Catherine Johnson, Chair of the Photography Committee, would be very pleased if The National Arts Club were to “go to the dogs.” That is, she would be extremely gratified if club members would attend an exhibit featuring vintage snapshots of people with their dogs that she plans to exhibit in the Trask Gallery in the spring of 2006.

The collection of vintage photos will be published by Channel Photographics in a book titled Canine Familiaris, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to The Humane Society. Catherine hopes that the book—which will include a letter from the organization’s president—will raise people’s awareness of pet adoption and the importance of supporting the Society’s work.

Catherine’s selflessness and genuine consideration for the plight of others particularly impressed me when I recently had the opportunity to speak with her by phone. Although she was the main subject of the interview, and I merely the writer, Catherine insisted upon asking me some questions at the interview’s start. When I told her that I was a high school English teacher, she listened attentively as I expressed my views on the public school system and empathized with my yearning for positive change. Catherine’s interest in my work was touching, and as the interview progressed, I learned that this concern for others is only one of the many wonderful qualities she possesses.

Over the course of our conversation, I had the additional pleasure of discovering that Catherine also is dazzlingly knowledgeable about the arts, has edited two stunning books on photography, is currently hard at work on a fascinating documentary, and is the devoted owner of two charming toy fox-terriers—Lula and Dixie—who on occasion can be spotted roaming the hallowed wings of The National Arts Club.

It was love at first sight. I have lived in the Gramercy Park area a long time, and some neighbors invited me to an event in 1996. That’s when I first met Aldon, who struck me as amazingly energetic, generous, and kooky—and of course I mean that as a compliment. I was also very impressed by the club’s programming and history. I read a lot of historical novels and biographies, particularly those set at the turn of the century, and the club seemed to have the sort of magical aura of old New York. I joined the club as a member in 1996 and became Chair of the Photography Committee in 2001.

My parents subscribed to every great magazine when I was growing up—Life and Vogue among them. And when I was 12 years old, my mother gave me a wonderful book called Photography in America that had a profound effect on me. I decided at that time that I would pursue a photography-related career, either photo editing or in a gallery. I also went to an excellent high school, where I took two years of photography, and that further encouraged my ambitions. Fast-forward to the late 1980’s, when I landed a job at Vanity Fair magazine. Around that time, I met the great British photographer Norman Parkinson, and I was lucky enough to become his agent.

What kinds of events has the Photography Committee recently hosted under your leadership?

We have a fabulous committee, and the past year has been an incredible one. Our events have included Carole Nager talking about her book on the fascinating Magnum founder George Rodger; Members Bob and Tina Sharpe exhibiting their photographs from Portugal; and Sylvia Plachey speaking about her tender images of family, friends and landscapes in her birthplace of Hungary.
We have also hosted The New York Times photojournalist Tyler Hicks, who spoke about his experience covering the war in Iraq. His accounts were disturbing and chilling. Collector Michael Mattis came to the club to speak about his collection of Edward Weston work. Legendary Director Emeritus of MOMA, John Szarkowski, spoke about his work and signed copies of his new book of photographs. This event was an exclusive sneak preview, because his book will not appear in New York City—even at MOMA—until 2006.

Sebastiao has spent his life photographing the dispossessed, the poor, the homeless, in such a dignified way. His work has exposed some of the nightmarish lives that the majority of the people on this earth live. As he has said of his pictures, he strives “to raise a question, to provoke a debate, so that we can discuss problems together and come up with solutions.” And his photos succeed beautifully on all those levels. He is a true humanitarian.

Who are some of the photographers whose work you admire?

Where do I begin? I suppose these may be obvious, but—Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Friedlander, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn. Of course, all of our Gold Medal Recipients.

And, Alfred Stieglitz, because he curated the seminal Photo-Secession show in 1902, entitled “American Pictorial Photography,” here at the club. That show exhibited pieces from 31 remarkable photographers, among them F. Holland Day, Edward Steichen, Gertrude Kasebier, and Clarence White. That event was a showcasing of the very best of American photography at that time.

You edited a book, Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession 1902, about that exhibit. The book contains the original exhibition catalog and 86 images from the show. Critic Ray Olson of Booklist has lauded the volume as “a glorious centennial commemoration and must-have Americana.” What are your feelings about the book?

We all should be very proud to have that show in the NAC’s historic legacy. We supported photography even before galleries and museums did! It was so interesting to actually see the images and pictures of the original installations.

In addition to your volunteer work at the NAC, you also work at Arnold Worldwide as a Vice President and Senior Art Buyer. Does the work you do there feed into your work at the NAC?

My “day job”—which I enjoy—fortuitously pays for my book and photography projects. In fact, I have had two new projects green lit recently. One is a book on Karl Bissinger, who went to Haiti in 1948 with Truman Capote and photographed some of the great Haitian artists. Bissinger always filmed people in their original environments, which is a rather rare phenomenon in photography nowadays.
The other project is a documentary film about Bissinger which I am producing. I began filming it about one year ago, and we just finished filming, so I am editing it now. To find out more about Karl’s show, you can go to the weblink sponsored by the company that is touring the show at: www.artsandartists.org/exhpages/biss.html.

Clearly, there’s a significant relationship between photography and art. However, art can be very subjective. What would you say makes one photo a “work of art,” as opposed to another?

As Stieglitz said in 1902, “The point is, what you have to say and how to say it. The originality of a work of art refers to the originality of the thing expressed and the way it is expressed, whether it be poetry or photography or painting.” I agree with him that art is about personalizing something, whether it is a painting or a photograph or what have you. If the piece does not contain an expression of feeling, then it is merely information rather than a work of art.

What is your reaction to the “celebrity photographers” of today, who seem to enjoy being in front of the camera just as much as-if not more than-their celebrity subjects?

I adamantly dislike contrived retouched photographs, and I hate the celebrity culture. It has nothing to do with art; it is solely about pushing a product and promoting the celebrity.

How much of your life would you say you devote to The National Arts Club and its mission to promote art?

It varies from month to month, but I really enjoy the work I do for the club. I am always tempted to join other committees, but I try to focus on the photography. However, I do make it a point to attend many of the other committees’ events.

The National Arts Club is an amazing place. There really is no other place like it in New York City. It’s a wonderful creative outlet. If you have an idea, it can happen at the club. The club hosted a very important photographic exhibit in American history. It has always embraced the nontraditional, encouraged personal expression, and celebrated artistic vision. It is truly a magical place.