Board_Advisors_etc 3..5

squeezed into the confines of a magazine, she under-
took books. Many of these projects were closely
connected to Arthur Miller’s literary and political
activities. During this period, Morath also proved
herself to be an adept portraitist. Her method was to
talk to people, alone and in groups, get close to
them, then distance herself again to bring her camera
into the situation, camouflaging it with talk and
other distractions. Only then would she begin to
shoot, studying the first results, rejecting them, start-
ing the process a second, a third, countless times—
and often returning in the end to the very first shot.
The difference between her photographic process
and the resulting photographs is significant, and it
corresponds to the difference between talking and
writing: photographing is the performative act;
photos are written, corrected, and edited products
of lengthy preparation. Inge Morath’s mastery
developed fully when she employed her communi-
cative competence to this process, and she achieved
this at the side of that gifted communicator Arthur
Miller. She accompanied him on trips to Russia,
China, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. One of
her most important photographs of this period is of

Joseph Brodsky whom she persuaded to take a

walk on the roof of the Peter and Paul Fortress in

Leningrad in 1967. On one hand, the shock of the

bright light is clearly felt as they step out onto the

roof after climbing up through the protective dark-

ness; on the other hand, she cleverly adapts the

perspective of the spy from the Soviet government

who was certainly present to monitor their actions.

Inge Morath’s pictures demonstrate how linguis-

tic competence and artistic activity can be combined.

And they also show qualities that photography as a

medium and genre still has in the age of motion and

electronic media. Inge Morath has added her photo-

graphic skill to her linguistic competence, and that

has enabled her to achieve extraordinary things—

not only in the act of talking and photographing,

but more in the resulting pictures and texts.

RolfSachsse

Biography

Born in Graz, Austria, 27 May 1923. Studied in literature and

Romance languages, Berlin and Bucharest, 1942–1945.

Translator for theUnited States Information Servicesand

Inge Morath, Joseph Brodsky takes a walk in Leningrad, Leningrad, Russia, 1967.
[#Inge Morath/Magnum Photos]

MORATH, INGE