Brâncusi, the sculptor as photographer

This thin volume of Brancusi's photographs, of his own sculptures, his studio, and occasionally of himself, are some of my favorites. They hover between pictures-of and pictures-in-themselves in a way hard to conceive of when the subjects are famous works of art. They have a strong character, often revealing the physical flaws of the materials seen, as well as those in the photographic negative itself. But they are straightforward, with their subjects set mostly in the center of the frame and lit directly, however, this studio condition doesn't render them innocuous. On the contrary, wooden works, lit from in front and often a little too low, cast strong strange shadows, and the metal sculptures are often placed in such a way that the glow of the light's reflection partially obscures the object. They are every bit as uncompromising and oblique as those made by his contemporary and friend Man Ray.I became aware that he was a photographer several years ago as I was first moving my own photographic practice into the studio. I have bought all three books I can find on the subject but this one is the best thus far. The Sculptor As Photographer is overwhelming for exactly what it advertises - that one of the 20th century's greatest sculptors was also one of the best photographer's of his generation. The Hilton Kramer essay is largely forgettable but the plates, prepared by Richard Benson of MoMA's "The Printed Picture" fame, are beautiful.Exhibition of 30 photographs by Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), from the collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Brancusi, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century, was also a distinguished photographer: he used photography to document his work, but also saw it as a creative means attractive in its own right. The show wants to give insights into his work and the creation of his sculptures in the workshop by presenting these photos that are also works of art in their own right.