Minor White is a photographer who is often overlooked and in my opinion underrated by the majority of the photographic community. It may well because his photography is not as instantly accessible as say Michael Kenna for example (another awesome photographer) because his images were created charged with symbolism and a critical aspect called equivalency. A term used to describe the spiritual energy that is present in a photograph.
Now I may not be able to feel and see everything he wanted us to in his images, but I do know when I see an amazing, monochrome abstract image taken by a master of his craft.
My daughter bought the book Minor White – Manifestations of the Spirit for my birthday, and I’ve been working my way through the text and brilliant photographs.
The book is full of superb black and white photographs, the reproduction is excellent and so looking through the plates on each page is a pleasure which inspires as well as delights. The scope of his images moves from portraits that are sometimes disturbing, to black and white abstracts that have a depth and complication that seem to side-step the normal visual register and impose White’s own turbulent feelings on the viewer.
A superb book and an incredible, inspiring photographer.
