At around the age of thirty, Saul Leiter roamed New York in the 1950s with his camera – and probably had no idea at the time that he would continue to be regarded as one of the greatest in his field for the next century. He was actually supposed to become a rabbi. However, he preferred to pick up a paintbrush, became a painter and then a photographer, merging the two art forms like hardly anyone before him.
While others still saw the world largely in black and white, Leiter had long been experimenting with color, which somehow shone more brightly in his work than in that of other artists. He not only established himself as a street photographer, but also set new standards in fashion photography with his unmistakable style. Leiter’s pictures extract the essence of the fifties and sixties, and yet: if you had to define timelessness, it would be a photo by Saul Leiter.
Saul Leiter: The Centennial Retrospective
Street photography, fashion photography, painting and nudes – a good century after Saul Leiter’s birth, this book offers a cross-section of his entire career. Thanks to previously unpublished archive material and texts by companions and experts, the 350 pages bring you closer to the enigmatic artist than ever before.
Margit Erb, Michael Parillo, Adam Harrison Levy, Michael Greenberg, Asa Hiramatsu, Lou Stoppard, “Saul Leiter: The Centennial Retrospective”, 340 color and black-and-white photographs, Thames & Hudson, approx. 66, www.thamesandhudson.com
Want to find out more about Saul Leiter? The Saul Leiter Foundation has all the information you need.
He cites Saul Leiter as one of his greatest inspirations – and is just as serious about timelessness: Finnish photographer Kasperi Kropsu.
Photos: © Saul Leiter Foundation
