Photography and Cinema

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diversity,definitionsofphotographyhavetendedtorelyuponcompari-

sonandcontrast.Painting,literature,sculpture,theatreandcinemahave

offereddifferentwaystoconsiderwhatphotographyis.Notsurprisingly,

differentideashaveemerged.Paintingputstheemphasisonquestionsof

descriptionandactuality.Literatureputstheemphasisonrealismand

expression.Sculptureemphasizesmattersofvolumeandflatness.Theatre

emphasizestheperformative.Cinematendstoemphasizeaspectsof

durationandtheframe(Iamsimplifying,ofcourse).Suchapproaches

areunavoidableandweseetheminallkindsofdiscussionofphotography,

bothpopularandspecialist.

Perhapsthefirstgreatattempttobringcinemaandphotography

togetherformutualdefinitionwastheambitiousFilm und Fotoexhibition

heldinStuttgartin 1929.^3 ItwasorganizedbytheDeustscheWerkbund,

whichhadgrownoutoftheArtsandCraftsmovementattheturnofthe

centuryinpursuitofthereconciliationofartandtechnology.Bytheend

ofthe 1920 sfilmhadestablisheditselfasamediumofpopularentertain-

mentandnews.Photographyhadalsobecomeamassmediumviathe

illustratedpress.Meanwhile,artisticphotographywasemergingfromits

fawningimitationofpaintingtopursueamodernindependenceofsorts,

whileseekingmoreprogressivealignments,particularlywithfilm.

Theshowdrewtogethernearlyathousandphotographs,including

imagesofoldParisbyEugèneAtget;theDadaandpoliticalphotomon-

tagesofJohnHeartfieldandHannahHöch;theNewVisionphotographs

ofGermaineKrull,AenneBiermann,AlbertRenger-PatzschandLászló

Moholy-Nagy;thecrispformalismoftheAmericansBrettandEdward

Weston;camera-lessabstractimagesbyManRay;photo-textgraphicsby

PietZwart,ElLissitzkyandKarelTeige;andportrait,fashion,industrial,

scientific,sportsandnewsphotography.^4 Inotherwords,Film und Foto

characterizedphotographythroughitsbreadth.Inaddition,therewas

afilmfestivalprogrammedbyHansRichterdisplayingthevanguard

cinemaofEurope,SovietRussiaandNorthAmerica,includingthework

ofCharlieChaplin,RenéClair,SergeiEisenstein,VsevolodPudovkin,

DzigaVertov,RobertWieneandCarlTheodorDreyer.Somepractitioners

showedtheirphotographsandfilms.Indeed,oneoftheaimsofFilm und

Fotowastohighlighthowcentralthephotographicsensibilitywastothe 9

2PosterfortheFilmundFotoexhibition,
Stuttgart,1929.Anonymous.

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