Searching for Saul Leiter
Reflecting on a photographer we all seem to admire
“Seeing is a neglected enterprise.” — Saul Leiter
He’s right. I think the thing I love most about Saul Leiter’s photography is the vision. The guy could see! Those of you who follow my Instagram know I’m obsessed with beauty. Why? Because it’s good for you. Immersing one’s self in beautiful imagery is good for the soul. It feels great to look at beautiful pictures. Like a warm bath or a back massage, they wash over you and make you happy. Saul Leiter’s photographs have always felt that way to me — like visual therapy.
I was late to the game in terms of Leiter. My first experience with his work was in 2006 when Lisa Hostetler staged an exhibition of his color photography at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Leiter’s winter picture was in the press kit, and I was immediately hooked. I loved its painterly qualities and how it looked like a dream. I come back to this picture often and only recently noticed that Saul appears to have wiped some of the condensation from the window before making the image. Talk about seeing!
I suspect that most folks know Saul Leiter because they saw one of his pictures online. It’s funny, but I had never dialed in on the fact that much of his color work was shot on slide film. (Gearheads, forgive me, I like to think about the pictures and rarely consider how they’re made.) That resonates with me because I love looking at backlit photography onscreen. Saul’s images always make me feel like I’m at the movies. I saw this picture in The Guardian’s review of Leiter’s latest book, which made me instantly wish to see a Saul Leiter projection. Doesn’t that sound fun?
Facebook reminded me that Saul died on November 26, 2013 — hard to believe it’s been that long. He was one of the pioneers of color photography, but who was he? I’m always curious to know what inspires great artists, so, as usual, I scurried down the internet rabbit hole, collecting bits and bobs and bookmarking them for later. And then, I realized that it would be fun to share them with you. It’s a weird post — a digital collage or a curatorial mix. I’m going to keep experimenting with this format. Let me know what you think.
I told you at the start that I wanted this Substack project to be collaborative, so I appreciate those of you who contributed. Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions! The post is already too long, so I’ll stop here. But I would love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite Saul Leiter image? Please share it with me. You can reply to this email or post a link in the comments. Thanks, as always, for looking. Enjoy!
This is a great place to start for those who are not yet familiar with Leiter or his work. Lucky Tiger Productions produced this short film for the Saul Leiter Foundation a few years ago. I was surprised (and delighted) to learn that the Foundation’s offices and preservation headquarters are based in Leiter’s East Village apartment. How cool is that? The film provides a lovely introduction, and the studio interiors give a behind-the-scenes peek at the creative space where he lived and worked over the years.
“It’s quite possible that my work represents a search for beauty in the most prosaic and ordinary places. One doesn’t have to be in some faraway dreamland in order to find beauty.” That about sums it up — Leiter was a master of finding magic in the mundane. One of my readers, Keith Goldstein, shared this interview Dean Brierly published with Leiter in 2009. It’s an honest, funny conversation. Check it out.
In May 2013 — six months before his death — New Yorker photography critic Vince Aletti interviewed Leiter in front of an audience at New York City’s School of Visual Arts. It’s always wonderful to hear artists in their own words, and Vince is one of our great thinkers on the image. I’m only halfway through this, and I’m enjoying it. Worth watching when you have the time.
“I was hoping to be forgotten. I aspired to be unimportant.” — Saul Leiter
I used to work in a photo archive, so I appreciate the immense work that goes into preserving a photographer’s archive and organizing and making sense of the countless images in it. Thames & Hudson published this essay excerpt from Michael Parillo, co-author of The Unseen Saul Leiter and associate director of the Saul Leiter Foundation. Sorting through 40,000 slides sounds like a dream and nightmare simultaneously. Good read.
In September 2014, I asked photographer and scholar James Rhem to give a talk to contextualize Leiter’s work on the occasion of a screening of In No Great Hurry I had organized at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. James shared this video of his talk when he learned I was writing this post. I didn’t realize it was online and appreciated seeing it again after all these years. His lecture provides a biographical framework for understanding Leiter’s work. It’s a great intro.
Historical context is critical for understanding how an artist is situated in the grand scheme. I was delighted to hear from Andrew Eberlin who suggested this excellent Francis Hodgson essay: 1000 Words published this piece at the time of Leiter’s retrospective at the Photographers Gallery, London, in 2016. Thanks, Andrew!
I mentioned this before — make some time to watch In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter, Tomas Leach’s remarkable documentary about Leiter’s life and work. I haven’t seen the film since 2014 and plan to watch it during my winter break. This, too: Grant Scott published a Q&A with the filmmaker in 2012 that’s worth a peek.
“In some ways, you have this case where photography influences painting, which influences a painter, who is also a photographer.” Ted Forbes is one of the best when it comes to video essays, and his overview of Leiter’s influences is a must-see.
If I’ve piqued your curiosity, you may want to check this out: The Unseen Saul Leiter authors Margit Erb and Michael Parillo will discuss the book at the International Center for Photography on December 10. The best part: it’s a hybrid event! In-person tickets are free with museum admission; online tickets are free with a suggested donation. (Thanks, Lesly Deschler Canossi, for the tip!)
Finally, I’ll leave you with this — One of my readers, GD McClintock, shared this portrait he made of Leiter at an art opening in 2011. Saul would have been 88 years old when George made this image. Look at the sparkle in his eyes! He seemed like a real sweetheart. Rest in peace, Saul, and thank you for all the beautiful pictures.
Andy, I also wanted to add this book by a friend and colleague, Yumiko Izu called Saul Leiter: In Stillness. https://yumikoizu.com/product/yumiko-izu-saul-leiter-in-stillness/
Thank you for this wonderful post on Saul Leiter, and for including the Jim Rhem piece "The Artist and The Rabbi's Son."
In addition to being a rabbi's son, Saul Leiter was also a rabbi's brother: Rabbi David Leiter. I take great delight in mentioning that his brother David was my rabbi when I was growing up, and was the rabbi who bar mitzvahed me.