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neilrcoulter's review
4.0
This is a collection of occasional essays by Wim Wenders, each one focused on a particular artist but also considering a range of topics related to imagery, artistry, and storytelling. The essays on Yasujiro Ozu and Andrew Wyeth appeared in the book Inventing Peace.
What I appreciate whenever I read something by Wenders is the insights he brings from a life spent thinking deeply about the way we see. The role of imagery and our engagement with it is always in the forefront of his mind, and I always learn something new from what he writes. Here’s an excerpt from his chapter written for photographer James Nachtwey, in which Wenders contemplates the ways in which a photographer appears in a photograph. Having been steeped in semiotics in grad school, I still resist the notion of the artist being a tangible part of the artistic creation, but Wenders helps me see a slightly bigger perspective, at least for photography:
What I appreciate whenever I read something by Wenders is the insights he brings from a life spent thinking deeply about the way we see. The role of imagery and our engagement with it is always in the forefront of his mind, and I always learn something new from what he writes. Here’s an excerpt from his chapter written for photographer James Nachtwey, in which Wenders contemplates the ways in which a photographer appears in a photograph. Having been steeped in semiotics in grad school, I still resist the notion of the artist being a tangible part of the artistic creation, but Wenders helps me see a slightly bigger perspective, at least for photography:
The eye that looks through the lensAs always, what Wenders thinks about art is not just the art itself, nor even the art and the creator, but the art, the creator, and everyone else who might be drawn into community through the ongoing process.
is also reflected on the photo itself. . . .
The heart is the real light-sensitive medium here,
not the film or the digital sensor.
It is the heart that sees an image and wants to capture it.
The eye lets the light in, sure,
which is why we also call it a “lens,”
but it doesn’t “depict the image,”
it doesn’t depict anything.
Nor do the retina or the nerve cords that transmit the information.
The “image” is created “within.”
There, it is matched with many other signals
that are coming in at the same time.
Some of these are related to formal or aesthetic criteria,
like composition, focus and contrast
or to the overall impression and to the details. . . .
There are a thousand signals and messages arriving simultaneously,
all of which have to be processed within a fraction of a second.
The hands are already part of the thought process
as they correct the frame,
the finger already knows what’s coming and presses the shutter button...
What I’m trying to say is:
the photograph that’s just being created
includes all of these thoughts,
processes them as another kind of light, “an inner light,”
depicts them and “contains them” at the same time
that it deals with “the outer light” and the external events,
thus producing next to the objective picture
the invisible portrait of the photographer himself. (113–115)
missloflipo's review against another edition
4.0
He aquí una rareza maravillosa: una serie de impresiones que el director de 'Paris, Texas' escribió sobre otros artistas de diferentes disciplinas.
Wenders habla de cine a través de Ingmar Bergman o Anthony Mann; de movimiento a través de Pina Bausch; o de pintura a partir de la luz de Edward Hopper y de color desde Cézanne.
La lista es amplia y me ha descubierto algunos nombres que desconocía o me ha hecho ponerle autoría a obras que quizá había visto y que podría reconocer pero jamás me molesté en averiguar quién estaba detrás.
Es el caso de la fotógrafa alemana Barbara Klemm, cuya cámara captó el legendario beso de Honecker y Brezhnev. Gracias al texto que Wenders le dedica he podido explorar la obra fotográfica de esta mujer, que es magnífica, con un contexto
(Gracias, Wim).
Sobre ella, el cineasta dice:
"Barbara Klemm no necesita un punto de apoyo en el universo. Tampoco quiere mover el mundo. Sólo quiere sacudirlo levemente para que suelte, se desprenda o libere sus imágenes. Sobre todo porque ella, como fotógrafa, ya ha encontrado ese punto, que está nada menos que en sus ojos, esos que le permiten tener un 'punto de vista' en el que apoyarse, esos que le prestan toda su atención, su preparación y su esmero a la 'realidad'.
Su mirada le concede lo que reclamaba Arquímedes, y ese ángulo visual es el que le permite clasificar lo que le rodea y esperar, pacientemente, a que esa 'época' se ponga de manifiesto y nosotros, hombres y mujeres, nos manifestemos junto con ella."
Leer este texto y después pasar un rato viendo las imágenes de la obra de Klemm es un planazo para la sobremesa del sábado. Os lo recomiendo para acompañar el café.
Wenders habla de cine a través de Ingmar Bergman o Anthony Mann; de movimiento a través de Pina Bausch; o de pintura a partir de la luz de Edward Hopper y de color desde Cézanne.
La lista es amplia y me ha descubierto algunos nombres que desconocía o me ha hecho ponerle autoría a obras que quizá había visto y que podría reconocer pero jamás me molesté en averiguar quién estaba detrás.
Es el caso de la fotógrafa alemana Barbara Klemm, cuya cámara captó el legendario beso de Honecker y Brezhnev. Gracias al texto que Wenders le dedica he podido explorar la obra fotográfica de esta mujer, que es magnífica, con un contexto
(Gracias, Wim).
Sobre ella, el cineasta dice:
"Barbara Klemm no necesita un punto de apoyo en el universo. Tampoco quiere mover el mundo. Sólo quiere sacudirlo levemente para que suelte, se desprenda o libere sus imágenes. Sobre todo porque ella, como fotógrafa, ya ha encontrado ese punto, que está nada menos que en sus ojos, esos que le permiten tener un 'punto de vista' en el que apoyarse, esos que le prestan toda su atención, su preparación y su esmero a la 'realidad'.
Su mirada le concede lo que reclamaba Arquímedes, y ese ángulo visual es el que le permite clasificar lo que le rodea y esperar, pacientemente, a que esa 'época' se ponga de manifiesto y nosotros, hombres y mujeres, nos manifestemos junto con ella."
Leer este texto y después pasar un rato viendo las imágenes de la obra de Klemm es un planazo para la sobremesa del sábado. Os lo recomiendo para acompañar el café.
susannes_pagesofcrime's review
4.0
4.5 Stars.
I picked this up as I have a great love of a number of Wim Wenders' films and his photography. Also, knowing that Edward Hopper has been a great influence on his work I wanted to read this with the idea that Hopper would at least be mentioned. The chapters on Hopper and Andrew Wyeth are stand outs for me, due to the artworks etc that attract me, but the book as a whole is interesting to read. It is well written, translated very well, and easy to absorb. I kept thinking of it as Wim Wenders' version of John Bergers' 'Ways of Seeing' - a film makers way of looking at film, art and interestingly in one chapter, fashion.
I picked this up as I have a great love of a number of Wim Wenders' films and his photography. Also, knowing that Edward Hopper has been a great influence on his work I wanted to read this with the idea that Hopper would at least be mentioned. The chapters on Hopper and Andrew Wyeth are stand outs for me, due to the artworks etc that attract me, but the book as a whole is interesting to read. It is well written, translated very well, and easy to absorb. I kept thinking of it as Wim Wenders' version of John Bergers' 'Ways of Seeing' - a film makers way of looking at film, art and interestingly in one chapter, fashion.
benjaminjournal's review
5.0
Now one of my favorite essay collections by an artist about art. Wim Wenders, I love you for this! A book I'll be revisiting for many years to come.
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