Look Closer: Edward Steichen’s Sunflower
Before the photographer left painting behind forever, he attempted to refocus it on nature.
TL;DR
- Edward Steichen was a prominent 20th-century photographer who initially trained as a painter.
- WWI experiences caused Steichen to lose faith in modern painting, feeling it had lost its connection to objective reality.
- He sought a corrective in the golden ratio, observing its presence in natural patterns like sunflowers.
- Steichen's painting of concentric circles reflects the golden ratio, aiming to illuminate nature's mechanisms.
- Disillusioned with painting, Steichen transitioned to photography, becoming chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair.
- He burned most of his canvases to fully commit to photography.