Andy says ‘Where shall we go today? . . . . . '

Elliott Erwitt, Andy Warhol, New York, 1986

 

More from Elliot Erwitt | ‘Jack Kerouac’ 1953

After reporting the death of Elliot Erwitt it is amazing how many classic brilliant shots have shown up and nudged me into remembering him fondly when we met. Here another from the year I was born and boy what a shot; a seminal portrait of a favourite author

Elliott Erwitt Jack Kerouac, New York City 1953

“Who knows, my God, but that the universe is not one vast sea of compassion actually, the veritable holy honey, beneath all this show of personality and cruelty?” 

Jack Kerouac

 

Remembering Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023) : Magnum

 

After I mentioned his death the other day I found this thoroughly well written and affectionate obituary account of Elliot Erwitt’s importance as a master photographer. 

It is well worth the read

here:

Remembering Elliott Erwitt 1928 -2023 - Magnum Photos

Elliott Erwitt R.I.P

I was saddened to hear of the death of the great American photographer Elliott Erwitt on Wednesday and have fond memories of his visit to Oxford to come and speak as part of a series of talks and signings I did while at Blackwell’s Art And Poster shop (amongst other heroes like Eve Arnold, Robert Doisneau to name but two, thanks to our publicity department and almost entirely to photographic historian Martin Harrison who happened to live locally)

Now Elliott was amongst those whose work I discovered as a child through the exhibition catalogue The Family of Man which I think I have mentioned before but I grew up with the genius exhibition book and its work as both my parents and my maternal grandparents owned copies of the catalogue and I now have both of those. 

It was my great privilege to get to meet the three above mentioned photographers as a grown man in my job as manager of the Art Shop and Elliott and I took to each other I like to think. We took him for lunch and there is a photo somewhere of us walking back from the restaurant happy and laughing down Broad Street here in Oxford. He was I think possessed of genius and the eye for an amusement the decisive moment and a twinkle in life’s eye as well as sharing what I might call the ’universal’ in the family of man. Those moments that make us all human and one family

the ‘universal’ from The Family of Man which had a profound effect upon me

the ubiquitous masterpiece which you almost certainly would know and best selling poster

soldier on training excercise

The end is at hand

we are the poorer for his passing

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS

Happy 95th Birthday Elliott Erwitt.

Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1956. Elliott Erwitt

"Whilst at The Art Shop in Oxford I had many a guest signings that I enjoyed above all others (Gilbert & George spring immediately to mind, such fun and so delightful and pleased with their "Mr Andy" they came twice, sculptor David Mach one of the nicest people it has ever been my pleasure to meet, Col Glen Baxter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (hilarious - JOYOUS man!) and photographers Eve Arnold, Robert Doisneau but I particularly recall the joyous visit by Elliot Erwitt and we went for lunch and treated him with the greatest respect but he was incredibly funny, generous and kind and one of the most likeable people I ever met.  

There is a shot of us returning from a lovely lunch walking the Broad Street in Oxford as memory serves taken by the equally brilliant photographer Norman MacBeath and we are both laughing. Wonderful man. Possibly possessed of genius! IMHO 

Happy Birthday Mr Erwitt, Master Photographer"

Jack Kerouac by Elliott Erwitt

Hey, Jack Kerouac!

As the post with the biggest numbers of 'hits' is a photographic one [Gary Winogrand - see below] so here's a masterwork by one I have actually met. I was fortunate enough to have been able to promote certain artists and photographers when the manager of BH Blackwell's Art & Poster Shop these included Elliott Erwitt, Eve Arnold, Robert Doisneau, and relationships with artist the like of the then Ruskin Master, Stephen Farthing, the lovely David Mach, Gilbert & George (who came twice so that they ended up calling me Mr Andy!) to name but a few. 

 Jack Kerouac, New York City, 1953. Elliott Erwitt. [Silver Gelatin print.]

My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them. 

~ Jack Kerouac.

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