The Stone Virgins
Photographer
Author
Book Genre
Photograph Title
Devil's Peak, South Aftica, from Journey into Vanishing Worlds, by Paige Deponte
Notes
A number of months ago, I received an email from Paige De Ponte, a photographer living in Hawaii. Ms. De Ponte was concerned because I had, mistakenly, as it turns out, suggested that her photograph on the cover of Yvonne Vera's novel, 'The Stone Virgins', was stylistically influenced by the early West Coast pictorialist Anne W. Brigman. In the brief blurb next to Deponte's cover image, I had stated:
'This is NOT an image by Anne W. Brigman; it is credited to Paige De Ponte, who seems to have set up a photograph 'inspired by' Brigman's signature images 'The Heart of the Storm' (1912) and 'Nude by Tree' (1915). Presumably, Deponte's photograph was made closer to the book's publication.'
Ms. De Ponte informed me that, not only was there no influence, but that she was entirely unfamiliar with Brigman and her photographic work.
I am grateful for being contacted by Ms. De Ponte, who, as she claims, is "a published photographer - 200 editorials and 2 fine art books (18years) and am noted on my own vision and works." Her photograph in question, 'Devil's Peak, South Africa' (from the monograph Journey into Vanishing Worlds) was made with a sharp lens and lacks some of the sentimentality and romantic sfumato characteristic of pictorialism; I do find, nevertheless, a remarkable connection in content and style between De Ponte's image and those of Anne Brigman, made more than half a century earlier. And since Deponte truly had no knowledge of Brigman, well, that only makes the comparison more intriguing. Is the resemblance merely coincidental, a product of the 'Great Minds Think Alike' school of thought, or Is the idea of a woman taking shelter beneath a gnarled tree in a barren landscape a visual template from some Jungian image bank in our collective subconscious?
As much as we strive to be original in our creative efforts, virtually none of us can help being influenced by others. It was, after all, the initial thrill of being touched by someone else's work that inspired most of us who have careers in the arts to embark upon them.
Among the tens of thousands of book covers I've looked at over the past half-decade, i have noticed a growing number of images that appear to recall, in style and / or content, to the work and vision of other photographers. As a result, the 'Creator' category (also indicated as 'Actual Photographer') has been added to the Covering Photography database. If the image on a book cover calls to mind the style of another photographer, whether by direct imitation, influence or, as in Paige De Ponte's case, an interesting coincidence, it will be posted under the names of both the actual imagemaker and the photographer whose work it calls to mind.
'This is NOT an image by Anne W. Brigman; it is credited to Paige De Ponte, who seems to have set up a photograph 'inspired by' Brigman's signature images 'The Heart of the Storm' (1912) and 'Nude by Tree' (1915). Presumably, Deponte's photograph was made closer to the book's publication.'
Ms. De Ponte informed me that, not only was there no influence, but that she was entirely unfamiliar with Brigman and her photographic work.
I am grateful for being contacted by Ms. De Ponte, who, as she claims, is "a published photographer - 200 editorials and 2 fine art books (18years) and am noted on my own vision and works." Her photograph in question, 'Devil's Peak, South Africa' (from the monograph Journey into Vanishing Worlds) was made with a sharp lens and lacks some of the sentimentality and romantic sfumato characteristic of pictorialism; I do find, nevertheless, a remarkable connection in content and style between De Ponte's image and those of Anne Brigman, made more than half a century earlier. And since Deponte truly had no knowledge of Brigman, well, that only makes the comparison more intriguing. Is the resemblance merely coincidental, a product of the 'Great Minds Think Alike' school of thought, or Is the idea of a woman taking shelter beneath a gnarled tree in a barren landscape a visual template from some Jungian image bank in our collective subconscious?
As much as we strive to be original in our creative efforts, virtually none of us can help being influenced by others. It was, after all, the initial thrill of being touched by someone else's work that inspired most of us who have careers in the arts to embark upon them.
Among the tens of thousands of book covers I've looked at over the past half-decade, i have noticed a growing number of images that appear to recall, in style and / or content, to the work and vision of other photographers. As a result, the 'Creator' category (also indicated as 'Actual Photographer') has been added to the Covering Photography database. If the image on a book cover calls to mind the style of another photographer, whether by direct imitation, influence or, as in Paige De Ponte's case, an interesting coincidence, it will be posted under the names of both the actual imagemaker and the photographer whose work it calls to mind.
Photo Genre
Designer
Collection
Citation
“The Stone Virgins,” Covering Photography, accessed November 22, 2024, https://coveringphotography.bc.edu/items/show/6199.