Comments on: Gianni Berengo Gardin: Photographer

By: Christopher Livsey

Christopher Livsey — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:27:16 +0000

Interesting.
Re your comment on 200 books. Perhaps that is the problem HCB rests on ” The Decisive Moment” NEVER reprinted, though now available o the web. Less is more ?

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:50:32 +0000

Alex,

Interesting. Thank you.

By: Alex Novak

Alex Novak — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:07:17 +0000

If you are interested in learning more about Gardin in English and to view some of his work, you might want to go to our Special Exhibit: “Two Italian Master Photographers: Gianni Berengo Gardin and Mario Giacomelli”. There is a pretty decent bio, etc.

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:17:29 +0000

Doug,

It is probably possible to create a photo which has no content, but photography is essentially a content rich medium. However, thinking about photography in terms of more or less content in an image is still valuable (or so I’ve found).

By: Doug Stockdale

Doug Stockdale — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:01:00 +0000

Colin, I am glad that I first responded to your question regarding form and content on Stills before I read this post. I think that the word “content” is taking on a lot different meaning in the quote above than I was writing about. The word “Content” here is a qualitative “value”, such as the word “meaning”. The beautiful image may have preceived “lite” content, that is the image is just about surfact things. While another image may have perceived “deep” content, that has the ability to conjur up moods, feelings and perhaps entrigue, far beyond the surface qualities. Nevertheless, I still think all images have content.

By: Colin

Colin — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:36:16 +0000

Martin,

Magnum is undoubtedly a part of the reason that HCB is so well known, but I think that it isn’t the whole story. There is, for example, the instance where HCB found out that he had died in the war because of a commemorative exhibition in New York. I suspect that being the first of the greats has a lot to do with it. As does luck.

By: Martin Doonan

Martin Doonan — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:15:33 +0000

I did a little mor investigating on GBG on the back of this (and will probably do some more, too). Looks like the Italian Wiki entry is just a translation/copy of his biography posted at the Contrasto agency website (his representing agency).

I think the key reson for HCB being better known is the American effect. Working for (indeed founding) a major US based agency has to give anyone a head start, as does working for English publications. Plus, I bet there are more translations from French than Italian to English in general.

How many other great photographers exist in obscurity as a result of the langauge in which they work?