Seminar 4 - "The City": Deconstructing Environmental Photographers

The task given to us as a result of this seminar was to research and deconstruct a range of photographs of 'The Flatiron Building' in Manhattan, New York City. There are six photographers in total who are as following:

• Alfred Stieglitz
• Edward Steichen
• Alvin Langdon Coburn
• Walter Gropius
• Walker Evans
• Berenice Abbott

Each appears to have their own take on the buildings itself and their own brief in mind when it cam to creating each piece.

Alfred Stieglitz

'The Flatiron'

1903

Stieglitz started out as a photographer in the 1880's and, in his development as a photographer, drew upon the urban scene within his work. This however was considered as inappropriate for artistic treatment at the time and it took Stieglitz many years to introduce his style of both thinking and photographs into society. He developed a fascination with the role of light within scenes which can be seen in his image of the Flatiron building from 1903 (a year after the building was completed). Although the photograph is black and white the sky behind the building appears bright which allows the boldness of the black tree to stand out as though it is almost reaching out of the image. The low angle of the shot places the tree in the foreground on an equal plane to that of the magnificent Flatiron in the background. The trees also work to frame the building and give it an air of impressiveness and pride. 

The shallow depth of field used by Stieglitz in this piece emphasises the sense of impressiveness the building appears to radiate, as it could be seen as though the building does not need the sharp focus for it to be noticed. 

Source: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/stieglitz/stieglitz_articles2.html

Edward Steichen

'The Flatiron, New York'

1905

Steichen was recognised as a photographer in the early 1900's, and was bought to the attention of the aforementioned Stieglitz. Steichen engaged with that which was vital and new in the 20th century. His photograph of the Flatiron in 1905 was an example of his engagement. 

Like Stieglitz, Steichen uses the trees to frame the Flatiron itself and give it the central focus of the piece. The angle from which the image was taken gives the building the appearance of being that of the prow of a ship which, again like Stieglitz, gives the impression of pride and impressiveness. 

It is clear that this image was taken at night and the foggy conditions diffuse the light across the scene giving it the seeming appearance of a dark horror scene. The carriages and the men driving them again emphasise the sheer scale of the building and add to the horror-like setting. 

Alvin Langdon Coburn

'The Flatiron Building'

1911

By the age of 21 Coburn was a serious photographer with his own studio in New York opening in 1902. He had a very abstract style of taking photos and he took may soft focus cityscapes. His image of the Flatiron from 1911 is a prime example of this. The soft focus of the image make the Flatiron appear to blend into the background as though it has seamlessly become part of the normal New York life. The figures, which may be commuters, support this as they are not seen to be paying any attention to the impressive structure behind them. 

The scale of the building is again shown when it is compared to the surrounding buildings and people below.

Source: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/C/coburn/coburn_articles1.html

Walter Gropius

'The Flatiron Building, New York'

1928

Gropius came to photograph the Flatiron in 1928 after moving from his position as Master of Bauhaus, or the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Arts and Crafts as it was formerly known, to America where he found the architecture less modern than that of his previous experiences at Bauhaus. However it was said that Gropius found the Flatiron 'irresistibly exciting'.

As a result of his background in architecture, Gropius photographed the building at an angle and utilised the full height of it to obviously show its height and width. He has approached his Flatiron looking at it's towering height above the surrounding buildings, framing it so as to show as much of the building as possible. 

Source: http://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/190017322?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=stieglitz+flatiron&pos=8

Walker Evans

'Flatiron Building seen from below, New York City'

1928-1929

Evans made his first serious attempt at photographs in 1928 at the age of 24. When it came to his interpretation of the Flatiron, Evans looked at the detail within the building and photographed it for exactly what it was. He photographed it from a low angle, at the perspective of a normal person on the street looking up at it. He appears to have kept a sharp focus on the image allowing it to be taken in fully be the viewer and his goal of including the details to be reached.

Evans photographed in a documentary style and in a way seems to challenge Stieglitz and Steichen's interpretations of the building. It has been said that he a first felt a bitterness against Stieglitz due to the fact that he was deplorable for his artiness and against Steichen for his commercialism.  However later Evans realised that these judgements were unfair however they still served a purpose of clarifying the options that still remained open for him. 

Evans, however, appears to have used Steichen and Stieglitz's approach to the building by framing it with the lamppost that sits on the right hand side of the image.

Source: http://masters-of-photography.com/E/evans/evans_articles3.html

Berenice Abbott

 'The Flatiron Building'

1938

Berenice Abbott began her career as a photographer in 1923 but focused mainly on portraits. In 1929 Abbott moved to New York where she photoed mainly American businessmen before moving onto her photographing New York itself from 1935 until 1939. 

In her image of the Flatiron building there is a huge sense of depth within and the low angle of the shot matches that of Evans and Gropius. She has also included buildings to the right hand side of the main subject in order to achieve a sense of scale. 

Another similarity Abbott has to Evans and Gropius is the documentary style of photography. Since this set of work, half of the buildings Abbott photographed have been demolished.

Source: http://masters-of-photography.com/A/abbott/abbott_articles3.html

Overall all the above photographers and photographs share an admiration for the Flatiron building. However Stieglitz, Steichen and Coburn took a more artistic and abstract approach to their images, using soft lighting and framing to emphasise their subject. 

Whereas Evans, Gropius and Abbott all follow a more documentary style of photography and have photographed the Flatiron simply for what it is and from the point of view it would be seen by the public.