoencouragedhertogetinvolved in pho- Dance.Morgan'sphilosophicalandaestheticsensibili- tography.Sheandherhusbandspent manysummers ties, herintuitiveunderstandingofdanceas"anelo- travelingthroughtheSouthwestandstudyingNative quent life force," and her experience ofthe sacred American art, religion, and culture. At Willard's ritualisticNativeAmericandancesintheSouthwest behest, Barbaratookphotographstoaccompanythe correspondedwiththepioneeringeffortsofGraham articleshewaswritingabout Leicacameras.Shealso andherdancetroupe.GrahamandMorganimmedi- assistedhimbytakingphotographsforaseriesofarti- atelybecamesoulmates,anddevelopedarelationship cles on the modern architecture of Frank Lloyd thatwouldlastsomesixtyyears.Theircorrespondence WrightandRichardNeutra. attests to their mutual affection, trust, and respect. In 1930, the Morgans moved to New York and Their collaboration turned out to be historic and Barbaracontinuedpaintingandprintmaking.Shehad unique.In 1980Grahamstated:
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