The San Francisco call. [volume], July 14, 1907, Page 5, Image 5

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
The . San J^rancisco 15*»**3LJ3alL
LENS STUDIES OF A
PHOTO-SECESSIONIST
Emily J. Hamilton
THE great god Pan and his fol
lowing of satyrs, fauns, nymphs
and dryads must still haunt our
rrestern wilds, though Milton and
Browning each wrote their epi
taph in England. long ago. for a few,
temperamentally attuned, have seen or
heard some of them in our higher alti
tudes. The poet Sill found the ancient
goddesses of love and beauty wander
ing on the -lifted hills of Berkeley and
row, !n the vast solitudes of our west
ern Alps, among singing pines and
eternal snows, a poet of the lens has
earprised them In their retreats. Here
the Spirit of Nature may be captured
Jn her fleeting forms by a no less prosy
Uttle tool, no less familiar little clap
trap, tiian the camera.
About five years ago a declaration of
independence for the lens was x signed
by a small body of high priests and
priestesses of the camera both "in
America and in Europe, who call them
selves "photo secessionists." It has
since been ratified by the' public in
ft* approval of their artistic, ci-ea.
tions. -In America . they • are led -by
Alfred Stleglltr of New York, who en
courages the "movement "'by r his pub
lication of their, best "work and. by a
.continual relay exhibition at "the Lit
tle Galleries'* In New ; York. These
devotees to art for art's sake, art for
troth's sake, art for humanity's sake.
have welcomed among them three west
erm women, Adelaide Hanscom of Seat
tle. \7ash., Myra Albert Wiggins of
Salem. Ore., and Annie W. Brigman of
Oakland.
Their, aim is identical with that of
the painter or sculptor- — to discover
under The conventional mask of na
ture, whether it be In guise of human
being,- landscape or trees, the living
spirit, "and to" make permanent that
revelation.;,,..
Here-. r .the" * photographer encounters
difficulties'unlike those or the" painter';
for lie must be alert to catch. the fleet
ing vision of loveliness: he must recog
nize the psychological moment and
seize that for permanent record. With",
his tool— the willful, complex,/ even^
deceptive little camera — and his. pig
ments — illusive light arid shade — the
artist works at a high nervous ten
sion,, which; only a great emotion, a
great "love of the beautiful and a keen
understanding of its evanescent forms
can mafter f But that the lens has be
coir.e a wonderfully obedient and sensi
tive medium for the expression of pow
erful emotion and tendea feeling Is
proved in' tho wonderful compositions
of this «ew cult.: Tlie camera Is no
Joi!g<«r_a.mer«^iiiaciiir.e.in -their hand*,
ami photography; no Jouger. a craft,: bat
.a fine art.--
Every:«ne of those artists is on a
voyage itf^ discovery. He perfect^
freedom of» action. He recognizes no
limitaUonJMCJf manner, or of subject "The"'
result ;s t'jat no two plioto secessionists
have the same manner or the same
field. Every one seeks a new.Tealm for
his original work. This sometimes
leads to the bizarre. But so long: as,
he works In the true art spirit — striv-' ; .
ing to represent life as it reveals itself"
to him, just as all masters oi art have
always done, whether It be to^reveal
the beautiful in the commonplace" or la
,the heroic, f>r In dreams of fairyland
he will master the technique and con
vince the public that here is a new
field for creative art.
It is t variously known as "pictorial
photography," "impressionist photog
raphy," "emotional photography," 'and
has even be^n called— -O ye gods'— "art
nouveaux" (art up to date). But, best
of all. perhaps, is Mrs. Brigman's name,
"lens studies." she is now" a "fellow"
of the photo secessionists.
Mrs. Brigman lives just across the
bay, on an emerald green avenue, in •
a house embowered In lavender wis
taria, purple clematis and . climbing
roses, or. rather, she lives all round
the house, for the family spend moat
of their time night and day out of
doors in the wistaria arbor,', under tha
weeping willow, or on" the. lawn.' Here.
In the heart of. a prosy, city, she makes
for herself a poetic environment. for
inspiration. It reminds the writer of
the remark of the master of a cloisonne
factory* in Kiota. During "our. visit to
his shop, where 20 ceramic artists sat •
on their heels Jn- an artistic screened,
room that looked out on a landscape,
garden with stone andons, or " lanterns,",
carp pools, drooping pines and thatched
lodges, Ye remarked that • with its
beautiful burroundin'gs it looked little
like a factory to our western eyes.
And this- oriental captain of Industry •
made answer. "How could my ,' artists"
make beautiful things if their eyes -
were not" fed on beauty T' '
And so in her little "garden of Allah**
this California secessionist dreams her
dreams : of" beauty: The -.winter and
spring she spends .'illustrating - poems ;
and taking portraits,. lncluding studies
of rising or famous men and women
who live or eo'ournhefe for a time.
