Pictures have been made since ancient times, but it was not until a scientist recorded images by light on a sensitive material that the word “photography”-derived from the Greek words photos, or “light,” and graphein, “to draw”-emerged.
Today, as young children wield digital cameras and photographs are sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is clear that an explosion has occurred, with the accessibility of photography growing just as it achieves high-art status.
Chicago, as it looks west and east, sees the world from a unique perspective. One Chicago institution that particularly values photography as art is the LaSalle Bank, and we are delighted that this week we can provide a brief tour through that collection. “This is a serious collection of over 4,500 pieces, including some of the Rembrandts of the photography world,” says Michael Zajakowski, the Magazine’s picture editor.
Chicago has long been a place where photography is taken seriously. Alan Artner, the Tribune’s art and photography critic, points out that “Chicago produced many more great photographers in the last 50 years than its total of first-rate painters and sculptors combined.” In this issue, Artner traces the development of photography as an art form in “The big picture.” New York correspondent Stevenson Swanson interviews one of the world’s leading experts, John Szarkowski, about how to look at a photograph as art. And we included some tips on collecting for the beginner.
As this issue came together, we debated why images matter, and what rules govern the representation of reality.
“Because a photo is a document of the physical world,” says art director David Syrek, “you assume that you know what you are looking at, but a great work forces you to look deeper and find your own new meaning.” We hope this issue will invite readers to develop their own unique interpretations.
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