(1883
- 1976 )
Imogen Cunningham occupies a singular position in the
history of American art of the twentieth century. For
over half the history of photography, she explored- with
innovation and a new perspective- all the major traditions
associated with the medium as fine art. She has been most
widely acclaimed for the photographs made during the 1920s
and 1930s, particularly close-up images of plants and
nudes. She also made portraits which are now considered
classics in photography, including images of Alfred Stieglitz,
Spencer Tracy, and Martha Graham. She was a founding member
of the West Coast-based Group f.64, which championed an
un-manipulated, direct approach with the camera, or “straight”
photography. Her photographs are represented in major
collections and museums around the world.
" My interest in photography has something to do
with the aesthetic,
and that there should be a little beauty in everything.
"