Untitled - Girl with bow in hair

William Mortensen

The unidentified girl in this silver print photograph is likely the daughter of one of his regular portrait clients - an actor or other notable Los Angelean. William Mortensen, known equally for his portraits as for his theatrical imagery, practiced experimental photography techniques throughout his career and often utilized everyday art tools to manipulate the photos in process. In the 1950s he often printed portraits on textured papers, as with this one, to produce a canvas-like effect.

Mortensen was both celebrated and reviled in his time as a photographer in Los Angeles from the 1920s to the 1960s. While his straight-forward portraits were sought after, his art photography was railed against by Ansel Adams’ Group f/64 and other leading modern realists in the world of photography. After his death in 1965 his work was largely forgotten, but a newfound appreciation for Mortensen’s imaginative, pioneering work has been revived since the early 2000s.