Paul Outerbridge: Command Performance
The essay that accompanies this catalogue to an exhibition at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles is largely biographical. But since Outerbridge (1896–1958) has not yet been the subject of a major critical biography, the information is both fascinating and helpful in placing this major photographic innovator's work in context. Outerbridge focused on narrowing the gap between fine art and commercial work. His fashion and product display work for Vanity Fair and Paris Vogue was successful with both his employers and other artists. In 1930 he began working with color processing and for magazines and advertisers to help sell their products during the Depression. He mastered the difficult tricolor carbon-transfer printing process. Outerbridge's final years in Southern California were often financially difficult, and he slipped into obscurity. It was years after his death that his carefully preserved archives reintroduced his work. The Getty owns the largest public collection of Outerbridge prints, and this elegantly produced catalogue shows him to be not only a master printer but also an artist who continues to influence contemporary photographers. 59 color and 61 b&w photos. (May)
