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Summary:

In the early 1970s, Lew Thomas set out to disrupt photography in San Francisco. Tired of the mystical thinking and emotionalism that had underscored Bay Area photography since the 1940s, Thomas pursued a photographic practice grounded in ideas gleaned from conceptual art and Structuralist philosophy. A cohort of other photographers, including Donna-Lee Phillips and Hal Fischer, embraced Thomas' mission, joining him in what became known as the 'Photography and Language' movement, named after a book and group exhibition of the same title produced by Thomas in 1976. Thomas, Phillips and Fischer were all extremely active in the mid to late 1970s. In addition to making their own artwork, they published essays, reviewed shows and organized exhibitions. Under the name NFS Press, Thomas published a number of books designed by Phillips, including 'Structural(ism) and Photography' (1978), which featured Thomas' work; 'Eros and Photography' (1977), which was edited by Phillips, and two books of Fischer's work: 'Gay Semiotics' (1978) and '18th Near Castro Street x 24' (1979). This volume assesses their work, their relationship to one another and their place in the history of photography in the 1970s.

Table of Contents:

• Photography and language / Erin O'Toole
• Lew Thomas
• In conversation: Lew Thomas and Louise Katzman (1981)
• Donna-Lee Phillips
• Hal Fischer
• In conversation: Hal Fischer and Louise Katzman (1981)
• Into the fray / Hal Fischer
• NFS Press
• Photography and Language
• Eros and photography
• Gay semiotics
• 18th near Castro St. x 24
• Structural(ism) and photography
• Still photography: the problematic model.

Contributors:

O'Toole, Erin, 1971- , editor

Thomas, Lew

Phillips, Donna-Lee

Fischer, Hal, 1950-

Katzman, Louise, 1949- , interviewer

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , host institution, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/his

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Included Works:

Photographs [by Thomas, L.] (Selections)

Photographs [by Phillips, D.L.] (Selections)

Photographs [by Fischer, H.] (Selections)

Subjects:

Photography, Artistic — 20th century — Exhibitions

Literature and photography — Exhibitions

Photography — California — San Francisco — Exhibitions

Thomas, Lew — Exhibitions

Thomas, Lew — Interviews

Phillips, Donna-Lee — Exhibitions

Fischer, Hal, 1950- — Exhibitions

Fischer, Hal, 1950- — Interviews

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art — Photograph collections — Exhibitions

Photograph collections — California — San Francisco — Exhibitions

Thomas, Lew

Phillips, Donna-Lee

Fischer, Hal, 1950-

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

1900-1999

Photography

Photography, Artistic

Photograph collections

Literature and photography

California — San Francisco

Genres:

Exhibition catalogs

Interviews

General Notes:

Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, January 4 to August 9, 2020.
Includes bibliographical references.

Physical Description:

212 pages : illustrations (some color), facsimiles, portraits ; 31 cm

Call Numbers:

TR645.S342 S268 2020

ISBNs:

9781912339631
1912339633

Library of Congress Control Numbers:

2020438901

OCLC Numbers:

1151889134