Edward Weston. Pepper No. 30, 1930
Photo Credit: Holden Luntz Gallery

In his book “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”, Stephen King writes about leaving something for the imagination, not over-describing a scene. He conjures up the image of a red number 8 on the back of a rabbit in a cage. And, according to the King, each person will conjure up a different image, with the core attributes rabbit in a cage with an 8 on its back. Because that is what’s important.

The title, Pepper No. 30, leaves me with similar feelings. It can be just a pepper or more than just a pepper. How many peppers were there before, how many came after? What happened to them? What makes this number 30 so special?

Edward Weston started experimenting with still-life images and particular peppers early in the 1920s. Over the years, he took many shots in different light against different backgrounds until 1930, when he finally created the now-famous Pepper No. 30 on his Ansco, 8 x 10 Commercial camera, with a 21cm lens at f240, 4-6 hours exposure.

The story goes that the pepper was on its way to the kitchen, “where all good peppers end up,” when he decided to place the pepper in a large tin funnel, which allowed for the light to beautifully wrap around the pepper, hugging the curves, and highlighting the lines. Creating the deep shadows and highlights that transformed the flat image into a three-dimensional artwork.

In Edward’s words, “It is a classic, completely satisfying ‒ a pepper ‒ but more than a pepper; abstract, in that it is completely outside subject matter. It has no psychological attributes or human emotions aroused: this new pepper takes one beyond the world we know in the conscious mind.”

Edward was also particular about how these images were to be printed, even leaving his son with specific instructions on how it must be done. Even though the prints by his son are clearly labelled as “Printed by Cole Weston”. All prints of Pepper No. 30 are silver gelatine prints of about 24,1 x 19,2cm.

Pepper No. 30 is a pepper, but more than a pepper. It is a beautifully crafted image that took Weston several years to perfect. It is a testament to his dedication to the craft. It showcases how an everyday object that usually ends up in a salad can create an extraordinary image that is both abstract and real.

References:
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/pepper-no-30-27566

Edward Weston’s Pepper No. 30

https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/172/2274
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_No._30
___
#EdwardWeston #PhotoDigest #FineArtPhotography #HistoricalPhotography