David Burnett wanted something different.  This is how the world-famous photojournalist explained his choice of a florescent pink point-and-shoot digital camera that he tucked away in his blazer shortly before describing his large format Graflex that’s under a glass case at The Phillips Collection.  And of course, minutes later, he took a polaroid and a few frames of Tri-X black-and-white film with his 4×5 Speed Graphic. (His assistant for this particular shoot, the photographer Chris Usher, measured a shutter of almost four seconds with his light meter – so his subjects, myself included, had to remain perfectly still.)

With such technical range, Burnett was the perfect tour guide (with the assistance of curator Elsa Smithgall) through a historical display of photography that’s open to the public beginning October 9th.  TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art showcases over 120 photographs taken between 1845-1945 by legends such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham and Alvin Langdon Coburn, whose portfolio books side-saddle the TruthBeauty exhibit.  Organized by the George Eastman House (!!!) and Vancouver Art Gallery, the photographs on view were part of a movement to go “beyond the literal,” often with a 19th century version of Photoshop.  (Using soft focus lenses, etching with needles, darkroom wizardry, and so on.)  Pictorialism was a major step toward photography becoming a bonafide art form.  It reminds me of that old 21st century debate about whether digital photography could be considered fine art.

Burnett has a history of going against the tide with his photographic methods, using various medium and large format film cameras to cover major stories.  As he drove home the point, there’s “something that goes on psychologically … when you’re forced to take your time.”  One can only imagine the patience required to master the copperplate or gum bichromate processes on display here, but his remark inspired those of us who still shoot film with deliberate manner.  (Note to readers: everything below was shot with a digital camera.)

If you visit this exhibit, please leave us a comment with your impression.  What’s your version of pictorialism?

I think the resulting polaroid and Tri-X frames will be available later, so we’ll keep tabs on that.

From the exhibition text discussing Edward Steichen:

“He increased the painterly effect of his photographs by purposefully taking pictures out-of-focus, photographing through raindrops that he kept on his lens to distort images, and even shaking the tripod during exposure.”

Photo Credits: Joshua Yospyn (please ask permission to use our images)

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