"Bassman's photographs, in fact, looked more like illustrations. She achieved this effect through darkroom experimentation and manipulation: donning a cardboard mask with a pinhole aperture, she selectively exposed portions of the paper to light, tracing the contours of the garments until they seemed to dissolve into atmosphere."
"There is this atmospheric use of blur that would come to define her pictures. She loved to work with cigarette smoke. Sometimes she would do so on the scene itself. Other times she would blow cigarette smoke under the enlarger while printing, just to accentuate this atmospheric haze."
"Lillian was experimenting with chemistry to manipulate and distort the images that she made during fashion shoots, accentuating certain aspects of the clothing while allowing others to recede."
"She was a fashion photographer whose images often reduced the clothes to mere suggest."
Lillian Bassman revolutionized fashion photography in the 1950s with her experimental techniques. She used darkroom manipulation, including a cardboard mask for selective exposure, creating images that resembled illustrations. Her atmospheric style often incorporated elements like cigarette smoke to enhance the mood, moving away from sharp, objective images. Bassman's work emphasized glamour through abstraction, challenging commercial norms. An exhibition titled "Lillian Bassman: Harper's Bazaar and Beyond" showcases her unique talent and technical prowess, highlighting her influence on fashion photography.
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