A major exhibition exploring pictorialism is underway at Tate Modern in London. Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography seeks to broaden the geographical and chronological understanding of the movement. It traces its evolution from the 1880s through to the 1960s and features 200 rare vintage prints by more than 80 artists working across Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia.
Spanning four thematic chapters, the exhibition brings together celebrated figures such as Adolphe de Meyer and Clarence H White with lesser-known practitioners, including Chinese photographers Long Chin-san and Luo Bonian and Indian-born Shapoor N Bhedwar. It explores the expressive potential of the medium, the art of printmaking, and how photographic societies, camera clubs and salons shaped the movement’s international development. It also reconsiders the relationship between pictorialism and modernism through the work of Edward Steichen, Paul Strand and Edward Weston as well as experimental photographers such as Lionel Wendt and Shigeru Onishi.
Don’t miss Tracy Calder’s insightful interview with the show’s curator, Genevieve Barton, in the latest issue (B+W 319).
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography is on display at Tate Modern in London until 21 February 2027. Short courses exploring photography as a material, creative and experimental art form are taking place throughout the run of the exhibition. Find out more at tate.org.uk.