9.26.2014

Arnold Newman: Environmental Portrait Master






"(Arnold Newman) became known as one of the pioneers of Environmental Portraiture (although he himself did not like the term). In portraits such as these, the subjects surroundings, be it their home or workplace, must be able to convey a sense of what the subject is like. Thus, even without knowing who the subject is, a reader can identify the artist in his studio, or a musician at the keyboard, or a president at his desk.

Newman insisted that a picture of a celebrity or politician by himself wouldn't be as meaningful as one taken in the subject's workplace. Moreover, anything caught in the frame should be able to communicate to the viewer something revealing about the subject. As he put it, "The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph."..." READ MORE