Artist Research - Edward Weston

Edward Henry Weston was born in Chicago on 24^th March 1886 and was a 20^th century American photographer.  He moved to California when he was 21 and he knew that he wanted to be a photographer from an early age.

Over the course of his 40 year career, he photographed a wide expanse of subjects including landscapes, still life, nudes, portraits, genre scenes and whimsical humour.

In 1937 Edward was the 1^st photographer to receive Guggenheim Fellowship and over the next 2 years he produced nearly 1400 negatives using his 8 x 10 view camera.  Some of his most famous pictures taken were of rocks and trees which were photographed at Point Lobos, California, near where he lived for many years.



Edward Weston

Pepper

Cabbage Leaf

Artichoke



In 1947, Edward was diagnosed with parkinson’s disease.  He had to stop photographing in 1948 as he was no longer physically able to use his large view camera.  He spent the last remaining 10 years of his life overseeing the printing of over 1000 of his most famous images.  He died at his home on New Years Day 1958.  His ashes were scattered by his sons into the Pacific Ocean on Pebbly Beach on Point Lobos.  Due to Edwards influence in the area the beach was later renamed Weston Beach.

I think that Edward took some pretty good photographs.  It’s a pity that some are not in colour so that we can see the true beauty of them.  But like Karl Blossfeldt, he had to make do with what was available at the time and I think that both of them have done the job very well considering equipment and shortage of money in those early years.   I still don't think that they appeal to me like other artists that I have written about.   I love colour and vibrancy of photographs, and even though they are good, I'm not head over heels in love with them.