Yale Bulletin and Calendar

March 18, 2005|Volume 33, Number 22

This platinum print of Worcester Cathedral, taken circa 1900 by an unknown photographer, is among the images featured in an exhibition at Jonathan Edwards College that was organized by Richard Benson, dean of the School of Art and a renowned photographer and printer.

'The Physical Print' traces evolution
of photographic process

A photographer who also happens to be a Yale dean will take visitors on "an eccentric walk" through the history of his chosen medium in "The Physical Print," the next exhibition at Jonathan Edwards College (JE).

The show, subtitled "A Brief Survey of the Photographic Process," was organized by Richard "Chip" Benson, dean of the School of Art and a noted photographer who is also renowned for having developed innovative printing techniques. The exhibit will be on view March 24-May 26 in the JE Master's House, 70 High St.

"Photographs," writes Benson, "have such a clear connection to the world, through the description of the lens, that we often assume they can exist apart from any particular physical container; my experience has been quite the opposite -- that the specific manner in which any photograph is printed can have a tremendous effect upon its meaning. Through the years I have gathered piles of prints of every imaginable type, and tried to sort them out and make sense of how they look, and what that look might do to their content. Many of these pictures would be worthless scraps of paper were it not for my interest in their exact physical form."

The JE exhibit, he notes, "is an eccentric walk through the history of photography, using its printing technologies as guideposts for the journey."

The show features 56 images representing a range of image-creating techniques -- including daguerreotypes, tintypes and Woodburytypes to silver and platinum prints, Polaroids, ink-jet prints and more. The photos range from group and individual portraits (including one of scientist Charles Darwin) to landscapes and buildings, images used in advertisements and historical photographs, including a Time magazine cover depicting the battle of Iwo Jima.

In addition to several photos by Benson, the exhibit includes images by William Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the first technique for creating photos on paper; "Alice in Wonderland" author Lewis Carroll, who is also known for his images of Victorian era young women; Alfred Stieglitz, whose 1907 photogravature "The Steerage" (included in the exhibit) "is one of the most famous photographs ever made," according to Benson; African-American photographer James Van Der Zee, who captured life during the Harlem Renaissance; Walker Evans, who is best known for his photos of the Depression era but is represented here by a more modern image; and many more.

The photographs and explanatory text in Benson's exhibition "has turned our living room into a classroom," says JE Master Gary Haller, noting that four "seminars" -- in the form of master's teas -- will be held there. Benson will speak at the first, which will take place on Thursday, March 24 (followed by the opening reception for the exhibition); Allan Chasanoff '61, a collector who is also described as a "photographic/digital visionary," will be the guest on Thursday, April 7; and Peter Galassi, curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, will be featured on Thursday, April 14. All of the teas will be held at 4 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

"The Physical Print: A Brief Survey of the Photographic Process" is open to the public most Thursdays or by appointment. For information, call (203) 432-0356.

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'The Physical Print' traces evolution of photographic process

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