In the tumult between World Wars, 1930’s France gave rise to a new, humanistic direction in photojournalism led by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Ardently pursuing portrayals of the common man in ordinary circumstances, Cartier-Bresson and others like Brassai, Robert Doisneau and Sabine Weiss exulted the human spirit. Their iconic B&W prints, along with those of British and American photographers with a humanist vision, are on exhibit through April 9, 2016 at Holden Luntz Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida.
“Coquet, Place Blanche, Paris, 1953” by Sabine Weiss (courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
World War II interrupted the nascent humanist trend in photography, but it came roaring back in the late 1940’s, spreading to Britain, the rest of Europe and America. People hungered for positivity and photographers were obligingly ravenous. Mundane human activities and interactions were captured in dynamically composed frames at famously “decisive moments.” There was a lot of kissing.
“Le Baiser Blotto, 1950” by Robert Doisneau (courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
The legendary post-war photographers on view at Holden Luntz Gallery were visionaries of an enduring tradition, one that celebrates the triumph of hope over circumstance in poetic depictions of daily life. With ever smaller and faster cameras, documentary “street” photography flourished and the proliferation of pictorial magazines in the 1950’s and 1960’s fed the desire of the public to see themselves and their lives championed in print. There was still a lot of kissing.
“Santa Monica, California (California Kiss), 1955 (courtesy of the artist and Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
Fortunately, the humanist vision persists today, surviving the demise of print journalism to thrive again via the internet. In our perpetually chaotic times, the public yearning for optimistic imagery is as strong as ever. Holden Luntz indulges us, showing B&W work by renowned humanist photographers working more recently, alongside the icons who originated the genre. If you’d like to escape the daily inundation of bad news and experience some stellar, uplifting photography, this is the place. Especially if you like kissing.
“Berlin Kiss, 1996” by Harry Benson (courtesy of the artist and Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
Of course, there is far more to the humanist tradition than kissing. For more information about the genre, its photographers and this exhibit, go to: http://www.holdenluntz.com/exhibitions/the-humanist-vision
Feature Image: “Seville, 1933” (detail) by Henri Cartier-Bresson (courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
“La Dame Indignee 1948” by Robert Doisneau (courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach).
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