I have nothing against famous people, but I never understood what attracts everyone to them.” “In the world that I have lived in, bad photographers make a great living and vice versa. However, it does not imply that the people who are successful are always better than the rest,” he says. “There are two kinds of people in the world-the ones who are successful and those who are not.
His views on life are just as resolute as his photography skills, and he strongly believes that success is not always the criterion that ascertains the extent of an artist’s talent. Unlike his contemporaries, fame and recognition happened to him at a much later stage in life. Interestingly enough, Saul Leiter is often referred to as the Van Gogh of photography. From the subdued reds, yellows, pinks to the mere black and whites…Saul’s photographs took me on a gripping visual journey from which I still reverberate. His use of colour seemed to surpass the likes of Pablo Picasso or Andy Warhol. His early career as a painter had enriched and influenced his photographic work tremendously. During his years in New York, Saul’s sensibilites were shaped by artists from across the realm of visual arts. I stared, gripped by the colours that were displayed before me this was not just another beautiful photograph, it was a song being sung especially for me. The imperfect harmony of Saul’s compositions intrigued me. I felt as if he had a lot to say, and yet his photographs left something unsaid. In more ways than one, Rumi’s lyrical ballads and Saul’s visual imagery collapsed into each other, despite their great divergence. The first time I saw Saul Leiter’s images, I was reminded of a couplet from Jelaluddin Rumi’s poetry.
He was encouraged to take up photography, and finally bought a 35mm Leica in exchange for a few photographs. As a young adult in a big city, Saul befriended the camera more than it befriended him. He almost became a Rabbi, until he took a midnight bus from his parent’s home that brought him to the hustle and bustle of New York City. Saul Leiter began photographing in colour in the early 90s, much before anyone else. On the other hand, one can never gauge the oceanlike profundity that lies beneath a quiet interior. The worth of a master’s life and works cannot be measured simply by the amount of newspaper articles written about him. This article was originally published in November 2012. Priyanka Chharia glances at the magical world of Saul Leiter and pries loose the life of a living genius.
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