Aperture, Vol. 17, No. 2. Includes the Zen Camera.

Aperture, 1973. Edited by Minor White. Includes article on Zen Camera by Edward Putzar. Other contributors include Edward F D'Arms Jr., Peter Delory, Nicholas Hlobeczy [Zen], Wallace Homitz, and Carl Leavitt, Lawrence Weissman, and Arthur Lazar. This issue’s unstated theme is the ineffable in photography.  Stiff glossy wraps, very good with minor dings at extremities, internally fine. Summary:

Aperture, Vol. 17, No. 2 is a 1973 issue edited by Minor White that features a mix of critical writing and photographic portfolios from a range of contributors, reflecting the magazine’s longstanding mission to explore photography not just as documentation but as an expressive and conceptual medium.

📸 Featured Content

• The issue includes an essay on Carlos Castaneda, indicating attention to broader cultural and intellectual topics that intersect with visual perception and artistic practice.

• It presents photographic portfolios by Carl Leavitt and Peter Delory, offering readers a look at distinctive bodies of photographic work.

📷 Other Contributors & Photographic Voices

• Photographers and writers featured in this issue include Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Nicholas Hlobeczy (Zen), Edward F. D’Arms Jr., Wallace Homitz, and Carl Leavitt. Together, these contributors represent a diverse cross-section of photographic styles and concerns, from modernist landscapes to more personal or philosophical approaches to the medium.

🧠 Themes and Approach

• Like many Aperture issues of this era, Vol. 17, No. 2 blurs the lines between visual portfolios and reflective writing, engaging photography as both image and idea rather than merely technique or reportage.

• The inclusion of pieces tied to Zen and artistic introspection (e.g., Nicholas Hlobeczy’s work and the Zen Camera theme referenced in descriptions) suggests an interest in photography’s relationship to perception and presence, a recurring interest in Aperture under White’s editorial influence.

🗞️ Editorial Context

• Aperture during this period (early 1970s) was still under the editorial influence of Minor White, one of the founders of the magazine and a major advocate for photography as a contemplative and expressive art form.

• The magazine historically combined narrative, criticism, and curated portfolios to help shape and challenge photographic discourse — a mission clearly evident in this eclectic issue.

In summary, Aperture, Vol. 17, No. 2 offers readers a rich mix of essays and photographic work from prominent practitioners and thinkers, emphasizing photography’s artistic depth and conceptual breadth.