Photo Books That Have Influenced My Journey in Photography: Book Two
- Kathleen Nathan
- Feb 7
- 2 min read
Aperture 16:2
Minor White / editor
January 1, 1971
1972, I was young and struggling to find my life path. The road to becoming an artist is not clearly marked; there isn’t a map that can get you there. During this lost time, I worked as a waitress. One day after my lunch shift, I stopped by the local bookstore: looking for nothing specific, just to browsing. Sifting through the sale bin I spotted a slim, monochromatic publication. On the cover was a stark black and white image of a young black girl wearing glass flitting across the frame, underneath the photo was the title, APERTURE.
Flipping thru the pages I saw photographs like I had never seen before. The works of photographers Nathan Lyons, Fredrick Sommers, Aaron Siskind and Emmet Gowin images had a quality that communicated more than just how things looked, they had an evocative and poetic power. This small publication was the inspiration and direction I needed to begin my journey in photography.
Nathan Lyons, Notions in Passing
In this series Lyons makes photographs that are almost snapshot like, taken quickly, on the go, in passing. Lyons combines and couples these images to create layered, poetic sequences.
Notions in Passing, 1962-1974
Frederick Sommers
Sommers experimented with many techniques to create beautiful abstract and often surreal silver gelatin prints. In his Cut-Paper work, Sommers brings together his interest in drawing and photography.
Aaron Siskind, Photographs of Rome 1963 & 1967
Aaron Siskind began his career as a documentary photographer in the 30’s during the Great Depression. At this time, Siskind used photography as a tool to record and address social injustices.
In the 1940s, Siskind’s photographic interests moved away from socially centered, documentary works toward abstract, poetic, conceptual images. This new direction paralleled the work of the Abstract Expressionist painters of that era.
Emmet Gowin
Emmet Gowin became known for his exquisite and sometimes mysterious , intimate photographs of his wife, Edith and her extended family living in rural Virginia, during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
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