LeicA ClassiC Sabine Weiss

PHOTOGRAPHIE HUMANISTE

Capturing life in all its facets: Sabine Weiss has long been considered the Grande Dame of humanist photography – yet the 93 year- old photographer’s work continues to be re- discovered around the word.

It was not only in Paris, but also on her many travels that Sabine Weiss found her distinctive subjects: Boy at play, New York City 1955 (top) and Penn- sylvania Station, New York City 1962 (right)

76 | lFi lFI | 77 Weiss’s main interest was to portray her contemporaries and capture the fleeting moments of everyday life: Children fetching water, Paris 1954 (top); Couples in love, Place de la Répu­blique, Paris 1954 (top right); Lady in a lobby, Philadelphia, USA 1962 (right); Young miner, Lens 1955 (right page)

“I take photographs to hold on to the ephemeral, capture chance, keep an image of something that will disappear: gestures, attitudes, objects that are reminders of our brief lives,” is one of the photographer’s credos

78 | lFi lFI | 79 80 | lFi Men watching a race, hoping for a better view (Larchant 1950). Precise compositions are among the hallmarks of the photographer’s work: her chosen angle imbues an ordinary scene with an element of absurdity and humour

lFI | 81 Weiss has an exceptional ability to capture chance encounters in perfect, mesmerising compositions — exempli- fied by her image Little girl, small tree (top), a horse at the Porte de Vanves in Paris, 1952 (top right), observation of a jumping cat at the Nga Phe Kyaung monastery in Burma, 1996 (right)

A sensitive portrait study of the artist Alberto Giacometti, taken in his studio in Paris, 1954 (opposite page)

82 | lFi lFI | 83 Visiting Sabine Weiss in her secluded subject matter,” photography histo- Sabine Weiss home in Paris is an unforgettable rian Peter Hamilton wrote in his essay experience. As you enter the peace- for the 100 Years of Leica catalogue. Sabine Weber was born in ful courtyard in the city’s Auteuil “It is inclusionary and universalistic, Saint-Gingolph on Lake Ge- quarter, the noise of the boulevard stressing equality and the primacy neva, on 23 July, 1924. After falls away; concealed within is a small of the fundamental institutions of her three-year apprentice- house — safeguarding the life’s work liberal society, and in particular their ship at the renowned Atelier solidaristic connotations. It celebrates of a great artist. From the moment you Boissonnas in Geneva, she step through the door, you are fully the ordinary, the everyday, the unre- immersed in your hostess’s world: markable. While promoting the moved to Paris in 1946, work- piles of books, walls and shelves filled importance of simple, unretouched, ing as an assistant for fashion with paintings, mementos, objets realist representations, it also places photographer Willy Maywald trouvés, small votive offerings — and, particular value specifically on their before going freelance in of course, countless photo books. The poetic construction.” 1950. In the same year, she photographer’s own archive has been Sabine Weiss particularly exem- married the US artist Hugh neatly organised on the upper floor. plifies these elements within her Only her assistant (and the cat) have work. Her photographs are character- Weiss (1925–2007). unrestricted access to that treasure. ised by brilliant compositions and In 1952, she joined the Rapho condensed depictions of everyday life. In the almost seventy years Weiss photo agency, subsequently has been living in this house, countless A deeply sensitive storyteller and famous visitors have passed through close observer, she is exceptionally working for numerous French its doors. Among her many stories is skilled at identifying the remarkable and international magazines. a memory of Edward Steichen, who within the everyday. It is unsurpris- Her early black and white visited her studio in 1955 – when this ing that Weiss’s subjects included oeuvre has been increasingly was still a single-storey building with many of the era’s most notable figures: rediscovered since the 1970s, no heating or running water. “You are the photographer and her husband, accompanied by new works way too young!” the American curator the American painter Hugh Weiss, exclaimed – but he took his time to go moved within the creative circles of created on her many travels through her portfolio, and ended up post-war Paris, mixing with writers, around the world. actors and musicians, as well as artists selecting three prints for his legendary Last year the photographer, Family of Man exhibition in New York. such as Georges Braque, Joan Miró, The reason Steichen was aware of the Alberto Giacometti, André Breton who has long since become a young photographer’s work was that and Ossip Zadkine. Her true calling, French citizen, was honoured Weiss had, even at this early stage in however, was street photography. by the Swiss Photo Academy her career, established connections in Working autonomously, she captured for her life’s work. the US – including frequent publica- her subjects with great empathy and tions in major American magazines. rapport. “A good picture arises of its Born in Switzerland, Weiss completed own accord,” is how she describes her her photography training in Geneva seemingly straightforward approach. before moving to Paris in 1946. At that Despite the great diversity of time, Europe’s leading-edge metro- subjects, all of her images bear their polis was home to a flourishing new author’s distinctive mark: they are movement in photography: the ‘école dynamic, sincere, and never mundane. humaniste’ made waves not only in Weiss’s career continues to be ex- Europe, but also in the USA. It was tremely active to this day. Following sabineweissphotographe.com not long before Weiss counted among last year’s exhibitions in various galeriehilanehvonkories.de its best-known representatives, along cities including Chicago and Berlin, Books: (selection) SABINE WEISS (Jeu with Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis, another three showcases are sched- de Paume; Coédition La Martinière, Paris Édouard Boubat, Brassaï and Izis. uled in Orléans and Olivet for the 2016); SABINE WEISS – L’OEIL INTIME “Humanist photography has both coming year. This summer, her work (Escourbiac, Paris 2014); SABINE WEISS

a moral purpose and a distinctive will also be displayed in a major pres- (Éditions de la Martinière, Paris 2003) Berlin Kories, von Galerie H ilaneh courtesy Weiss; Sabine © Photos: entation at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. It is certainly heartening to know that this extraordinary body of work continues to reach an ever-wider audience. Ulrich Rüter

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