Chicago, 1958
I’m a fan of Ray Metzker’s photography. It has a strong graphic feel; compositionally tight and driven by contrast. He manages to capture a specific moment of light through the lens, then uses the darkroom to enhance the deep tones of the shadows. He captivates my eye.
The motor vehicle appears in some of his most striking work, serving as a complex shape of its own within his discerning frame.
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1964
Philadelphia, 1962
Chicago, 1958
Chicago, 1958
Chicago, 1957
Philadelphia, 1980
City Whispers, 1981
Philadelphia, 1966
Philadelphia, 1964
Philadelphia, 1966
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1964
Philadelphia, 1963
Washington DC, 1964
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1963
Marseilles, 1961
Philadelphia, 1963
Philadelphia, 1965
Philadelphia, 1963
Chicago, 1957
Philadelphia, 1963
A Master at what he did .
-Nate
Never saw these before. Great!
Photo #9 (w/ ’58 Olds) appears to be taken in front of Philadelphia City Hall, which may be the most spectacular surviving Victorian city hall building in the Northeast, both inside and outside. It took 30 years to build. As Robert L. Ripley would say, “Believe it or not . . .” it was supposed to be DEMOLISHED in the mid 20th century (How COULD they???!!!) but because it was to big, too solidly built, and too expensive to demolish, it has miraculously survived to this day!
It’s like the Old Executive Office building next to the White House–so old, it came back in favor (with the public).
Where is the Washington DC parking garage? I don’t recognize that level of Brutalism, or were they just cheap?
These are all superb. I’ve run across one of his here and there, but this is a real treat; thanks for sharing them with us.
Some of them have a dystopian quality; others just reflect a deep insight into the shapes and settings of these cars in their environments. The compositions are always fab. A true master, in a somewhat old-school type of photography not so often encountered anymore.
I keep coming back to the last image in my head. The automobile is so palpable, but entirely absent.
I have never seen any of these. Mesmerizing!
Incredible eye for art!
Fantastic!! Magnificent and unique. I’ve never seen anything quite like these, so elegant in their simplicity. Were these ever exhibited? There has to be a fascinating back-story about these and Mr. Metzger. I admire anyone with an “eye” for this kind of thing.
I’ve never thought of a Peugeot 203 as being particularly small, but after seeing all the American photos that Marseilles one brought me up with a jolt!
Well-done black and white photography can capture something lost in colour.
Beautiful compilation Don, thank you! Mr. Metzger obviously loved photography, but also creating clever, creative, and bold effects in the dark room. Very talented!
Thanks Daniel. You might appreciate his collage work, it’s where his graphic sensibility really pushes things..
Love it! Great research Don, thank you. I studied graphic design, and photography, in the mid ’80s. What you could do, to manipulate film in the dark room, was a genuine skill, and art. I recall, the term for this, would have been ‘posterization’. Where the number of greyscale tones, is greatly reduced. Down to pure high contrast black and white, if you chose.
Of course, you could immediately see, the most talented students that knew how to employ, and bring out the best effects, with specific images.
It was great, learning film photography, dark room techniques, and studying traditional offset printing. While at the same time, learning digital photography, the earliest versions of Photoshop, and digital printing. As today, a tremendously evolved Photoshop, allows AI generated fills.
Some of these are almost other-worldly. The title pick looks like something from The Abyss and the lightly-frosted Buick looks like a car-shaped cake. I agree with Pete that the Peugeot is almost jarring in the context of this photo series…
But I find myself looking at the people just as much (if not more) than the cars. In some photos, they have an anonymous NPC-like blankness about them. Others look so real, like the lady in front of the tram. Can’t quite explain it.
Thank you for introducing me to this photographer, Andreina-sensei.
Very nice. I’m a huge fan of super high contrast monochrome…so this definitely fits the bill.
Don, you mentioned that these photos once taken, are further enhanced in the darkroom.
Amazing work! I wonder what these looked like coming out of the camera.
Such being the case, digital photography will never benefit from darkroom enhancements. Digital photo editing would have to do.
The negative tends to look flat, and its the dodging and burning in the darkroom that brings out the contrasts.
Photoshop offers the same capability, and infinitely more.
Metzker apparently insisted on printing himself, so he knew what he was going to do with what came out of the camera. The density of his darkness, and the amount of detail he retains within, would be best experienced looking at one of those prints in real life.
Great post – beautiful, evocative photos.
These are fantastic. Thanks for sharing these!
Interesting selection.
Many of the peopled compositions look like a Hopper painting.
It’s a common saying, isn’t it, that people say they’d like to see the world, (or later, that they now have). But there’s seeing and seeing.
This series of images, of seeings, is the familiar world shadowed strange, yet still known to us, a visionary’s dream edging towards nightmare. They are each as singular as they are superb.
Thankyou, Professore A.