#10 - Larrain & Wenders

Photobooks and the beauty of blur

I hope this finds you well.

This issue of the Offline Newsletter has been delayed due to (enjoyable) research, interviews and writing distractions - individual and in combination - for the October issue #005 of Offline Journal which will have a particular focus on photobooks and photography publishing in and related to Wales. This will be a special issue and it’s very exciting to see it coming together.

This extraordinary period of lockdown has forced photographers and others with an interest in photography to get their fix primarily, but not exclusively, online. However, there will be a significant number, perhaps you included, who have welcomed the opportunity to turn to their book shelves and revisit photobooks for inspiration. I have split my time between both.

Several weeks back I was browsing the Aperture website and spotted a book I was aware of but had never explored further. So I searched for a few online reviews (and any now seemingly-obligatory book flip-through on YouTube), sucked my teeth then ordered a copy.

Born in Chile in 1931, Sergio Larrain was personally invited into the Magnum agency by Henri Cartier-Bresson after seeing Larrain’s work produced in Chile’s port city of Valparaíso (there’s a book of the same name by Larrain). He became a Magnum associate in 1959, a full member in 1961 and stayed with the agency for almost ten years before retreating from professional photography. In a relatively short career during which he gained much admiration from his peers in and outwith Magnum, Larrain grew cynical of attention and working in the business of mass media. In late 1969 he’d had enough and located to Arica in northern Chile to concentrate on spiritual mysticism, meditation and art. He died in 2012 aged 81 years.

At 400 pages and roughly A4 in size ‘Sergio Larrain’ is a relatively big book. Published in France by Éditions Xavier Barral in 2013 and designed by the highly respected Xavier Barral (who sadly passed away last year) this is a fine example of a high production-value photobook: hardback, cloth cover and tightly bound. Two English language editions were published alongside the French (each with subtle differences in the cover design): one in the USA by Aperture (the version I have) and the other in the UK by Thames and Hudson titled ‘Sergio Larrain: Vagabond Photographer’ which Sean O’Hagan included in The Observer’s ‘Books of the Year’ for 2013, commenting:

A book full of beautiful, often bravely experimental street images, it should go some way towards elevating the reclusive photographer into the canon of 20th-century greats.

Above: the tipped-in photograph on the cover of the book.

It was in Valparaíso that I started taking photographs, walking up and down its hills, around 1951… The image of the young girls descending the steps was the first of the ‘magic’ images that came to me… It’s only in Valparaíso that such things can happen.
- Sergio Larrain

One could argue all photography is experimental.

Larrain’s work, carefully reproduced in this book, is certainly beautiful and clearly shows a deepl and considered approach - waiting for things to unfold and much experimentation with composition - in making these photographs with a 35mm film camera. The locations where he photographed vary widely - spanning South America and Europe with people - and details of people - featuring prominently.

One particular trait in Larrain’s work which struck me is the use of blur in capturing movement but also, apparently, deliberately missing focus. I have no doubt that some images were made very quickly in bringing up his camera to capture a scene or expression with only a split second to spare: better to have something than nothing, right? It’s evident, however, that Larrain is deliberately shooting some work at slower shutter speeds when more than enough light is available to achieve subtle effects to give his images an artistic and almost poetic appeal; employed too often to be mistakes.

I wonder whether many of these photographs if made today in an alternate split second - exact same spot, same subject matter, same gestures and same opportunity - but likely in colour with a contemporary digital or film camera, would pass muster due to ‘unsharpness’? Tools now available to photographers might possibly tempt some to ‘fix’ focus by sharpening or overwork an image to the point where it barely resembles the original to become ‘manufactured’ art.

The work of Sergio Larrain is an example of unmanipulated - almost pure - photography. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Buy it before the first edition disappears and thank me later.

Don’t ever force things… Follow your own taste and nothing else. You are life and life is what you choose. What you do not like, don’t look at it, it’s no good. You’re the only criterion, but still look at everyone else.
- Sergio Larrain

Some will be aware of the ‘Pigeons’ story often recounted by long-time Larrain admirer and fellow Magnum member David Hurn who included original Larrain prints in his SWAPS collection gift to National Museum Wales in 2017. I look forward to seeing them on the walls in future exhibitions. You can watch David Hurn discuss Larrain in the short video below…

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On the subject of blur…

I was never big on Cinephilia.
My taste in movies pretty much ran in parallel with my taste in music in their variety.
When asked (and haven’t we all been) “what’s your favourite movie?”, I’ve pretty much stuck to my guns over the years with the original 1982 Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott but with two others coming close: 1987’s Angel Heart directed by Alan Parker; and 1999’s Buena Vista Social Club directed by Wim Wenders.

Wenders' movie (actually a Documentary film) followed the formation of an ensemble of talented Cuban musicians as they revived the music of pre-revolutionary Cuba. Acclaimed American guitarist, and Wenders close friend, Ry Cooder was heavily involved and produced the resulting album which in turn led to exclusive live concerts featuring the full ensemble line-up in Amsterdam and New York in 1998. Wenders' documentary captured the story and music performances and won many awards.

Photography has also been a passion for Wenders throughout his career and was instrumental in him planning his better known and iconic road trip movie Paris, Texas with friend Ry Cooder creating an equally-iconic movie score. Surprisingly, despite film cameras being available to him when he had an interest in photography in his twenties, Wenders chose to shoot his early stills exclusively on Polaroid cameras for roughly fifteen years.

Wenders said…

…most of them I gave away because when you took Polaroids people liked them and wanted them because it was an object - a singular thing. So, two thirds of the Polaroids I ever took I probably gave away. They were the proof of that moment and they were true. The idea that it was one of a kind and you produced it once - there was a truth in it: you couldn’t fuck with it, you couldn’t manipulate it, you couldn’t add other colours or other things that you can do now… Polaroid was the bloody truth and it was unmanipulatable.

There we have it. Two very different photographers but Wim Wenders joining Sergio Larrain in celebrating unmanipulated images and the desired imperfections a trained eye can bring to good photography in the decisive moment.

A selection of Wenders’ surviving Polaroids were exhibited in the UK in 2018 at The Photographers Gallery and the accompanying (big) book ‘Wim Wenders: Instant Stories’ is still available on Amazon here

Another Wenders book (this one having no images but packed with nuggets of Wenders wisdom) ‘The Act of Seeing: Essays and Conversations’ (published by Faber & Faber in 1997) is very interesting reading on his creative approach to making images. Although primarily dealing with his extensive movie work, I’d recommended it to photographers as, in my view, around 75% of the book can have references to movies or film-making swapped for ‘photography’. I found a hardback copy second hand online.

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With willing participants lined up, the next Offline (online!) group video discussion is this evening - Wednesday 24 June. Keep an eye on your email inbox - I’m gradually working my way through Offline supporters to invite them on future discussions.

Stay safe all.
Brian

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Newsletter © Brian Carroll 2020

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Offline Journal Newsletter is usually published every first and third Sunday each month to offer the wider photography community an opportunity to discuss photography in, from and of Wales.
Back Issues of and Subscriptions to the limited edition printed Offline Journal (published every April & October) available via www.offline.wales

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