"It wouldn't be wrong to say that Eugène Atget, one of photography's major figures for almost a century now, is in danger of seeming old hat. So when the International Center of Photography promised "a new approach to the story of Atget's career" with its exhibition Eugène Atget: The Making of a Reputation, I took the bait. (What exciting new revelations might lie in store?) Alas, that line turned out to be a bit of PR propaganda."
"Likewise, while the exhibition is called The Making of a Reputation, Atget's prestige is presented to the viewer as ready-made. The show doesn't include much expository text (not necessarily a bad thing), but its walls are sprinkled from the beginning with the shining accolades of the photographer's peers. We hear that Atget was "an artist, strong and courageous," someone who "reached the pole of utmost mastery" and was "the most important forerunner of the whole modern photographic art.""
The exhibition at the International Center of Photography presents Eugène Atget's reputation as already established, foregrounding praise from his peers and a polished presentation. The show uses a dramatic color scheme of dark red walls and shiny gold text to evoke grand galleries. The curatorial approach foregrounds accolades, printing laudatory phrases in gold, and includes little expository text. The narrative of rescue by Berenice Abbott is reiterated. The exhibition downplays the contingencies of Atget's life: orphanhood, early work as a cabin boy, struggles as an actor, and an unsuccessful painting career before turning to photography in his thirties.
Read at Hyperallergic
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