Jeff Ward on Walker Evans
At Visible Darkness, Jeff Ward has embarked on what promises to be a rewarding extended essay on the work of the photographer Walker Evans.
Jeff is nothing if not thorough and, after a brief introduction, he has already examined the early influences on Evans’ work: the poet Hart Crane and the photographers Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler.
I thought I was familiar with every body of work that Walker Evans produced but the image above, taken in 1928 or 1929, came as a surprise (although I feel that I must have seen it before). It’s clear, when one recalls Jeff’s own photographs (frequently included in his weblog), why he would write:
But there are some really shining moments from that early period, particularly those that seem to be “under the influence of Strand.” This photograph, in particular, has had a deep influence on me, in a way probably not unlike the influence of Strand on Evans.
I imagine that this same photograph had just as strong an influence on Robert Frank.
Anyone with even a passing interest in photography, art, and the visual construction of meaning will profit from Jeff Ward’s reflections on Walker Evans.
