Paul Caponigro passed away.
We published his work several times. Among them, this one back in 2023, on the occasion of the publication of his book Visual Memories And Hidden Places by Veritas Editions.
“To me the photographic image is a coming together of time, space, light and viewpoint and to this I would add my emotional stance.” —Paul Caponigro
Paul Caponigro (born 1932, Boston, MA) is a living icon in the world of photographic art. For over sixty years, the revered American photographer has been sharing glimpses of his view of the world through his particular form of noticing. “Being a photographer primarily involves being an observer…” he notes in one of the texts that accompany each of his images, gathered in a handcrafted, fine art limited edition book from Veritas Press.
Early in his career, Caponigro met students of Ansel Adams’, and Bennie Chin in particular was influential in his teaching. He writes, “In time I came to realize that good photography was not the result of good technique alone: the expressive print requires emotional depth and not merely dazzling and can only be artistically effective if that of the soft edged realm of emotion is united with the hard-edged technical concerns … and that transition takes photography from a medium of recording to one of transforming.”
Whether an image of an ordinary frozen windowpane, or a more expansive landscape photograph on location at a site like Stone Henge, this emotional, “transformative” aesthetic subsequently became a signature of his photographs. Master composition and printing techniques combine with imagery full of wonderment and story, whether architectural structures or still life compositions of fruit on a simple kitchen table.
“My next venture would be in the darkroom to try and place in a finished print all the feelings and wonderment experienced while capturing the image on film.” – Paul Caponigro
Paul Caponigro : Visual Memories And Hidden Places
Veritas Editions
https://www.veritaseditions.com/about-veritas-editions
