Saul Leiter Livres

Il est de ces photographes qui ne cherchent pas la notoriété, ni le succès commercial malgré une certaine aptitude à l'image appliquée. Né à Pittsburgh, il délaisse vite ses études pour rejoindre New York au tournant des années 1940-1950. Dans ce lieu de création intense où se croisent et s'expérimentent des recherches venues des horizons européens et américains, il rencontre Rothko et les expressionnistes abstraits, Faurer et Smith. Il découvre la Street photography et le travail d'Henri Cartier-Bresson. Mais ses images de rue sont d'une extrême originalité et ne témoignent d'aucune influence directe. Il impose sa maîtrise de la couleur dans des vues citadines non conventionnelles dans lesquelles les reflets, les transparences, la complexité des cadrages, les effets de miroir se marient à une technique très particulière des émulsions pour écrire une forme unique de pastorale urbaine.

A beloved photobook classic from the pioneer of color photography This is a reprint of the immensely successful Early Color (2008), which presented Saul Leiter's remarkable body of color work to the public for the first time in book form. Although Edward Steichen had exhibited some of Leiter's color photography at The Museum of Modern Art in 1953, it remained virtually unknown to the world thereafter. Leiter moved to New York in 1946 to become a painter, but through his friendship with Richard Pousette-Dart he quickly recognized the creative potential of photography. Leiter continued to paint, exhibiting with Philip Guston and Willem de Kooning, but the camera remained his ever-present means of recording life in the metropolis. None of Leiter's contemporaries, with the partial exception of Helen Levitt, assembled a comparable body of subtle, often abstract compositions of lyrical, eloquent color.

This collection showcases the work of Saul Leiter, featuring a significant amount of material that has never been published before. It highlights his unique perspective and artistic vision, capturing moments of beauty and emotion through his distinctive photography. The book offers a fresh look at Leiter's contributions to the art world, making it a valuable addition for both fans and newcomers to his work.

The distinctive iconography of Saul Leiter's early black-and-white photographs stems from his profound response to the dynamic street life of New York City in the late 1940s and 50s. While this technique borrowed aspects of the photo-documentary, Leiter's imagery was more shaped by his highly individual reactions to the people and places he encountered. Like a Magic Realist with a camera, Leiter absorbed the mystery of the city and poignant human experiences. Together with Early Color, also published by Steidl, the two volumes comprising Early Black and White show the impressive range of Leiter's early photography.

Exploring the comprehensive oeuvre of a pivotal postwar photographer, this book delves into their significant contributions to the field. It examines the evolution of their style, thematic concerns, and the impact of their work on contemporary photography. Through detailed analysis and visual examples, readers gain insight into the artist's unique perspective and the cultural context that shaped their vision. This exploration not only highlights the photographer's achievements but also situates them within the broader narrative of postwar artistic movements.

Fed by thrilling recent discoveries from Saul Leiter's vast archive, In My Room provides an in-depth study of the nude, through intimate photographs of the women Leiter knew. Showing deeply personal interior spaces, often illuminated by the lush natural light of the artist's studio in New York City's East Village, these black-and-white images reveal the unique collaboration between Leiter and his subjects. In the 1970s, Leiter planned to make a book of his nudes, but never realized the project in his lifetime. Now we are granted a first-time look at this body of work, which Leiter began on his arrival in New York in 1946 and chipped away at over the next two decades. Leiter, who was also a painter, incorporates abstract elements into these photographs and often shows the influence of his favorite artists, including Bonnard, Vuillard and Matisse. The prolific Leiter, who painted and took pictures fervently up to his death, worked in relative obscurity well into his eighties. Leiter preferred solitude in life, and resisted any type of explanation or analysis of his work. With In My Room, Leiter ushers viewers into his private world while retaining his strong sense of mystery.