Famous Photographers Series - Part 11 - Ilse Bing
Famous Photographers Series - Part 11 - Ilse Bing
Ilse Bing - Her most famous self-portrait, with mirrors.
From Wikipedia:
"Ilse Bing (23 March 1899 – 10 March 1998) was a German avant-garde and commercial photographer who produced pioneering monochrome images during the inter-war era.
Her move from Frankfurt [where she was born,] to the burgeoning avant-garde and surrealist scene in Paris in 1930 marked the start of the most notable period of her career. She produced images in the fields of photojournalism, architectural photography, advertising and fashion, and her work was published in magazines such as Le Monde Illustre, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. Respected for her use of daring perspectives, unconventional cropping, use of natural light, and geometries, she also discovered a type of solarisation for negatives independently of a similar process developed by the artist Man Ray.
Her rapid success as a photographer and her position as the only professional in Paris to use an advanced Leica camera earned her the title "Queen of the Leica" from the critic and photographer Emmanuel Sougez. In 1936, her work was included in the first modern photography exhibition held at the Louvre, and in 1937 she traveled to New York City where her images were included in the landmark exhibition "Photography 1839–1937" at the Museum of Modern Art."
Going through the lists of Famous Photographers, and looking at their works has been a fantastic experience, especially for an amateur photographer like me. I have seen the most creative and artistic photography, and I have to say that Ilse Bing, whom I never before even knew existed, has provided what I consider breathtaking originality and variety of works. I truly admire what I have seen, and here have posted 60 of her photos for the enlightenment and enjoyment of the few of you who have indicated appreciation for this series of Famous Photographers.
1. Buzz note: She makes excellent use of shadows and surfaces, and uses unusual angles.
2.
3. Bodensee
4. Patrice Avec Bateau
5. An Avant-Garde Vision
6. Skyscrapers
7. Shoes for Harper's Bazaar
8.
9.
10. Chair, Champs Elysee, Paris
11. It was so windy in the Eiffel Tower, 1931
12. Empire State Building at Night
13. Greta Garbo Poster
14. Telegraph Wires
15. Railway
16. Steps
17. Posters
18.
19. Plants
20. Carriage, Central Park, New York, 1936
21. Barber Shop
22. Dead End
23. Street Cleaners, Paris, 1947
24. Central Park
25. Still Life with Tulips, 1939
26. All of Paris in a Box, 1952
27. Eiffel Tower
28. Queensborough Bridge Exit with One Car, New York, 1936
29. Lamp Post, Germany, 1929
30. Laundry, Frankfurt, Germany, 1929
31. Mailbox, Frankfurt, Germany, 1929
32. French Cancan, Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1931 (the first of 4 Moulin Rouge photos)
33. Moulin Rouge Box Office, 1931
34. Moulin Rouge Dancers, 1931
35. Moulin Rouge Entrance, 1931
36. Poverty in Paris, 1931
37. Stairs, Versailles, 1931
38. Prostitutes, Amsterdam, 1931
39. Jewish Ghetto, Quartier St. Paul, 1932
40. Gloves, for Harper's Bazaar, 1933
41. Wax Museum, Paris, 1934
42. Fountain, Place de la Concorde, 1934
43. Gaslight, 8 Rue de Varinne, 1934
44. Poster, Henry VIII, Paris, 1934
45. East River, New York, 1936
46. Streetscape, El, New York, 1936
47. Lower East Side, New York, 1936
48. Street Scene, New York, 1936
49. Trapeze Artist, 1936
50. Connecticut, 1946 (Buzz note: note the fly on the wrist)
51. Spider Web and Stables, New York, 1951
52. Hanging Laundry (Buzz note: The hanging of laundry is almost universal in China. Hardly anyone has a dryer appliance, as they use too much expensive electricity.)
53. Without Illusion, Flea Market, Paris, 1957
54. Bicyclist at Luxembourg Park, 1952
55. Shadow Self-Portrait, 1953
56. Rooftops, New York, 1950
57. Although this photo was in with a series of photos I'm not entirely sure it is hers, but I think it is.
58. Hot Dog Vendor, New York City, 1936
59. Puppet Show, Paris
60. Shadows. I hope this is her photo, because it's my favourite one of hers. It, too, was in a bunch of her photos but sometimes photos by other photographers get mixed in, and I could not specifically identify it.
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Great essay Buzz. The photo of the Empire State Building is quite different, in fact I didn't even recognize it as the Empire State Building.
The four photos of Moulin Rogue were great. I have a painting by Micheal Delacroix of Moulin Rogue which I really enjoy.
Thank you. My favorite...the little boy.
You mean the one floating the boat?
That's the one.
"CHIAROSCURO" is a term that applies to much of Bing's pictures.
Chiaroscuro is an Italian artistic term used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in an artwork, particularly paintings. It comes from the combination of the Italian words for "light" and "dark."
Highly contrasty subjects require great skill with regard to compositional balance.
Number 17 is a good example.
Seems to like to work with shadows, in an interesting way.