But'-durins summer and fall this
poet of the lens no longer confines her
' self to recording, personal dramas in
the human face, or to illustrating 'the
poems of other bards, but she dwells
in the deep solitudes of the mountains^
making pictures that are poems In
themselves. i '\u25a0:'.:. ' ' - \u25a0
c <\u25a0\u25a0- \u25a0'\u25a0.\u25a0i
Her realm is the portrayal of the
spirit of the west made vlsiblein mys
""tic" sjTnbollsm. the. west in -its freest.
most illusive: guise.^not the'dynamic
westt not the ; "woolly \u25a0 west." • but tha
- b "" ce * zyv arleaming", -singing*; west, ; where
: the spirit of nature by ' turns glooms
and exults. .''.- .•
One of her studies most prizejl in the
exhibit last fall at "the Little Gal
leries" In New York was called "Echo."
. It represents an Illusive spirit emerg- -
Ing from the deep gloom of a >ave,.the
print so deep toned: that 'it Jfirst* 4 you
see only a shadow embossed on shadow.
The exQuislte figure of a' nymph ma
terializes before r your gaze," and -you
feel that she is slowly coming toward
you. „' . " ,
Her "Dryad," a playful - woodland*
spirit, -escaping fearsomely> thrbugn'
her native pine trees 'from mortals
who. are intruding on her domains,
strikes the keynote of her nature
dramas— the sensitive "spirit: that will 7
not be subdued. A long gaze at it re
veals the inner truth. : It makes; one
see visions, . as good music does! ; :.
The more deeply; tragic ' struggle .for
life in nature [Is -shown in /the. conflict"'
, of the titanic forces.of nature.'V When
her. "Cry cl the Rocks." a silhouette of;
a ; garnit*Jmman figure ; that seems a
section of the great boulder broken
apart and Hfting,lean 'arms' 'to heaven?;!
was published -some : said »"It '- Isn't"
pretty!" Others. "It; isn't.; majestic^
; like ; the rocks." -So it wasn't, -but it *
.had tlie deeper beauty "of thY tragic
struggle of the'dumb" forces of ; nature ;
through* their evolution -of' a" higher*
consciousness. ; **"•; - . -
I^ast .March Mrs. Brigman. rffcciveJ
from the Birmingham: photographic so
ciety the "highest p ward given "at: their
exhibition, open to ; all. photographers
ijofHhb (world, j their c'flrst silver.: medal,/.
' for ; one of 'these r tragic ? studies' called 1
ted .; JPl n "e"/'" ' From
th^e¥*^in^f|^^^^lg]^ff«?B^thJe soul of.
th"^pinea^ges^^b^aTlfuny.l..,molde
huma^ffflgurer/ with ; arms, flung ; aloft,
«Itrainlng i |*i"pward '} for /th^bTeath;' '. of :•
llf^U^a|^|^^|^g^i^ofV^dea^h^Com -j?,
\u25a0bating" the_ ; storm wind* 'she' appears
; about to; flit; to some .higher /incarna—
Ttion^ It j is ; aN phantasy/i:n tasy/i: the 'spirit r
visible; •* *..; ;r " ,.-"
'?£rA^ little ;i higher*;. J above-"*?,- the [ Tl timber /
IlineT^her^ejthbCpurplefah
i of |th el Sier ra^change "• to? creamy 4Wh i to?
\u25a0fand|Bkyiblue,%this?artistshas2found|a"J
Inew^insplratlon^ Here SsheiCmadeT use";
lof I ; the f cr y s tal '\ gl ob© ! to f car ryjout i h erjg
*aymbollßra.%^^sg>fi:'&F * - \u25a0 ' - -_/;;;-
-Cave " i shows;;; the gxnoongj
|goddessfcrouched|ihithe'; shadows' of ;a:'
If caveXyndeirlttieJsnbw,-* I nf con templation -J
foflthejcrystal^ moohft asTitl floats i out] of
fthejdlmnessi in tojtiie.f pearl Cwhl teTwbrldJii
I Here] the] m y ster yjofj he rjcrys tal j gazi tl g %
|lnduces|;a|moodS'ih|the^bser^ej ; fakinJ»:
.itoj,that|portfayedfin^.the|plcture.*^?rhe^
| moodslof |all|these^yelvety| t»hed| bro*- >
ImWeXenlaTSemfiats^with^thelrfsofteried^
|butlinesTand \ znassTworkTeff ectsY are i Sia? "fi
l TO^RS»S«pf«?l|«i%Hdish'"!;:
: nymph; pursuing! on? hands I and^ knees "-.
I the"! crystal § floatlhg'ron''|thelFstream^orfi
|wateriunder4theTdripplng f srio"w|clcles \
% Brook"!! represents?! *1 nal *4li'^ho r i has \u25a0?
[leaped^ Into the Crushing I torrent l; and %
iwißiTiirnn"' -t---~-— \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 -\u25a0 . . \u25a0
. nowi gazes . fascinated \ into the crystal*!
