They were a rare breed: female photographers in the early to mid-1900’s. Lotte Jacobi and Lisette Model were both born in Europe at the turn of the century and immigrated to the United States, where they enjoyed exceptional professional success. But most similarities end there. “Urban Camera”, a delightful small exhibit comparing and contrasting the work of these two trend-setting photographers is on view at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA through September 11, 2016.
“Coney Island Bather, N.Y., c.1941” by Lisette Model (gift of Jean A. Mooney).
Lisette Model had a big personality that suffused her photography. Renowned for her candid, unconventional street photographs of people across the social spectrum, she gravitated to unseen or overlooked details explaining, “The camera is an instrument of detection. We photograph not only what we know, but also what we don’t know.” Harpers Bazaar famously gave her a “variety of colorful assignments to match her personal style.”
“Promenade des Anglais, Nice, 1934” by Lisette Model (lent by Arlette and Gus Kayafas).
At a time when full-frame, small prints were in fashion, Model cropped and enlarged her prints in order to further emphasize chosen “peculiar” characteristics. She worked on the fly, shooting – if not from the hip – from chest or waist-high, to escape easy detection by her subjects. As a result, her prints were variably in focus, with an enhanced graininess that accentuated a sense of immediacy. It is interesting to note that, in a 2008 exhibit curated by Larry Fink and Diana Edkins in Vancouver, BC “Lisette Model & Her Successors”, one of thirteen distinguished students was none other than Diane Arbus (https://presentationhousegallery.org/exhibition/lisette-model-her-successors/). In the deCordova gallery, viewers can appreciate the unmistakable influence of Model on a generation of street photographers.
“Woman with Veil, San Francisco, 1949” by Lisette Model (lent by Arlette and Gus Kayafas).
“Marc Chagall and His Daughter Ida, 1945” by Lotte Jacobi (gift of Chris Enos).
Unlike the largely self-taught Model, Lotte Jacobi descended from generations of photographers. Her family owned a distinguished portrait studio in Berlin, from which she fled when the Nazis gained power. Jacobi’s portraits were sought by the cultural elite, who favored her “relaxed” style (feature image). Ironically, this approach was just as uncommon in magazines of the time as Model’s signature style. Jacobi’s conviction prevailed as she elucidated, “I do not want to photograph myself when I make portraits of others.” Albert Einstein personally requested her when LIFE magazine featured him in 1938. This 7”x 9” print is an exquisite example of Jacobi’s casual and intimate portraiture.
“Albert Einstein, Princeton, NJ, 1938” by Lotte Jacobi (lent by Arlette and Gus Kayafas).
In contrast to Model’s 16”x 20” prints, Jacobi’s photographs are delightful wisps – almost all of them in this exhibit measure a palm-sized 3.5”x 5.5”. Perhaps printing small encouraged the many photographic innovations for which Jacobi became famous later in her career. She especially favored “photogenics”, a methodology combining straight photograms with a variety of darkroom manipulations to produce photographs reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism. Jacobi’s “Homage to Brancusi, 1950”, based on sculptor Constantin Brancusi’s “Bird in Space, 1923”, is a graceful, elongated abstraction of his wingless bird. This sensuous print is displayed with other wonderful examples of Jacobi’s photographic explorations in a standing case in the gallery.
“Homage to Brancusi, NY, c.1950” by Lotte Jacobi (gift of Chris Enos).
Lotte Jacobi and Lisette Model lived and worked during the same era in Europe and the United States, sharing prominence as successful commercial and fine art photographers, even as they diverged in outlook and style. The deCordova’s fascinating exhibit is a tribute to the freedom of expression Jacobi and Model enjoyed in America, but also to the discerning curation of this exhibit by deCordova’s Koch Curatorial Fellow, Helen Lewandowski, and especially to the generosity Chris Enos, Arlette & Gus Kayafas and Jean A. Mooney, who donated the exceptional prints for this gem of a show.
For directions, hours and more information, go to: http://www.decordova.org/art/exhibition/lotte-jacobi-lisette-model-urban-camera
Feature Image: “Lil Dagover with her Shih Tzu, Berlin, 1928” by Lotte Jacobi (Gift of Chris Enos, Copyright University of New Hampshire, The Lotte Jacobi Collection).
“Man with Pamphlets, Paris, c.1933-38” by Lisette Model (gift of Jean A. Mooney).
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