PHOTOGRAPHS
Weston, Brett
U.S. (1911 - 1993)
Untitled
1966
Gelatin silver print
9 9/16 x 7 5/8 in. (24.3 x 19.4 cm) image size; 14 15/16 x 13 1/4 in. (37.9 x 33.7 cm) mount board size
Monsen Study Collection of Photography, gift of Joseph and Elaine Monsen
FA 83.20

The son of Edward Weston, Brett Weston left school at the age of fourteen to become his father’s apprentice in Mexico. There he lived among revolutionary artists such as Tina Modotti, Frida Kahlo, and Diego Rivera. Intrigued by the formal contrast of black and white and how it creates shape and form, Brett Weston became most well known for his abstract photography. This untitled photograph of a broken window demonstrates the interest he found in ordinary objects.

At the young age of 18 Brett Weston had his work shown in the internationally renowned German Film und Foto exhibition. This show led him to become internationally recognized for his avant-garde photography. On his 80th birthday, shortly before his death, Weston burned almost all of his negatives in the belief that only the artist should print his photographs (http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/bio/a1302-1.html). -- Label copy for 150 Works of Art, October 1, 2005 to February 26, 2006.