The first exhibit I would like to talk about is “The Mexican Suitcase,” which was on display at the International Center of Photography. This exhibit consists of the works of three major photographers from the Spanish Civil War, Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and David Seymour. Most of this vintage film that was on display was a nitrate-based film, all in black and white. This collection of work as a whole is just absolutely stunning! The collection is made up of many powerful images portraying such vivid, visual documentation of the war. There were two pictures I was strongly drawn to in Navacerrada Pass, Segovia front, Spain by Taro.
The first photograph was taken on the Segovia front of a soldier in a tank. I really liked the vantage point from which the picture was taken. I feel like the tank becomes more abstract in the picture and allows me to focus more on the soldier. I also like the highlights and shadows throughout the photograph. The second photograph I really enjoyed was the republican soldier leading a wounded soldier down a path. I was drawn to this picture because of the focal length at which the picture was taken. Also the fact that the picture isn’t just focused on the soldiers going down the path, but it also includes the environment.
I believe The Mexican Suitcase as a whole works well together in displaying the Spanish Civil War. This collection of work depicts a great political struggle in Spanish history from the expansion of global fascism. I feel that all the single works in the collection work together as a whole, displaying a timeline of the Civil War. The photographs were similar to each other showing such emotional scenes of the war. I was very taken aback from the photographs taken of the morgue, which showed the chaos and massive amounts of dead bodies. At the same time, the outside of the morgue showed a crowd of people waiting anxiously beyond the gates.
Overall, I really enjoying looking through the contact sheets, printed photographs, and reading the various scripts about The Mexican Suitcase as a whole. I believe the three major photographers did an excellent job with recording visual documentation of the war. All of the photographs flow together quite well; creating such a powerful, vivid social documentary of the Spanish Civil War.
The second exhibit I was strongly drawn to was the Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was drawn most to the work of Alfred Stieglitz, an influential advocate for modern art and photography in his time, as well as his journal, Camera Work. There were a couple themes displayed throughout the gallery of his work. One of the more featured collection of black and white photographs in this exhibit were the images of Georgia O’Keeffe.
Looking through Stieglitz’s’ work, I really enjoyed the photographs he took of Georgia O’Keeffe. I loved “Hands,” the highlights and shadows really helped this piece of work “pop.” It’s such a wonderful composite portrait and I feel drawn to it because of the abstract detail of the hands. This particular abstract view of the hands, sinewy fingers pressing into flesh, really shows the multifaceted personality of O’Keeffe. Another photograph I really liked was the “Steerage” one where the compressed composition emphasizes the closeness of space and accommodations of the lower class people. The overall graphic vision of shapes and balance really help make this photo stunning. I also like how the social conditions of the day are united in this particular photograph. You see the upper class people up top and then the lower class people below, divided by the levels and the walkway to board the ship.
Stieglitz works against pictorialism in his photographs because of the way he manipulates the images to look more picturesque, like art. I believe he does this quite well by way of the light and dark contrasts in his pictures, as well as the compositional structure and the repetition of forms. Stieglitz chooses subjects that deal more with the realities of modern life, creating more of an abstract art, like that of Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Hands.”
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