1. Pictorialism, an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality. Pictorialism was a movement that thrived between 1885 and 1915, and began in response to claims that a photograph was nothing more than a simple record of reality.
  2. The central tenets of Straight Photography revolved around capturing subjects in their natural environments. Pictorialism and Straight Photography were two opposing movements in early 20th-century American photography. Pictorialism aimed to make photos look like paintings, using soft focus and manipulation. Straight Photography, in contrast, embraced sharp focus and unaltered images. The primary purpose of the Straight Photography movement was to celebrate the truth and beauty found in everyday life and nature.
  3. In Mexico, Edward Weston started to sharpen the straight photography way of taking pictures that he had begun to develop before his trip to New York. He took pictures of people he met and of objects and buildings. His pictures appeared to represent the true nature of his subjects. Aaron Siskind turned the medium of photography on its head, taking pictures of found objects that were simultaneously true-to-life and abstract; he was one of the first photographers to combine what was known as “straight” photography (recording the real world as the lens “sees” it) with abstraction.
  4. Both Gursky and Barth could be seen as rejecting the strict definitions of either pictorialist or straight photography. Gursky’s work is more about visual manipulation on a grand scale, and Barth’s work is focused on perception and abstraction in subtle ways. Both are firmly part of the contemporary art scene, where boundaries between genres and styles are increasingly fluid.

Citations

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pictorialism | History, Techniques and Examples.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Nov. 2006, www.britannica.com/technology/Pictorialism.

100ASA Ltd. “The Straight Photography Movement: Capturing Reality Through the Lens | 100ASA.” 100ASA, 100asa.com/blog/the-straight-photography-movement-capturing-reality.

Pictorialism Vs. Straight Photography | American Art – 1865 to 1968 Class Notes | Fiveable. library.fiveable.me/american-art-between-1865-1968/unit-5/pictorialism-vs-straight-photography/study-guide/unaVDAajgeJA7MlH.

VOA Learning English. “Edward Weston, 1886-1958: Influenced How Photography Was Seen.” Voice of America, 29 Oct. 2006, learningenglish.voanews.com/a/a-23-2006-11-07-voa1-83128062/125522.html.

“Aaron Siskind Photography, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/siskind-aaron.