Saul Leiter: The Centennial Retrospective
Text by Oman Morí
"Saul Leiter: The Centennial Retrospective" marks a significant tribute to one of the most influential figures in 20th-century American photography, celebrating what would have been his centenary year in 2023. Published by the Saul Leiter Foundation, this comprehensive retrospective delves deep into the multifaceted layers of Leiter's life, shedding light on his childhood, personal experiences, and previously unreleased private and intimate images.
The book navigates Leiter's journey, showcasing his ability to portray the mystique of everyday life, a quality admirably encapsulated in Michael Greenberg's statement: "Saul Leiter is the rare artist who breaks new ground while confining himself to the tiny slice of the world right outside his door."
Leiter's iconic color film images, primarily captured within the confines of his Manhattan apartment during his fashion photography assignments—his source of income—is just a thin slice of his six-decade-long career. This book presents Leiter's expansive repertoire in an engaging and concise manner. The retrospective’s structure unfolds across chapters, each offering a profound exploration. The initial sections focus on Leiter's personal life, childhood influences, and the important episodes that steered his artistic trajectory away from religious studies and towards the art scene in New York City. These chapters connect his early experiments in painting with the evolving art scene he immersed himself in, showcasing the turning points that defined his artistic vision.
The subsequent chapters detail Leiter's ability in street photography, both in black and white and color. These sections chronicle his symbiotic relationship with New York City, offering a glimpse into his timeless and impressionistic approach that merges the essence of his paintings with the lens of his camera. His foray into fashion photography, a place where he intentionally positioned himself as an observer rather than a creator, emerges as a distinctive facet of his artistry.
Leiter's unique style, characterized by capturing spontaneous moments on the street rather than staging scenes, diverged significantly from the prevalent trends of his contemporaries, rendering his work a museum-worthy rarity.
The retrospective then explores his dedication to painting, showcasing over 4000 abstract and figurative works that underscore his lifelong commitment to the art form. Despite the dominance of abstract expressionism in the 1950s, Leiter remained an outsider, choosing to express his artistic vision in intimate and smaller formats, resisting conformity to the prevalent abstract expressionism scene at the time
A particularly intriguing chapter unveils Leiter's exploration of intimacy, presenting a collection of intimate portraits and nudes, a deeply personal side of his work discovered posthumously. These images offer a glimpse into his private sphere and his creative fusion of paint and photography, culminating in the publication, 'In My Room' (2018). The book's narrative is enriched by insightful essays penned by art curators, artists, photographers, and the editors of the Saul Leiter Foundation—Margit Erb and Michael Parillo. These essays provide context, constructing a portrayal of Leiter's artistic evolution while preserving the enigmatic essence of his persona.
Summarizing, "Saul Leiter: The Centennial Retrospective" masterfully presents Leiter's oeuvre, allowing his artwork to take center stage, and invites readers on a captivating journey to uncover the intricate connections within his vast collection. It skillfully weaves together analysis and biographical insights, gradually unraveling the persona behind the artist—a daunting task considering the expanse of Leiter's career and the sheer magnitude of his works.
To explore more about this retrospective or acquire a copy, detailed information is available on the editorial website.
