Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "John Gutmann" in English language version.
His photographs are conditioned by his ability to sense the apparent strangeness of his subjects and to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
But not everyone is aware that he founded the photography program at San Francisco State University, where he taught for many years. In recognition of his contribution to the school's arts programs, SFSU has staged a retrospective of his work titled "Parallels in Focus."
As a recent immigrant and an emissary of European modernism, Gutmann brought a distinct angle of vision to the American scene, reflected literally in famous images like "Elevator Garage" (1937) and "From the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge" (1947).
The excitement of his witness to the times is felt in almost every image, but it may be most vivid in a 1934 ferryboat view of the Golden Gate, empty of all but the north tower of the bridge.