National Gallery's Street Photography Exhibit Opens Blocks From The New Leica Store

[johnbuckley]

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Washington's National Gallery of Art has just opened a new exhibit entitled "I Spy: Photography and the Theater of The Street, 1938-2010." Interestingly, it opened just as Washington's Leica Store has opened its doors. I was almost as excited about the new exhibit as I was about the opening of the Leica Store. But then the Washington Post slammed the exhibit in a review yesterday. Curious, I took a long lunch break and wandered over to the exhibit. Perhaps some will enjoy what I've just posted about the exhibit, and about how the Post got it wrong, sort of: The National Gallery’s “I Spy” Exhibit Takes Street Photography To Extremes

 

JB

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[Jager]

Thanks, John. I quickly read that story in yesterday's Post, but somehow missed the info on the exhibition. I'll make a point to stop over and see it.

 

I couldn't agree more with the sentiment on your blog post that subterfuge - the point of emphasis in the Post piece - isn't necessary to get good images in the street.

 

For me, the magic of street photography lives in your quote from HCB... “Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth that can bring them back again.”

 

Thanks again.

[Jeff S]

I'm not sure HCB would have cared much about any of the discussion. After all, he also said "Actually, I'm not all that interested in the subject of photography. Once the picture is in the box, I'm not all that interested in what happens next. Hunters, after all, aren't cooks."

As far as Evans' subway photos (published in his book, Many are Called), one needs to understand the historical context. Too long to go into here, but much has been written about that influential work and how it fits not only into Evans' much broader repertoire, but other art at the time, including much on the subject of subways. As an aside, some 'captured' on the subway seemingly caught his eye, but doubtful his camera; the reviewer has an opinion contrary to most.

 

I was planning to catch the show, and the Leica Store, next time in DC.

 

Jeff