From January 31 to June 5, 2016, The Instant as Image : Moments of Action in Photography from the Permanent Collection at the Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY Purchase exemplifies the simplicity and beauty of motion. Curator, Chelsea Spengemann incorporates works from fourteen different artists as a response to Barbara Morgan’s motion images of modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. It features the works of Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Harry Callahan, Larry Clark, John Cohen, Elliott Erwitt, Lee Friedlander, Andre Kertész, Danny Lyon, Mary Ellen Mark, Hans Namuth, Nicholas Nixon, Edward Steichen, and Andy Warhol. everyday life is captured and transformed into art; making the mundane a demonstration for the appreciation of everyday actions. Their work expresses the “beauty of chance capture.” I’ve never been to a show at the Neuberger Museum of Art and what struck me was the layout of the gallery. It divided it’s exhibitions by large square rooms. This exhibition was on the second floor. As one walks up the steps, you are blinded by the array of lights beaming from the ceilings reflecting off the glass screen from the picture frames. The room was divided into two exhibitions by a grey wall with one side being The Instant as Image : Moments of Action in Photography from the Permanent Collection and the other being a suggested exhibition called Pursuit of Clarity: Adams, Van Dyke, Weston and the Straight Photography Movement. Both exhibitions were on the same floor and for a moment was confusing as to what images belonged to each exhibition as they ran continuously around the wall only being separated by the central grey wall with walkthroughs between each exhibit on the sides. Both of the exhibitions also had black and white images, which made it much more confusing. Although most of the images are in black and white, they are bursting with life and energy in comparison to colored photography. Each piece is scaled down and in minimal framing to serve as way to not distract from the image itself. Since the images were black and white, the lighting on the pieces acted for clarity purposes and helped in defining the features in each pieces. It also romanticized and dramatized the images, giving them a more livelier tone. Even with the minimalist approach, it allows for the meaning of each image to stand upon it’s own but it did cause some glaring issues. At first glance at a couple of the images, it felt as as if one were stepping into historical moments and experiencing them instead of just viewing it with a naked eye. As I would love to believe that many of the images seem to be candid, I do
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As a South Bronx native, this image captures the intensity and hardship living within the poverty stricken, run-down South Bronx through the stare and body positioning of a young woman into the camera due to a time of much turmoil and change within the community. These two girls are the representation dreadful history of “The Bronx is Burning”. Her stare is sharp into the lens as she is slouching within the graffitied train cart as the woman next to her has various markings and dark spots on her face, disheveled hair and looking into the distance of the cart. Due to urban decay in the 1970’s, landlords in the South Bronx resorted to burning down low property-value to collect insurance money rather than attempting to sell the property for it was distressed sections which ultimately led to the rise of Section 8 housing and the creation of Co-Op City as a way to help displaced residents find housing in the northern section of the …show more content…
The image itself it of young pre-teens dancing and jumping mid air, which is representing the innocence and naiveté of a child. Again although, the image is in black and white, the expressions on their faces especially the girl on the far right and all of them having their hands up in the air gives the image life. One may argue that having the image in color would be better as a way to add flare but having the image in black and white not only makes it atheistically and visually appealing but allows for the viewer to explore deeper into the image for that is where the true life of it
As a South Bronx native, this image captures the intensity and hardship living within the poverty stricken, run-down South Bronx through the stare and body positioning of a young woman into the camera due to a time of much turmoil and change within the community. These two girls are the representation dreadful history of “The Bronx is Burning”. Her stare is sharp into the lens as she is slouching within the graffitied train cart as the woman next to her has various markings and dark spots on her face, disheveled hair and looking into the distance of the cart. Due to urban decay in the 1970’s, landlords in the South Bronx resorted to burning down low property-value to collect insurance money rather than attempting to sell the property for it was distressed sections which ultimately led to the rise of Section 8 housing and the creation of Co-Op City as a way to help displaced residents find housing in the northern section of the …show more content…
The image itself it of young pre-teens dancing and jumping mid air, which is representing the innocence and naiveté of a child. Again although, the image is in black and white, the expressions on their faces especially the girl on the far right and all of them having their hands up in the air gives the image life. One may argue that having the image in color would be better as a way to add flare but having the image in black and white not only makes it atheistically and visually appealing but allows for the viewer to explore deeper into the image for that is where the true life of it