The first issue of Aperture, a quarterly journal devoted to creative photography, launched in San Francisco back in 1952. Founded by a small circle of photographers and critics — Minor White, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams among them— Aperture’s stated mission was to communicate with “serious photographers and creative people everywhere, whether professional, amateur or student.” Teacher, writer, and influential photographer Minor White served as the first editor.
Fast-forward 67 years and Aperture is still up and at it. It’s no longer just a magazine though. The Aperture Foundation today is a multi-platform publisher and center for the photo community whose mission is to serve as “common ground for the advancement of photography”. One would think that the likes of White, Adams, Lange and their cohort would be proud, and somewhat mystified, at what Aperture gets up to in today’s world.
The flagship quarterly magazine continues and is as sought after as always for it’s high caliber of photography, as well as the writing it contains. In addition to this the foundation publishes photo books by classic, contemporary and emerging photographers (as well as some of the best writers on photography), have a growing digital publishing program, several yearly exhibitions, talks, workshops and other industry related events and, with Paris Photo, grant the sought after annual PhotoBook Award. It’s safe to say they’ve been busy.
Next year the Aperture Foundation will leave its current location in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood to create a new headquarters in New York. With this move in mind Aperture is having an auction of fifty-four works—photographs, as well as artist portfolio’s and special editions—by forty-nine artists, to be held at Christie’s in New York. (The day will also see photographs from Christie’s collection as a whole – including work from Robert Frank and Polaroid’s of pop icons from Andy Warhol)
The proceeds of this auction—where all works have been generously donated by internationally acclaimed artists, collectors, and gallerists with ties to Aperture—will contribute critical funds toward Aperture’s purchase of a permanent home, which will serve as the center for its global publishing operations and public programming, as well as a flexible meeting, education, exhibition, and event space.
Just a few of the artists work (either prints or portfolios) who will be available for purchase will be Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Michael Brandt, Edward Burtynsky, Imogen Cunningham, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Walker Evans, Lee Friedlander, Nan Goldin, Todd Hido, Horst P. Horst, Peter Hujar, William Klein, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joel Meyerowitz, Aaron Siskind, Paul Strand, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Hank Willis Thomas, Paolo Ventura and Massimo Vitali. The collection is estimated at $600 000 – $772 000)
— Samantha Reinders
Christie’s Auction House
October 2, 2019 at 2.00pm
(Aperture Lots 201–254)
Cataloguing and complete details of the sales are available
Related Articles
What (and How) Photography Collectors Buy Now
You Can Own Ansel Adams’ 4×5 View Camera
