Stieglitz. Odette England.
Finding like images is easy enough, even when the photographers are far from alike. Time separates everything. These two pictures come from distinct generations. Stieglitz had very different struggles than England has. Alfred Stieglitz is a canonized name; Odette England isn’t; she is on an ascent a century (2023) after Stieglitz made his picture (1923).
Alfred Stieglitz made the picture whose caption carries the weight of the image. Spiritual America.
Spiritual America. (or Songs of the Sky A1) 1923. Silver gelatin print.
11.6 x 9.2 cm. (4 9/16 x 3 5/8 in.)
in the Alfred Stieglitz Key Set
Odette England has published three award-winning books, including Dairy Character, recipient of the 2021 Light Work Book Award. Dairy Character is published by Saint Lucy Books. These two associations ring a Jungian bell — I was in Syracuse as Light Work formed, and am an alumnus of the arts school of Saint Lucy’s founder. Those two things mean little to nothing other than being the catalyst for my buying the book.
Once released into the world, texts of whatever form, form their ripples in the perception of their keeper. Books are the key stone of photography, writing in all its forms: text, or image. Ms. England is a shaper of words as much as of images. The text of the book, those inner pink pages, [ K04. Pink Dust]
Captions carry meaning. In this century with a flood of photobooks, text expands. Text in art books is usually written by an arts writer. A critic, or curator provides the context and interpretation of the imagery. There aren’t many James Baldwins. There are many well informed, eloquent writers on photography. There are few photographer-writers.
Ms. England is a story teller. This is a story about her place.
I also have her Past Paper Present Marks; more, some other time.
You must be logged in to post a comment.