Eugene Atget's way of being a flaneur

Eugene Atget's photographic documentation of Paris in the early 20th century has been widely recognized as a significant contribution to the flâneur tradition. 

Atget's way of being a flâneur involved using the camera to capture the everyday life of the city streets. 

As Walter Benjamin notes: 

"Atget's photographs are not snapshots, but carefully composed and framed images that reveal the hidden beauty and mystery of the urban space" 

(Benjamin, 2002, The Arcades Project. Harvard University Press. p. 227).

Atget's photographic approach was also characterized by a sense of detachment and objectivity, which allowed him to capture the city in a way that was both objective and empathetic.

One example of Atget's way of being a flâneur can be seen in his documentation of the shop windows in Paris. Atget's photographs of shop windows reveal a world of objects and artifacts that were essential to the everyday life of the city. 

As Anne McCauley notes:

"Atget's photographs of shop windows capture the essence of the flâneur's experience of the city, which is to discover and appreciate the hidden treasures of the urban space"

(McCauley, 2005, Industrial Photography in the Machine Age. University of California Press. p. 84). 

Atget's photographs of shop windows also highlight the commercial and consumer culture of the city, revealing how the city's economy and social life were interconnected.

Another example of Atget's way of being a flâneur can be seen in his documentation of the city's parks and gardens. 

Atget's photographs of parks and gardens reveal a world of natural beauty and tranquillity that was often overlooked in the bustling city streets. 

According to Clark Worswick (1985):

"Atget's photographs of parks and gardens offer a counterpoint to the urban experience of the flâneur, reminding us of the importance of nature and the need for moments of respite and reflection in the midst of the city's chaos".

Atget's photographs of parks and gardens also reveal how the city's public spaces were shaped by social and cultural practices.

Another example of Atget's way of being a flâneur can be seen in his documentation of the city's architecture. Atget's photographs of the city's buildings and monuments reveal a world of history and culture embedded in the urban space. 

Allan Sekula states: 

"Atget's photographs of the city's architecture reveal a world of symbolic and aesthetic meaning that was both public and private, revealing the ways in which the city's built environment was a reflection of its social and cultural values" 

(Sekula, 1991, Photography Against the Grain: Essays and Photo Works 1973-1983. MIT Press, p. 127). 

Atget's photographs of the city's architecture also reveal how the city's buildings and monuments were shaped by the forces of politics, economics, and ideology.

In the previous photograph, we can also see Atget's use of the "ghosting" technique.

Eugene Atget's photographic technique of "ghosting" involved taking photographs of the same location at different times of the day, creating an image in which the people and objects in the foreground appeared solid and the moving elements in the background were blurred or ghost-like. 

This technique was used to create a sense of timelessness and to capture the ephemeral nature of the city, its people and its architecture. At the same time, the solid objects in the foreground provide a sense of stability and permanence, creating tension between the fixed and the fluid elements of the urban landscape.

Atget's use of ghosting was particularly effective in capturing the transitory nature of urban life, as it revealed the constant movement and flux of the city.  

Moreover, Atget's use of ghosting also has a poetic quality to it, capturing the essence of the city's spirit (genius loci) and character. By capturing the fleeting moments of the city's life, Atget's images are imbued with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, evoking the passing of time and the impermanence of all things.

His ghosting technique has inspired many photographers and artists since and continues to be a significant contribution to the history of photography.

In my practice, I have drawn inspiration from Eugene Atget to apply the same technique.