Beth Gates Warren – författare

Margrethe Mather has been remembered mostly through the commentary of fellow photographer Edward Weston, who referred to her as "the first important person" in his life. In fact, Mather was probably the greatest influence on the development of Weston's early career. Although Mather's little-known body of work has always held its own in the company of great photographs, her biography and influence have never been thoroughly investigated, in no small part due to her own reluctance to reveal the details of her colorful, sometimes sordid life. This book illuminates the professional and personal relationship of Mather and Weston, adding an unforgettable chapter to the history of twentieth-century photography.Mather and Weston first met in Los Angeles in 1913. They soon developed a close relationship, eventually working together as full-fledged artistic partners and even co-signing the photographs they produced. Weston was also madly in love with Mather, and the two engaged in a brief affair during his first marriage, although Mather was more interested in women. This book, which features work by both artists, chronicles their twelve-year association and sheds light on Mather, whose artistry, sexual identity, and mysterious past were overshadowed by the massive reputation of Edward Weston and his subsequent association with Tina Modotti.

This title presents a captivating account of two photographers, one of whom became a major figure in the art, and the other who fell into obscurity. It also presents a fascinating account telling the hitherto untold love story of Edward Weston and Margrethe Mather. Both photographic artists at the centre of the Bohemian cultural scene of Los Angeles during the 1910s and 20s, Weston would go on to become the most influential American photographer of the 20th century, while Mather, who Weston ultimately expunged from his journals, would vanish into obscurity. Based on 10 years of research and illustrated with extraordinary images - some never published - and a charismatic range of characters, from Charlie Chaplin to Max Eastman, "Artful Lives" is a vivid and insightful account of this key period in Weston's development and reveals Mather's important contribution to it.

A four-volume celebration of one of America's most influential gallerists, with rarely seen letters, ephemera and photographsJulien Levy (1906–81) is best remembered today as the art dealer who brought Surrealism to the United States. His eponymous New York City Gallery (1931–49) was generally regarded as the best place to view cutting-edge work by such artists as Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Arshile Gorky, Frida Kahlo and Man Ray. This four-volume set, presented in a slipcase, gives readers an uncensored insider’s view of Levy, the artists he exhibited, and the influence he wielded during the 1930s and '40s. Volume one presents a biography of Levy, including a comprehensive exhibition chronology and an abundance of new information about the evolution of Levy’s career during his 18 years as an art dealer. Volumes two, three and four include chapters that discuss each of the approximately 230 solo and group exhibitions mounted by Levy, along with interesting observations about the featured artists. The authors have incorporated important new details about the workings of the gallery, allowing them to clarify or correct statements made in Levy’s 1977 Memoir of an Art Gallery and other publications. They have also uncovered some surprising revelations concerning Levy and his interactions with the artists he represented.