Atelier 41 Classes 6 and 7: Conversation with Egon Schiele
This project was about communicating with an artist. The instructor asked each of us to choose one, and over four weeks we worked to understand that artist and to show connections and conversations through our own photography. I chose Egon Schiele.
I first saw his work in Vienna in August and was moved by it. I went back to see it several times at the Belvedere and the Leopold Museum, and bought annual passes to both. What drew me in was that he seemed to want to break away from conformity and tradition and create his own style. His self portraits, for example, show negative feelings, which had not been done before. His self portraits, portraits of others and nudes were not beautiful by the conventions of his time. To my eyes, they show anxiety, uncertainty, and a little distance and indifference. I kept thinking how daring and difficult it must have been to leave the Vienna art academy at 19, start his own circle of artists, and paint such unconventional work.
I was also drawn to the hands in his self portraits. They are long and angular, and they seemed to show his restless, uncertain mind. In my first class, Emily mentioned that the three photos I brought all had a hand gesture in them. So I thought, ah, I can connect Schiele's hands to my photography.
The presentation
Use the arrows to move through the conversation as I presented it in class. Schiele speaks first; my photograph answers on the next arrow.
Final photographs
The nine photographs I presented, in the order of the conversation. Click any photo to see it full size.
1. Branches at night (Hands and Branches)
2. Branches against the building (Fingers and Branches)
3. Forked trunk
4. Shadow on the planter (Angular Contours)
5. Railway tracks (Angular Contours)
6. The statue's arm (Angular Contours)
7. Tree shadow on brick (Angular Contours)
8. Self portrait, hand to cheek
9. Self portrait, white nail hands
Along the way
Photographs I made but did not choose.
Chair legs and shadows
Bow at sunset
Hands in autumn light
Rooflines
A painted hand, detail
Rail yard through the fence
Walking figure
Pine over the garage
Autumn tree and its shadow
My process
Finding a way to photograph Schiele was difficult.
I wanted to connect his courage and the hands in his paintings to my photography. Looking at his self portraits, I felt his vulnerability: nervousness, uncertainty, frustration, indifference.
My first idea was to use trees to stand in for his hands. For two or three weeks, I photographed trees and branches, because they can resemble the hands in his paintings.
Then I looked for lines with particular angular bends, between 130 and 160 degrees. I noticed that most lines in urban settings either meet at 90 degrees or are rounded.
I started looking for other kinds of lines that intrigued me.
Finally, and reluctantly, I decided to take self portraits. My daughter helped me paint my fingernails white.
In the class, my fellow students and the instructor mentioned:
The first pair of tree photos was more effective than the second, because of the light.
Someone asked what would happen if I used something other than trees for the second pair.
My self portrait didn't necessarily show courage, even though for me the act of taking a self portrait was courageous.
There weren't many comments on the other photos.
What I'm still working on
I'm still struggling to find ways to bring beauty or curiosity into a photo, something beyond the content itself.