Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Artist Analysis: Helen Levitt


                                  Helen Levitt, New York 1940, 35.4 x 27.9 cm, Silver Gelatin Print
     
     The subject in this photograph are different race children, playing together in a New York segregated community during the 1940s. These two children are clearly unaware of the impact skin color had in society. Levitt's technique is a great example of the decisive moment, as she captures her subjects as they are. She draws her inspiration from Henri Cartier-Bresson who is credited with the decisive moment. She said she wanted a feel of  "out on the street, go to the people." The photo was taken, as the series states, in New York in the 1940s. The series is a large body of work that shows many new York residents out on the same streets performing everyday activities. This image shows how social values are taught by the surrounding adults, instead of being developed naturally.



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