iylshowcase: BackFocus - Elliott Erwitt (b. 1928)Elliott Erwitt doesn’t take fools gladly, his work
iylshowcase: BackFocus - Elliott Erwitt (b. 1928)Elliott Erwitt doesn’t take fools gladly, his work emulates his frank and often funny view of the world. His life has been one of adventure, travel and at the essence of it all, photography. Born in 1928, in Paris to Russian-French parents, a young Erwitt emigrated with his family to the USA where at the age of 16 he started taking photographs. In 1950, following a quick stint in the army where he was acclaimed for his photo essay on life in the French barracks, Erwitt joined Magnum at the invitation of Robert Capa himself.“I don’t know that I bring my camera to take pictures; I think it’s sort of a security blanket. Carrying a security blanket when you’re grown-up is not practical but a camera is a small and you can carry it easily. The thing is that when you dont carry a camera, thats when you see pictures in particular, or at least thats when you think you see pictures in particular.”Erwitt has produced a diverse range of work over the years, from portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Simone de Beauvoir, his classic black and white series from Europe, to his life long labour of love with dogs. His work is humorous without being silly and has the looks of a master despite the fact he still describes himself as an ‘amateur’, while also pointing out that the word amateur comes from the Latin for “to love”.“If people think that my pictures are amusing I’m pleased to hear that. I prefer to be amusing than to be tragic. It’s nothing conscious. If it turns out to be entertaining what I do, I’m very pleased but it’s not conscious.”The intrigue of Erwitt comes intwined between his extraordinary breadth of work and infamous character. The first, showing a wealth of skill applied to significant events throughout history, while the latter seems to actively oppose the praise and attention he gets for his work. While he is not humble, Erwitt is reluctant to talk of his work and his photography, although he does offer this advice -“If you’re serious about taking photos, you should study the classic arts to speak—you need a visual sense of composition.”See his amazingly vintage website here.And read one of his interviews, where so little never said so much. -- source link