Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
by Ron Schick
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ron SchickEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-22
ISBN: 0316006939
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
Book Review: Why Norman Rockwell's Illustrations Look Like Photographs
Summary: 5 Stars
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera made me question all over again "what is art?" Rockwell didn't call himself an artist - he preferred to label himself an illustrator. But he, like anyone who creates, aspired to be recognized as more than a craftsman. Perhaps Rockwell realized that it wasn't up to him to determine whether what he made was art.
That he was uneasy about how he created his works is one of the surprises in Behind the Camera. The fact that he painted from photographs was something he didn't exactly keep secret. He did however, hide the extent to which he used photographs. He also hid his Balopticon when visitors came to his studio.
One of the best photographs in the book is of Rockwell himself, using a Balopticon, a machine like an overhead projector that projected an enlarged image of the photograph onto the canvas. Rockwell is actually tracing the image onto the canvas. According to the book, he did this all the time.
Rockwell had an eye for composing photographs. He went to great lengths to get just the right props, settings, and models, and then had a few trusted photographers shoot hundreds of photos of the scene Rockwell created. Usually, this wasn't done all in one piece, but in parts, with different models and a multitude of props appearing in separate photos. Then Rockwell could assemble the scene he had in mind, using the individual parts.
It's fun to compare the photos with the final illustrations to see what Rockwell added, left out, or changed. He often exaggerated facial expressions or physical features, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. Many of those faces are surprisingly lifelike, even the most comical ones, as the photos reveal.
It seems that Rockwell was not comfortable making things up on paper or canvas. He had no confidence in his ability to make more than small changes to what he saw in the model or in the photo. If he decided late into a project that he wanted a different prop or facial expression, he would get a new prop or even get the model back for another photo shoot, rather than just make the changes from memory. He decided early on to shoot only in black and white because if he shot in color he would be stuck with the colors in the photo. With black and white, he felt free to fill in his own colors.
Was photographing and tracing "cheating"? Rockwell seemed slightly embarrassed by it and made some comments that seem defensive. He undoubtedly realized that the end result is the only thing that matters in art, and barring plagiarism, anything goes. He also realized that not everyone else would agree with that philosophy.
Also recommended, for a critical and provocative look at a darker side of Rockwell's work - Norman Rockwell: The Underside of Innocence by Richard Halpern.
Summary of Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera is the first book to explore the meticulously composed and richly detailed photographs that Norman Rockwell used to create his famous artworks. Working alongside skilled photographers, Rockwell acted as director, carefully orchestrating models, selecting props, and choosing locations for the photographs--works of art in their own right--that served as the basis of his iconic images. Readers will be surprised to find that many of his most memorable characters-the girl at the mirror, the young couple on prom night, the family on vacation-were friends and neighbors who served as his amateur models. In this groundbreaking book, author and historian Ron Schick delves into the archive of nearly 20,000 photographs housed at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Featuring reproductions of Rockwell's black-and-white photographs and related full-color artworks, along with an incisive narrative and quotes from Rockwell models and family members, this book will intrigue anyone interested in photography, art, and Americana.Artists, A-Z Books
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