- flood! 'r £.<<':'\u25a0* -'hjSSfjBBK&BHUBtBi
>\u25a0 iVThe^ Thaw/' j* the "m* most \u25a0 : vi gorous \of J,
- this 'i jseries, ."^portrays * \ the - ' Spirit -of %
:Sprlng,':"a"l partlyinudel figure,^ emerging^
from ; a between^;the";'.warin
;boulder-iand "the"; snow( mantle %j>Z t ]th* '{
\u25a0mountain. - ; Asi.she ''steps j forward h she ?
'.bends > over :'a small T. crystal. 7* which "?
[Shoot3|forth*ai;shaftj6f;iight*into|th«;
Lwdstejpf 'coldi^lt ; is * tnei prophetic fadr "r
of iSsprlngtlme: , • one
dreani'^bf:* tender Jvelvet^in "the '\u25a0•% sunlit X
mountain meadows, starred with* bright '
flowersX-" .'-} \u25a0"\u25a0: 'V <\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0.;.,.. \u25a0"} '
,; .Mr's.'.'Brlgman's 'work -hasv been ex*-*
hibited rand praised/ at.- art's exhibitions'.
In] Ix>ndon.*jin.Vpresde P n. v in*.Th9^Haguc.'*^
;in \u25a0 NewJTor k ; and .? in* Brrini ngham.' E^i B- «•
land.^as wel I jTas ? here ;"- on"?,the* '•» coas*.*^
|In^Germany^asi i well-astin"'England 1"shor:1 "sho r:
|isj|cohsidered£bne? -6t i the '• Kreatest ',' in
k the :\u25a0 new! art .'for^herj fearless 'originality-*
|and J idealism. v ; ';. .s:. 7 :.;'\u25a0; V
the. .coming No- '
yember .i the * Little .Galleries ;of » the Sc- :;
icess'ionjsts'^will^hqljdJthelrTannual'rex-' '
hibitlbn'forlmembefs.; /Alfred 1 Stlegilt^'f
the^fatheribf \thls"smovement.%has :in-'-'
Vited jthisj artist itb 2 occupy t the s whole?
1 of £one^room.7, ? ;'-rT.: : -.^7'*t' V-"---\'.'- "»-'\u25a0,-'•:-•'- • '-.
Svjßesidea^ these f's Mr's.^Brigmaii .
_h*a»f taken^hlgh -prizes ;*lnVmariy '\u25a0;\u25a0- pho^
.tographiq 5 j contests.* " W^rr most '-recent ""
[of .'eighty illustrations
\u25baf or j William Ernest 1 Henley's 'posm, "'•- **I '
Am i|theTi Captain ",bf My \ Soul.*; T? For ?
imodel fshe^ has Spoied? lime*. 'Barrer the ?
dramatic^ reader,* and ? actress.' ; i Besides. .
she ' has ' made use^bf 'tije= headpiece of
\u25a0*- \u25a0'. "•\u25a0.•"\u25a0-\u25a0 • \u25a0 ' \u25a0 mßWßbmh
a ; gentleman, whose \u25a0\u25a0 Identity mast . re- ;
maln*a;my3tery. you > cannot ~'lden- ;
tlfy ' one, ;byi his f grinning skulL ".The
evolution )oti the ? poet's "unconqu»'-ail« *
soul" ;f rom ;the "v "night* that covers** to
the radiant "-triumph over Tat*" U 4n* -'_
mailcally ,; thrilling. -"
J-*_P e rbaps -you^wonder how this .woman --.
has done these'thlngs. ?• She couldn' t tell
you!; -Her, flrs 1 1 artistic impulse. i inha r- ;
itedj from , her:; maternal 'grandfather,
.whq.'.was'aa'-a'rtlst'ln ;wood cuts and \u25a0
afcoraposer^of found 'expression -
In impressionist patn tin gland In 'liter- -
aryj sketches. £ Seeln g. a-" low i Im- r *
presslonist photograph -of a. friend,
taken, by a well known - master of \u25a0 that
art "in I this' clt>v?sh»! realized that *;th« -.'.
lens^was- a subtle tool .tor.* the
trayal', of -mood : and ." personality. \u25a0-,*: Sh«
has I learned .most " of • the - processes^ en
tire^ by^self-teachlng,* taking :sa»ies- ;
tlons" f rom 'camera'-Journals.'*
She* began /by using and still.; for most ,;
of,: her ; ouuof door fwork.. uses 7a". tiny
kodak, .which 'she '.can .tuck into;- her .'.
shirtwaist.' ? and 'which " takes a = picture\
ndtso large as the palm of your . v hand; "
Then.* with « patient : experimenting, -she
taught .herself to V get /artistic'.results"
by?enlarging on • bromide • paper- But --\u25a0
still her hope was to . write •}, stories.
Her master^ in* this- art > told her* that if
shc£? could '-put '-Into "her.- pictures . th« ».
delicacy of -^perception.- suggestlveness \u25a0
that she showed gleams 'of in" herwrit
insjshe .wouldibecome'a' great artist la
this* new. medium. That was five years j-,
ago 7 and : the : prophecy; bids fair to • \u25a0•- *