Film screenings on the life and work of photographers Fred Lyon, Eugène Atget, and Berenice Abbott will be held at Melbourne's Centre for Contemporary Photography.
Two films, each an hour long and exploring the life and work of pioneering documentary photographers Eugene Atget and American Berenice Abbott, who carried on Atget's legacy, and the US commercial shooter Fred Lyon, will be screened at Melbourne's Centre for Contemporary Photography.
The lunchtime screenings will be on consecutive Wednesdays on November 26 and December 1, from 1 to 2pm. 'Fred Lyon: Living Through the Lens' is an exposé of San Francisco photographer Fred Lyon, who is still working after seven decades behind the camera. Though Lyon is one of America's leading advertising, interior design, architectural, food, wine, and travel photographers, he is best known for his mood-soaked street photography of San Francisco in the '40s and '50s.
This film takes the viewer inside the world of Lyon, exploring his immense archive of San Francisco images (taken over the past 70 years), the film also goes into what it takes to make a living from photography, revealing the story of this prolific, innovative artist.
'Eugène & Berenice: Pioneers of Urban Photography' looks at the pioneering documentary work of Frenchman Eugène Atget, and the US photographer who backed him later in his career, Berenice Abbott. Often called the father of modern photography, Frenchman Eugène Atget embraced a heartfelt realism that influenced generations of younger photographers including Abbott, who carried on his legacy.
This film examines the work of both artists, juxtaposing Atget's Paris oeuvre with Abbott's views of New York, describing how their paths crossed amidst the Parisian avant-garde, shedding light on their connection to the surrealists, and helping viewers understand the aesthetic and personal bond they shared. Rare archival interview footage featuring Berenice Abbott is included, along with commentary from photographers working today.
'Fred Lyon: Living through the Lens' is showing on Wednesday, November, 26, from 1 to 2pm.
'Eugène & Berenice: Pioneers of Urban Photography' is showing on Wednesday, December 3, from 1 to 2pm. A gold coin donation is sought for both showings, and no booking is required.
The Centre for Contemporary Photography is located at 404 George St, Fitzroy, Victoria. Ph: (03) 9417 1549.
More info: www.ccp.org.au
Fred Lyon, Post and Powell, Union Square, 1947.
Berenice Abbott, Flatiron Building, Manhattan.