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The Last Years of Walker Evans: A First-Hand Account by Jerry L. Thompson

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The Last Years of Walker Evans Jerry L. Thompson Thames & Hudson, 1997

Review by Sean Flynt

The last two decades have been good to students and fans of Walker Evans, one of the most important artists ever to work in the medium of photography. We've enjoyed significant (and expensive!) retrospective volumes, reprints of Evans's books, and at least one significant biography. It's appropriate attention to an enormous talent most often represented by images of Alabama tenant farm families, vernacular American architecture, and the earnest artifacts of everyday life.

Although Evans is in no immediate danger of being Ansel Adams-ized, with poster-size reproductions of his work available at every shopping mall, it's not difficult to find his work. Surprisingly, it is more difficult to find thorough biographical information about the artist. Belinda Rathbone's recent contribution in this area, Walker Evans: Message From the Interior, offered cradle-to-grave coverage of Evans's life, but seemed somewhat cold and detached. However, it also seemed to reflect both Evans's public persona and the cool directness of his artistic vision. Without any comparison, one could be forgiven for thinking of Rathbone's effort as the last word on Evans's life.

Then, along came Jerry L. Thompson, Evans's student, assistant, friend, keeper, and author of The Last Years of Walker Evans. In contrast to Rathbone's over-emphasis on the occasionally sordid details of the artist's private life, Thompson does much to humanize Evans without demeaning him or treading too heavily on the artist's grave. In fact, although it is not explicitly stated in the book, The Last Years of Walker Evans may be a direct response to the Rathbone biography. One can only wonder at whom the following passage, from the close of Thompson's book, is directed:

"...may (Evans) rest in peace-that is to say, unvexed by meddlesome studies that dwell on messy personal details and ignore the complex greatness of his work, and its central role in any! reasonable account of his life. And cursed be any whose inept, reductive, or mean-spirited scribblings disturb that well-earned rest."

But lest anyone fear that The Last Years of Walker Evans is a superficial panegyric, be assured that "dwell" is the key word in the previous quotation. Thompson does not dwell on Evans's personal flaws, but neither does he overlook them. In the tradition of Evans's straightforward photographs, Thompson merely presents information he feels is important in some way, then moves along. Oh, occasionally he betrays his formal education by over-intellectualizing Evans's work or artistic motivations, but such instances are infrequent and usually followed by his admission that postmodern, deconstructionist theories fail to account for either Evans's native gifts or the great impact of his art.

As Evans's student and personal (but not too personal) friend from 1971 until the artist's death in 1975, Thompson is uniquely qualified to write this insightful and touching account. As a photographer who accompanied Evans on his working excursions, printed Evans's work, and generally served as a willing tool in the service of Evans's creativity, Thompson is also an informed and thoughtful student of the artist's later work. These traits, combined with Thompson's crisp writing, brevity, and deeply-felt concern for Evans, make The Last Years of Walker Evans a must-have for anyone interested in the life and work of this tremendously influential artist.

Do we need another biography on Walker Evans? Absolutely yes and I enjoyed this small book very much reading it cover to cover. Walker Evans will continue to elude historians and students of his work for many years to come and further study with the help of this book and others will help in that pursuit. Interesting with the three other biographies that I have read that this one ends with a the author making a personal plea to leave the man alone concerning the contradictions and foibles in his personal life. Although I can appreciate his heart felt concern Evans will continue to be the most influential artist of the 20th Century. As a fan and student of Evans I greatly appreciate the contributions other authors have made in defining Evans as an artist and person. One detail in the book which needs correction concerns the location of the iconic photograph of the cemetery. Although Evans took many photographs in and around Easton that photograph was made in Bethlehem just a few miles away; it does not appear that Evans made any photographs in the Easton Cemetery. Also it was a photographer that shot Evans photographing on the elevated side of that cemetery and this photographer also assisted in printing the African Art for MOMA from what I understand from other sources. The author makes some original and insightful observations about Evans work which are excellent and unique and I highly recommend this book.

This is a thoughtful, and at times amusing, book
of the latter years of Walker Evans. It gives an insightful
look at both the artist and the man. I thoroughly enjoyed
this book.

This book gives an excellent example of Walker Evans. It shows the reader not only his style but also his feelings. The photos prove that Walker Evans is one of the greatest photographers of all time.