The Art of Collecting Photography is a triumphal mix of fact, detail, history and inspiration. Its scope is ambitious, combining a survey of the history of the medium (from 1500!) and then tracking the key developments in the art, decade by decade, from the 1920s onwards.
This overview of the evolution of 20th century photography has interesting asides, as Noble includes the key developments that occurred each decade, as well as the image makers who forged their place in history. For example, in the 1930's she notes Kodachrome film and the Rolleicord were introduced; in the 40s the Polaroid camera and Nikon 35mm; the first SLR zoom lens in the 50s; and on up to the 90s when the launch of Adobe Photoshop is judged a major innovation. Linked to corresponding developments in the visual arts, movements like the Bauhaus (20s), Group f.64 (30s) and Pop At (60s), the reader is left with a real sense of the bigger picture - of photography as a fine art.
Noble follows this substantial introduction with a selection of significant photographers: all profiled against a fully described and analysed image, many immediately recognisable as classics. Modern Masters such as Eve Arnold, Dorothea Lange, Weegee, August Sander and Alfred Steiglitz jostle with contemporaries Joel-Peter Witkin, William Wegman, Garry Winograd, Andreas Gursky and Candida Höfer, amongst many others, to ably illustrate the breadth of expertise and knowledge the author enjoys. Laura Noble worked for a number of years at London's seminal Photographer's Gallery, collects herself, and writes and lectures on her subject across various media.
The third section of The Art of Collecting Photography deals with the concept of forming a personal collection. It explains the basis of 'curating' a mix of works; examines themes based on history or technical process, subject or genre; and discusses the pros and cons for taking this or that direction. It segues naturally into a discussion on the mechanics of buying work through a gallery or auction; restoring and maintaining individual items; attaching a market value to a work through provenance, condition and rarity; and conserving the prints for posterity. At each turn of the
page, Laura Noble reveals her in-depth understanding of the process - and psychology - of collecting and appreciating the photographic art. This is why the book has undoubted appeal for both the enthusiast and the serious connoisseur.
In Chapter Five, the author introduces a neat, but eminently instructive, device to take the novice on a real journey of experience. Giving some key players in the photographic arena a 'budget' ranging from £1,000 to £25,000 (approximately US $1,850 - $46,000) to 'spend' on acquisitions, she tracks the analytical process and methodology which governs their decision making. Stephen Gill (photographer); Aphrodite Gonou (consultant); Katrina Moore (specialist gallery, UK); Tom Gitterman (specialist gallery, NYC) and Howard Greenberg (specialist gallery, NYC) all demonstrate how an experienced professional approaches the complex
equation of art, aesthetics and money.
The Art of Collecting Photography closes with a
useful appendix listing events, venues, world class specialist galleries, dealers and other resources. And perhaps most helpful of all: the glossary of Terms to help those drowningin a 'C' of cibachromes, C-type, chromogenic and carbro process prints.
