Paul Strand Self-Portrait

Photo Credit: https://www.artsy.net/artist/paul-strand

The End of his Movement

After over thirty-five years of photographing still lifes, Strand purchased a house with its own garden.  Some of the garden was kept in a certain state of decay.  His home, La Briardiere, became a place of peace for the retirement of Strand and his wife.  Although they created the perfect home, neither Strand nor his wife was able to simply sit at home.  They travelled and took photographic expeditions.  In 1968, their trips came to an end and Strand began to use nature to stimulate his imagination in spite of his failing health.* His new home and restricted range allowed for an appreciation for his own feelings and allowed for self reflection.  The Apple That Fell, the Garden of Eden, and Things Past on the Way to Oblivion were metaphoric titles for the final seasonal cycles of his garden as he photographed them with urgency.  Each of Strand’s works bore larger meanings, but his garden photos were meant to be differentiated from the others.

In his final years, Strand created “the Garden Book” which was his final work.**  In this book he wanted to link nature with culture, but his idea attracted too many publishers.  This book was a reflection of Strand’s own state of mind, which was an change from capturing other subject’s emotions.  The book was never finished and Strand’s strength began to fade as he died.  The book was left in pieces.  Many believe that Strand’s book was purposely left unfinished to represent his “open future”.  Connectivity and expression is what Strand used to capture his subjects.  Later, self-reflection and imagination fueled his photographs and many people are still captured by them.

* Stange, Maren. Paul Strand: Essays on his life and work. New york: Aperture, 1990.

** Travis, David. “Paul Strand’s ‘Fall in Movement’.” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, Vol. 19, Issue 2 (January 1, 1993): 187-207.

The Fall of a Movement

Paul Strand was an amazing photographer and captured many elements.  However, toward the end of his life, the still-life photographs he took in his garden.  Fall in Movement (1973) is not as famous or well known as his other bodies of work. There were never enough garden photographs in one place.  Strand did not begin his career by shooting nature, but candid portraits of everyday people on the street and things in his home. 

His close-ups became famous because of their abstract qualities.  During vacations and summers, Strand would photograph natural designs instead of artificial still lifes because of the natural qualities they revealed.  His infatuation grew into an obsession and Strand realized that whenever the breeze stopped, the objects he was shooting resumed their previous position. *  He discovered that if he opened the shutter only during lulls of the breeze.  His negatives would be sharp as if no wind messed with the shot at all.  Strand’s secret elevated his self-confidence and began to connect nature to human existence.  His objective attitude reflected in his photographs.

In the 1920’s Strand’s focus changed and he concentrated on buildings, objects, and landscapes.  The following decade, Strand completed his work in Mexico where his photographs were taken with a hidden mirror on his lens.  His later works were of head-on portraits of strangers.  These images were dynamic. He was able to capture these individuals as they “were.” There was no direction or manipulation involved. It was Straight photography in the purest sense.  Strand focused and reflected on their differences and independence from his own.

* Travis, David. “Paul Strand’s ‘Fall in Movement’.” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, Vol. 19, Issue 2 (January 1, 1993): 187-207.

Elementary Teacher

While photographing in Mexico, Strand recalled "... When [he] began to make portraits, especially in Mexico in 1933, that the Graflex was perfect with the attachment of a prism for photographing the people without their knowing that they were being photographed-which was absolutely essential because the Mexican-Indians don't like to be photographed." * Although controversial, the use of a hidden lens was common during this time and necessary to capture the raw emotions of this time. This was a popular practice for Strand during this time. He felt as though the less the subject knew about the photograph being taken, the more “real” the image would be. Although Strands attempts were genuine, there was an obvious cultural and power disconnect and between Strand and his subjects in Mexico. Strand placed himself at considerable risk by traveling through old war zones with accouterment and a translator. With the help of Narcisso Bassols, Strand was able to create an exhibit unlike any other he'd completed before. People from all walks of life visited his exhibit as it became apart of the street life and market culture. Although Strand's exhibit received much success, he needed to find work in order to prolong his stay in Mexico. His first job was at elementary school working twelve hours weekly and receiving permissions to travel and photograph additionally. This allowed for Strand to further assimilate himself into the culture and witness what life was actually like for the natives. Although it is unknown how long Strand spent teaching elementary art, he still completed an exhibit of children's artwork in Michoacán.  Photographs of Mexico is a distinguished work of art as each photograph leads into or introduces the next photograph, which inadvertently enhances the previous photograph. Strand sought to create a social history visually while in Mexico, but neglected to capture aspects of the culture such as the degradations of poverty and wealth, industry and technology, and indigenous contexts. However, what he did capture was proven to be both complex and stunning. Strand's time in Mexico came at an intense time when the country had just gotten out of social and cultural conflict. As with many conflict and wars, although they may end, conflict was still lingering in Michoacán.

*  Kripner, James. “Traces, Images, and Fiction: Paul Strand in Mexico.” The Americas 63, no. 3 (Jan 2007): 359-383.

Mexico-The Beginning

Paul Strand was both a recognized and criticized photographer and filmmaker. Strand aimed to visually capture the social culture of Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. His Mexican work Photographs of Mexico, later renamed, as the Mexican Portfolio is comprised of about one hundred seventy five negatives, twenty platinum prints. In addition, he also photographed, produced, and directed the film (Redes), which was well received by Mexican Nationals because of its connectivity to the national ethos in the 1930s. * Strand was considered an "American-Mexican" whose photographs are considered the best of its kind. Paul Strand was an advocate for straight photography, which can be defined as photography that prohibits the manipulation of negatives. He knew the importance of each stage of botch the creating and editing process that added to the objectivity of his creations. By traveling to Mexico from a received invitation by a friend, Carlos Chávez, Strand fled many disappointments such as: a failed marriage, a failed relationship with his mentor, Alfred Stieglitz, and a failed application for the Guggenheim Fellowship. In Mexico however, Strand found success as an elementary school art instructor and later Director of Photography and film for the Mexican Department of Fine Arts. Although Strand had many achievements In Mexico, he was forced to leave in 1935 over much controversy. An example of his work done in Mexico was an image of the Ranchos de Taos Church, New Mexico, 1931. ** This church is a cultural landmark and extremely important to the common tradition of humanity. It is also a sacred place for the native dwellers in the area, which is what brought Strand to this location.

*  Kripner, James. “Traces, Images, and Fiction: Paul Strand in Mexico.” The Americas 63, no. 3 (Jan 2007): 359-383.

** Tompkins, Calvin. Paul Strand: Sixty years of photographs: excerpts from correspondence, interviews, and other documents. Millerton, N.Y.: Aperture, 1975.

Photo Credit: http://aperture.org/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/t/strand_st-francis-church-ranchos-de-taos-new-mexico-1931_1.jpg