Photographer of the Week 04: Evans

3 Commentsby   |  09.18.14  |  Photographer of the Week

Walker Evans

American born.

Although primarily a photographer of environments rather than people, Evans’ social concerns brought him face to face with the victims of the Depression. He tried to capture their stoicism in unflinchingly direct portraits. He believed with Baudelaire that the artist’s task was to face head-on the harshest realities and to report them to the larger world, as he said:

“The real thing that I am talking about has purity and a certain severity, rigor, or simplicity, directness, clarity, and it is without artistic pretension in a self-conscious sense of the world.”

From Shorpy website: one of the best places for archival photos. Great images and excellent sizes.

And eventually, from Photography Now: with its usual beautiful site/presentation. Make sure to browse his entire works displayed in this site. Walker Evans’s contributions to photographic documentation is spectacular!

Comment

3 Comments

  1. Michelle Lytle
    10:18 am, 09.23.14

    I really love what this photo captures and the story it automatically tells the viewers. The texture and off set of lines and people give the photo alot of character. I like that the photographer went out of his comfort zone of environments and was able to capture this photo which involves people as well.

  2. Taylor McDaniel
    12:52 pm, 09.28.14

    I especially love Evans’ photos of the neighborhoods; It’s so cool to see how different the world used to be. The photos are nostalgic and honest, and really tell the story of our history.

  3. Brenee Ewing
    4:48 pm, 10.22.14

    Actually the more I look at this pick, I kind like it!!! I kind of agree with Michelle it does capture a old timing moment, also I feel like the viewer can get a fill for what it was like to live back in that time, it tells a story…

Add a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.