The exhibition Photo

Photographer’s Note

At the wonderful Robert Capa Retrospective, held at the Jewish Museum in Brussels until 19th April. A small homage to this immense photographer.

This couple is looking at one of the China photographs, her head leaning on his shoulder, I could watch them for a bit and see their emotion. It represents a very young worker on those giant dams, so destructive in the end. I could not find a link for it.

"Information on the exhibition"

"Rober Capa's Magnum work"

Born in Budapest (his real name was Friedmann Endre Ernő), in 1913, Robert Capa created images that have a timeless, universal quality that transcends the specifics of history. He photographed five wars, and his work remains the definitive visual record of the Japanese bombing of Hankou, as well as later events in the European theater of World War II, including the Allied landing on D-Day, the Liberation of Paris, and the Battle of the Bulge.

Away from the front line, Capa counted among his friends an astonishing galaxy of luminaries, including actors Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman; writers Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck; columnist Art Buchwald; and artists Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Many insightful images of these friends are also included in this show. Capa's extended family in Paris included employees of Magnum, the renowned photography agency he founded in 1950. For three years, Capa devoted much time to the agency's business and to recruiting and promoting young photographers. Capa hated conflict, and photographed people on both sides of hostilities as individual victims of the destructive forces of war. He emphasized the faces and gestures of men and women hunkered down in foxholes, running wild-eyed from air raids, or sobbing over their losses. When photographing the sufferings of innocent civilians, Capa often turned his lens on children. Although he rarely photographed the dead or grievously wounded, Capa focused more on the survivors who were caught up in the ordinariness of life while surrounded by a maelstrom of destruction. In all, Capa allowed viewers to experience the wars as intimately as if they, too, were embroiled in the anguish.

And yet, while he documented such atrocities, Capa was fundamentally a pacifist. He was buried in a Quaker cemetery at the age of 40 after stepping on a land mine in 1954 while on assignment for Life magazine in Indochina.

Capa's 35mm Leica hand-held camera gave him the mobility necessary to maneuver in dangerous situations. But it was the intimacy, immediacy, compassion, and empathy that characterize his photographs. Capa could empathize deeply with many of the subjects of his photos. He understood rejection when he was exiled from Hungary and forced to flee Germany to escape anti-Semitism. He knew the pangs of hunger when living in Berlin and Paris. And he felt the anguish of losing a lover to the ravages of war, when photojournalist Gerda Taro was killed while covering a battle in Spain.

°°°

Have a great Sunday.

casperduppy, Asiulus, Anna--, Clementi, avene, Clairedelune has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

michelloupis (0) 2009-04-12 3:32

Hi Michèle,

It's beautiful. Interesting. The photographed subject observes a photography. What an expression. His eye is wonderful. The whole composition is wonderful.

A fine Sunday

Bye

n.

casperduppy (1488) 2009-04-12 5:04

Excellent shot, Michèle.
The eyes appear fixed on an aspect of the photograph that you don't show, that part that is being beaten, or hammered, or something similar adding to the imagination and emotion. Fine composition and close-up. And thank you for the interesting note, too. Have a Happy Easter, Casper

Anna-- (7741) 2009-04-12 8:29

Ciao Michèle,
e la funzione della fotografia, per me, è proprio questa, provocare una reazione, una sensazione, un'emozione. Perfetto momento colto di questa coppia che osservando l'opera del grande fotografo esprime la propria commozione attraverso questi intimi gesti.
Lavoro eccellente!
Auguri
Anna

Clementi (45339) 2009-04-12 12:29

Ciao Michele,
un altra conferma della tua bravura, sei riuscita a catturare le emozioni che provano questi due davanti a questa foto.
davvero grande
Giorgio

bantonbuju (48796) 2009-04-12 22:53

hi michele,
it is a difficult photo.... i really cannot tell if i like it or not... i appreciate your quest for finding something which is different, something that stands out and which would allow you to say to yourself proudly "i did it!"...:-)))
on the other hand - i wish i could understand this photo instantly and read its message (why instantly? - well, recently - if the photo does not appeal to me instantly, i somehow "reject it" or save if for later but hardly ever come back)... instead i have to "force my brain" to figure out what is going on in this image....

bw, j.

Dyerco (9318) 2009-04-13 7:43

Hi Michele
This is an interesting perspective. You have captured their interest and emotion as they view the photograph.
Phil

avene (11140) 2009-04-13 19:39

there's something hypnotic in this photo, I've spent quite a while looking at it. intriguing, abstract, fascinating, unusual - seems silly to try and find verbal description for something that works with pure emotions. the obvious fascination of the viewer, his eye seems glued to the photo he is observing... the casual, but very intimate gesture of the woman... story within a story wrapped in another story, while the rest of the world dissolves in white light.
I like the result a lot, and I admire your experiments, Michèle. I keep thinking that I should try some experimenting myself, but I guess I'm too lazy to leave my comfort zone. for now, at least :) thanks, I enjoyed this image.

best,
Kristine

ninaL (19596) 2009-04-13 22:11

Bonjour, Michèle.
Une image très intéressante, très originale, avec un vrai sens artistique.
Pour moi, elle pourrait être un tintinet plus sombre mais c'est souvent une question d'écran.
Bravo, en tout cas.
Amitiés, Grazyna.

Polonaise (5638) 2009-04-17 8:42

What an incredibly...INCREDIBLY beautiful homage to one of the greatest photographers of all times.

How to respond to someone's greatness in the trade that is your lovable passion - as well...?
There is only one answer to it...

With the greatness !

And, that's how I perceive your photo, Michele.

I wish I could say anything smarter than that.

With all of my knowledge and decency and experience and honesty - this is a great photography, Michele.

It really is.

Love and respect
......................

jalab_temen (1990) 2009-04-17 8:53

Dear Michele, I love this hommage a Robert Capa. The unusual close POV is the main advantage of the photo.

I have just heard Hungarian National Museum bought hundreds of original Capa photos from an American Museum, and wants to exhibit.

Regards from a Hungary

PS: I adde this image too my theme NB-NoirBlanc where I collected very goog black-n-white photos from TE.

Angshu (34157) 2009-04-23 0:33

Dear Michele
Fascinating! You're experiments really turn our minds on. It took me a while to understand & re-reading your note & it's a wow! So my firts impression - it's a difficult picture to understand, but when I did, it's for savouring. You're one level up here dear Michele
Best regards
Angshu

Clairedelune (4885) 2009-05-02 9:47

Je l'avoue : ça m'a pris un certain temps avant d'être enthousiaste pour cette photo. Pour moi, c'est le genre de photo dont on dit, en anglais, "it grows on you" (aurais-tu une parfaite expression française pour remplacer l'anglaise?). Je crois qu'au début, je me sentais un tout petit peu trop près de ce couple. J'avais envie de prendre un pas de recul. Ceci dit, je crois que sa principale qualité repose dans le regard intense dans l'œil de l'homme, et de ce tout petit détail des cils de la dame.
Une photo intimiste et un bel hommage à ce géant qu'est Capa.
Claire

noborders (14201) 2009-05-22 13:32

Michèle ! Dans ta galerie, c'est cette photo qui a d'abord surtout attiré mon regard, je constate encore une fois que tu as une vue très personnelle de tout ce que tu vis et j'admire vraiment cette créativité dans les angles et points de vue. Intéressant, - passionnant... compliments !

Bises à vous 2 (et au chat dont j'aime la moitié dans ton intro :))
Cath.